Scaling back GP care

Well Vickymeldrew, I am sorry you feel I have posted a moany miserable thread. I thought this site was supposed to be supportive. Most posters have been sympathetic and I thank them for that. I actually do work for the NHS on a Covid ward and watched my patients die and it has been traumatic to say the least and especially for their families. When it comes down to it though I am talking about my experience with my GP surgery concerning my very sick husband and the system that just isn't working. If I hadn't pressed my GP to take action and just accepted anti sickness tablets which she had offered I have no doubt he may not have survived. Sorry to be so moany miserable again.

Alegrias2 My point exactly.

Tweedle24 ?

I once complained about a receptionist at the local surgery who lied to me. No question about it, she did lie. The Practice Manager was on it straight away, the receptionist was disciplined and their processes changed.

I could have come on an internet forum to complain about it, but I thought my way was better.

There are several complaints on here about GP surgeries. I wonder if official complaints have been made through appropriate channels and, if so, what happened.

Caragran

My doctors are a disgrace. Done nothing since beginning of March. The practice administer is telling patients what they should and shouldn't be doing. If I ask for repeat prescriptions they usually come back with items missing
Am spending more time chasing around than enough

Me too. Fed up with chasing them up this last month.
Things missing. Receptionist says they're down the pharmacy.
Pharmacy say's I can assure you they're not. And so it goes.
It's taken 4 weeks of phone calls for the receptionist to send a prescription to be sent to Charter so that they can send out night drainage and leg bags to my housebound brother who has a permanent catheter.
Had an automated phone call on Thursday to say mine and my son's medication was ready to collect from the pharmacy. He went on Friday evening to collect and was told they weren't ready. Come back tomorrow. I despair.

As with many others, initially I was of the opinion that general practitioners were hiding away and not doing many of their normal duties. Recently, I am of the opinion that what has been going on or NOT as the case may be has been due directives from National Health England and central Government. Why have we not been informed of this?

There were five Doctors in my surgery in March at the first lockdown, then one retired, one got into a practice nearer to where she lived. There are now three managing 11,000 patients? There are no other doctors lists in my area taking new patients. My husband is shielding, his bloods, consultant visits are managed by telephone and a temporary drive through phlebotomy centre in a playing field about 30mins from our home. We live in a suburb of Liverpool.

As I understand things, no additional funding will be offered but it's not EVERY GP practice, it won't necessarily be GP 's administering the vaccinations but different staff, plus pharmacists, therapists, and army personnel.

The vaccinations will be administered at centres in the community.

However, it seems to me that we all have a responsibility in this. There are going to be significant numbers of people who need help to GET to the centres, maybe that's what we need to do.

I belong to one of the most 'outstanding' GP surgeries in the UK - not once have they closed their doors - you can get a call from a doctor the day you ring and if need seen then can go that day or the day after - I am post-op and my GP is coming to see me Tuesday .... excellent!

My Mum however is in an area where the surgeries have literally shut! They can't get calls and if they do manage one the GP's are at home!

Definitely a Postcode Lottery !

My husband looked up his medical records last week on SystmOnline. In block capitals was “DID NOT ATTEND FLU VACCINE CLINIC” Oh yes he did!! As he has for the last 15 years. ??‍♂️

I have 2 good friends who’re recently retired GPs they, despite having been very unwell early on with covid themselves, volunteered for duty. They were not taken up on it either.

We have 2 recently retired doctors in our family, both signed up and re-registered as soon as it was mentioned they would be needed..........neither has been asked to help even though they live in a city rife with COVID.

The Health Centre in my town is only open at the pharmacy and that is recent. You have to phone if you are unwell or have a query. The GP phones you back but they are very reluctant to actually see and physically examine you. I used to work there as a nurse and I am not very happy with the service. All reception desks have screens up yet no patients are allowed near them. You can see the screens from the pharmacy. If you do actually get an appointment to see someone you have to wait outside. If they don't come and fetch you after 10 minutes of your time you have to phone them and tell them you are waiting. It is not easy for me never mind older patients some of whom do not have a mobile phone. As suggested in the press many people are not going near them and delaying treatment. My friend's husband had a heart attack with a cardiac arrest before 1st lockdown. He had a stent fitted and recently is having chest pain again but does not want to bother the doctors as "they are so busy". It is very difficult to imagine what they are actually doing if they are not seeing patients.

I think what has changed dramatically over the past twenty years is GPs expectation of the job. One of my first memories is of our family doctor coming in the night, suit over his pyjamas to see my brother during a polio scare. He and his two partners were part of the community their children went to school with their patients' children, we all met at parties and church. There were some scary epidemics in those days and all the practice doctors were there 24/7 during them, my doctor had a camp bed in his office he used when he was too tired to go home. That was the job. Those days are long gone. Times have changed.

maddyone It’s clear from comments here that NHS is not consistently delivering high quality care. The problems people describe are genuine yet you seem to be rubbishing them. The system is not always providing care ‘at the point of need’ if someone has to wait 3 weeks for an appointment or can’t get through by phone. I see your annoyance, I’m in a family of teachers and dislike the criticism they get but I’m afraid you’re sounding like nurses and doctors of 40 years ago who had the attitude that patients should be ‘grateful’; we are, but we do not have to be subservient. We all pay a share toward NHS.

I do understand that GPs are busy under different circumstances at the moment but pre March my husband had several appointments at hospital for different conditions and I do realise that with so much going on with covid everyone is super busy but my husband had a small op and biopsy on prostate about 7 weeks ago, we had no appointments through for results, cancer or not, so have had to chase it through, eventually we managed to get one in two weeks time, he also has missed glaucoma app and yearly heart check, as for GPs , we have managed to get phone appointments but , even video calls are not the same as face to face, cant wait for that to return

Debhohun,
I am so sorry to hear of your troubles with your poor husband. It certainly does not make things smooth with all the restrictions.

I have to say our medical system here in out town is working well. My DH and I have different doctors but both have had fairly good service, with phone consultations and follow up in person. If anything some things are moving faster because fewer people are using the system if it is not urgent.

We have however, been very frustrated with my dear MIL in the hospital. She is 91, and had to go from assisted living to the hospital. We were finding the lack of communication very difficult. Poor woman with no phone, no visitors, no one answering calls regarding her condition. We have finally sorted out that she can have one visitor to help with 'personal care' so my DH has just started visiting her with limited visits.

I would have though since the hospital was not allowing visitors, they would put an extra administrator or patient care liason on the ward to take time to communicate with family.

Maddyone no I’m not fed up of hearing about hard working medics. Unlike you I am trying to be objective and see the whole picture. It is crystal clear from the posts on here that some people are definitely experiencing great difficulties in accessing the services of a GP. As I’ve said earlier some surgeries appear to be providing a good service. Just to be clear are you saying that those who say they are having problems accessing services are making it up?

debohun, sorry you and your husband are having such a tough time. I hope things improve

much of this thread reads like many other threads on gransnet in recent weeks. So many angry, complaining people.

I do accept that not all practices are functioning well. The suggestion that the doctors are somehow hiding away and not doing any work is just nonsense.

Our GPs were rubbish before Covid and now you can't see one for love nor money. I have had a lump in my throat every time I swallow from the end of August and ended up and contacted my GP 7 wks ago who diagnosed me with acid reflux over the phone and gave me tablets for it and it's still there. There's an advert on TV saying if you are worrying about a lump etc, go contact your GP straight away as they will see you. Joke!

Before covid, my gp practice worked on basis that if they take long enough to give you an appointment, or even answer phone, you will eventually get better. Or go to a&e. Now they are supremely useless. It’s so frustrating as in bygone days it was a rather wonderful practice. Changing to another one round here is basically impossible as all lists were full long before covid.

I wonder if everyone complaining about the service they are getting just now was out clapping for the NHS in the spring?

I hope everyone remembers this the next time we are called to vote for a government, and vote for one which wants to fund the NHS properly.

Gwyneth I’m sure you’re fed up of hearing me bleat on about hard working medics, and would probably like me to stop, but I’m even more fed up of reading other people’s
criticism of GPs saying they don’t know what they’re doing. It’s true, they don’t!

Just because some of us have experienced excellent service from our GP surgery recently doesn’t negate the fact that others of us are not receiving that standard of care. Unfortunately it’s not always a level playing field.
Many GPs just like many teachers and along with many others of different professions will have been working hard throughout lockdown. However that does not mean it’s universally the case in every single setting, standards can and do vary. I’ve a daughter working as in front line NHS care. I can understand folk feeling defensive when they know their own family members are working really hard as I know mine are.
Maybe if surgeries had better communication with patients that would prevent frustration building up. My own surgery has a website that says nothing and sends texts about check ups I’m not due to have, then none about the ones I do need. Nothing to do with Lockdown, it’s been like this since the partners sold the surgery to a consortium a few years ago. Every single member of the previous staff from doctors to receptionists moved swiftly on. Now the practice is mainly staffed by locums, once seen they never seem to return. Surely that says something about the whole set up!

My surgery pulled up the drawbridge in March I had to insist on being seen this week My blood pressure was dangerously high I'm a double stroke survivor so now have new meds and GP appointment for next 3 weeks