Doctors and how they come across

I'm involved in training medical students. I' m a simulated patient for communication training and exams. A lot of work seems to go into how these new potential doctors come over to patients. Of course, some are better than others.

Is that the one who knew your whole health history before you sat down? Where indeed.

When I lost all my hair, a woman doctor's advice and treatment was 'get a wig'.

The loss of continuity is a shame. My late OH was GP in a small country practice. The patients knew him and he knew them. When they came in the door he knew who had died in their family if they were in work, whether they got on with their spouse... as well as all the medical history. And this all added up to a better more individualised service.

I now seldom see the same person twice and they spend most of the meagre 10 minutes trying to catch up on my history on their screen.

We knew our old GPs and thry were just always there iyswim! One had taken over the practice from his father. Alas, they all retired and whilst some of those who took over are good, some have left and there seemed to be a rapid turnover. They are all part-time now too.
It's rare to see a GP, the appointment is usually with a nurse now which often means a repeat visit at a later date with the same problem.

Right up until his death my husband always requested ( by phone) and got appointments with the same GP. She even sent me a personal letter after he died.
I’m not sure it would work now that the system has changed to online booking with very limited options.

My Diabetes GP spends the 1st 5 minutes of my 10 minute consultation reading up her computer. Then she discusses whatever she wants not whatever I want to talk about. Very brusk and never says good morning or goodbye.
As a child the family GP drove to our house whenever my Mum phoned the surgery. He was an amputee and used a wheelchair. He knew all of the family and would do a general check up on any of the family at the same time. Those were the days. hugs

It's rare to see a GP, the appointment is usually with a nurse now which often means a repeat visit at a later date with the same problem. - that definitely happens round here and, given that it takes me 35 minutes to get to the surgery, that second journey is more than mildly annoying!

Our first GP was an alcoholic. You only saw him if desperate.

The great benefit of any appointment that I have with the surgery nurse is that she regularly finds time for a purposeful medical conversation.
Appointments with any of the GP’s always feel so rushed so that they rarely meet the standard of a what a consultation really ought to be.

Our family gp, when I was young, wore his coat in the surgery and smoked like a chimney but he knew all the family and asked how each individual one was.

Until very recently we could ask for an appt with a particular gp who, similarly, knew all our family situations - no of children etc. No longer. To see a particular doctor now I have to book at midday, on a Friday for 6 weeks hence.

My recent experience has been very impressive. Maybe be he was new to the practice but the young lad was very competent and friendly and phoned two days later with test results and told me what he planned to do next. That also happened. I'd expected to have to phone for blood test results myself and was resigned to a long wait for referral for scan. Two days after scan received a text and appointment for follow-up review and reassurance about scan findings. 👍 NHS

On marriage moved 20 miles away I joined the practice that my husband's family used.
First time I saw the head GP he offered me a cigarette and asked if I wanted a whiskey.
When told I didn't drink or smoke he called me a good girl.
Next time I saw a junior GP and he was just as bad.
This was 1980.

When I was early 30’s we had just moved to Shropshire and I was pregnant and very concerned after nearly losing our second child.

Our new GP was kind, thorough, gentlemanly and good at his job, he reassured us all would be well and got as a referral the following day.

He came to the house after I had a car accident at 6 months pregnant, he visited twice after the baby was born and when I became ill with a kidney issue some weeks later he telephoned every week with my weekly blood test results.
I eventually had to be hospitalised and yes he visited me in the hospital.
This was 1994.

We then moved to Lancashire…..it was dire!

They did the bare minimum begrudgingly.

When DH left the Army and we moved to our first house in South Yorkshire we signed on with the same doctor that had looked after my family for years. His surgery was two rooms in a terraced house - just he and his receptionist, with whom you argued at your peril. He was lovely. Old school, seen it all, cradle to grave, never without a pipe in his mouth. Everybody was devastated when he retired. We moved to a larger practice and were happy with it too.

When we came to our current practice we were under the senior partner who was very no nonsense but an excellent physician. I think most people were a little afraid of her - I was myself but when DH died, she was kindness and patience itself with me and nothing was too much trouble for her. Unfortunately she herself has now taken early retirement. I had an appointment with her on the day she left. I remember her saying to me that she was confident that she had left the practice in the best possible position going forward. It seems as if she has.

I think we have really lost something valuable not being able to see the same doctor or at least one who was slightly familiar with your history.
Do you know what I would love ? I would love a doctor , like in the old days. who would have the experience to have an inkling of what might be causing the problem. Now we have doctors who sit and google your symptoms in front of you when you could do that yourself at home. Sometimes it feels as good as going into the local newsagent, giving him your symptoms, he googles and then says 'I can sell you some paracetamol'

Nearly all the doctors at our practice are pretty good. I have a favourite who is really excellent but most will actually give you that extra bit of time and what is good that the receptionists can triage an afternoon appointment if you ring in the morning and they are allocated a bit extra time. Morning appointments are the 10 min quickies if its an infection calling for antibiotics or a situation where a referral on is obvious.

But `I have had to chase referrals at some points and "join up the dots" in overall care and glad ~I still have the wits to do this - I sometimes come having sent a brief written list of symptoms to the surgery by email so they can copy and paste.

I had an appointment today with a 'Pharmacist'. He was like a robot and I found it a very strange experience. I would much rather have seen my usual doctor but the system has changed and now it isn't possible to book an appointment.

There is something very reassuring about seeing a doctor who knows your medical history and I think it's sad that the care isn't what it used to be.

We have a few different doctors at our practice but whichever one you see seems to remember you. They also seem to have plenty of time for you. We have to book in the morning for a same day appointment but it is always possible to see the duty doctor in an emergency.

To see a particular doctor now I have to book at midday, on a Friday for 6 weeks hence.
So do I kitty - so I do that and am happy.
I'd rather have my favourite GP for non urgent things - and if it's really urgent I don't think I care who it is.

When I was young our family doctor was a middle aged woman who lived a short walk away and held her surgeries at her own home. No appointments
necessary, we would just turn up and sit in the waiting room. She knew your family and medical history and would always do house calls if necessary. Only downside was that she smoked like a chimney throughout the consultation. We never thought anything about it at the time! We never see the same doctor twice now and they don't know you from Adam!

GPs do a completely different job now and spend a huge percentage of their week doing paperwork. My niece who's a doctor said she'd rather work on the till in Tesco than be a GP as she'd get less abuse. This was after doing a stint at a GP surgery during her training.fwiw my surgery is excellent and I've no complaints.

What area has she chosen to go into Vintagewhine?
Did she think she might like to be a GP before?

I’ve always found the GPs fine. Admittedly I am lucky enough not to need them very often, but it seems to be a different one each time.

The last hospital doctor I saw - at least 3 times - the respiratory consultant when I had pneumonia/pleurisy, was a 10/10, or even an 11 - he was lovely.