Would you Skype your GP?

Our doctors receptionists work a sort of triage system which seems to work quite well. Actually seeing a doctor is quite difficult but because A lot is filtered out to the nurse practioner (blood tests, reviews etc) and by telephone appointments - these work very well and are popular. Our practise has two surgeries in two towns ten miles apart. Phone appointments are done in surgery time and are always prompt so you're ready waiting by the phone and the doctor can run his surgery from home via his computer link. It seems to work well as I no longer need to wait several weeks when I do need to see a doctor.

Skype wouldn't work at all here as internet connections just aren't up to it. We've mediocre reception here in town where speeds are rarely up to the level they're supposed to be, but further out it's chronic.

And very hard when you can see both sides, but the participants may not be able to, or only one can. Still, no-one can say that this board doesn't give us lots to think about.

gracesgran very true

Sorry forgot

on most sites, the

;)

turns into a wink

just as the



turns into a smile

and



into a groan

Gracegran I love that drawing- very interesting. And would be perhaps a lot more relevant re comments on opinions and evaluation of an issue or other.

In this case, the info I gave in the last few posts are facts, not opinion or vague hearsay- and not really open to different points of view. But yes, could apply to OP- as it has clear advantages and disadvantages. Trialling the system can't hurt though- and as discussed could prove hugely successful with some groups of patients, and totally useless for others, clearly those unable to use a computer, for whatever reasons/s.

I don't know what those symbols mean. But they do look faintly gynaecological.

Btw, I don't give a flying fart toss whatever about my grammar on here.

Oh dear, rant away and throw your toys out of your pram- I won't be joining you this time (learning). Toodeloo.

Do look

yes, which was made absolutely clear in my post- with almost up-to-date info for fairly recently 7 years ago. And my post was very clearly in the past tense and not the present. Even though I am but a foreigner, type very fast and never check (so make many typos- which sadly this site won't allow one to correct) my grammer (;) ain't (;) too bad.

Perhaps I'd rather make 'daft' comments than lecturing ones.

Yes. 39 years ago. Exactly.

Oh, I see, go that- was it patronising? I thought it was in direct response to that from you:

So doctors have to work from home as well as weekends now then? They'll love that. grin

which was a bit of a daft comment, really- and I do happen to know, having lived someone who did just that, on top of very very long hours, from 1969 till 2008, eg 39 years.

you've lost me there jingl- would you mind copying and pasting- where on earth was I patronising here? Pray tell- I can't apologise if I have no idea. Which post?

ChristopherLee sorry I missed your "hello". No, I have no problem with the quick telephone conversations. My mother has dementia so anything that doesn't worry her helps. Calling a doctor out would worry her so it works well for us and the doctor has got the measure of what I understand I think. She does like the doctor and enjoys seeing her when she needs to come.

The reason that we have the blood taking at Saisbury's etc., is, I think, because the district received some extra funding to show the way forward. They were one on the first hospitals to use some of the NHS funding to pay for people to get the initial care they need on leaving hospital to stop "bed blocking", if I remember rightly. I'm not too genned up on this I'm afraid.

We cannot continue in the way we are doing but we must not make people feel that they must make changes they do not understand or cannot cope with. Doing it a bit at a time will work. The younger people will love it - they are so busy and their children will see it as normal. We have to make the best use of doctors expensive time.

My online prescription has been "overdue for a review" for years. Still works.

That was your second post gj. The first one, where you were patronising and lecturing ("did you really think...") is the post I am talking about.

I think the chemists in Sainsbury's should be given the training/power to check the blood pressure, then. Let's face it, if they can do the flu jabs, chemists are trained professionals, why not take blood pressures?

present tense jingl??? Just re-read my post, and it is very clear this was in 1970- but perhaps not so clear that DH stopped in 2008, aged 63- and still very much in contact with ex colleagues and junior partners (now senior of course...) - now about 12 part-timers to cover the same work minus on call, as 5.5 did before ;). Re repeat prescriptions on line- it is still exactly the same now- you can't get repeats forever- depending on condition, the system will send you a message to say you can't get new one until you see the doc for a check-up.

To be honest, Janerowena they could improve the system as I need a blood test when they review so have to go in to the surgery see the doctor, either book there for the blood test and go back or take the script to Sainsbury's for the blood test and then go back to the doctors when they have the result. If the script for the blood test printed out with the last but one prescription I could get it done at Sainsbury's when I pick up my next prescription and they could call me in to the surgery if necessary. I would still have to go, as things are, to have my BP checked but again, does a doctor really need to do that or do they just need to see the results. I quite agree about the short review times. Not that these things shouldn't be reviewed but a lot of it is technical.

I do not want to be treated as if I am ill; I am well with some health issues. My daughter was talking about this the other day. She has just started her Masters degree and, as she is severely dyslexic she has "disabled student" on her cover sheets for her work. She hates it and, as I said to her, she is not a disabled student, she is a student with a disability. She has not allowed it to define her so why do they? (Sorry - soapbox )

granjura's post was written very much in the present tense.

I think with today's often shared practices, things would be different now.

Yes that's exactly what I meant janer - your last para. above. Why waste an appointment when you know you will be taking whatever for ever. Obviously there may be blood tests results affecting it but it only needs the prescription amending in that case.

granjura - sorry for my doubts - I just could not see how anyone could work such long hours - 20 per day! They had to have some time to recover their strength surely?

I meant the long hours still happen - not 140 but actually many are still being forced to work longer than those you quote granjura, there have been a few exposes about it not all that long ago. It must be bad enough to know your life is in the hands of a trainee, let alone a knackered trainee!

gracesgran do you not have a rather short review time between presriptions? I have always hated knowing that I have to pay a visit to the surgery for something I know I will have for the rest of my life every three months, unless they have news of another better medication I can't see the point. I would rather Skype for that.

Depending on the condition, you can't always order on line if the doctor feels s/he needs to listen to your heart and lungs or take BP, etc. Most doctors will allow ordering on line for a couple of times, then put an automated message that you need to see him/her in person for checks every, 3, 6, or yearly, etc- to be safe. A GP that allows repeats on line for too long is probably not doing his/her job properly.

Gagagran can't you order your repeat prescriptions on-line? I wasn't sure about this at first as it defaulted to the chemists contained within the medical centre so not open at the weekend but then I found I could alter where it is sent to so I can even have it sent to the chemists that stays open until midnight if I want to and, of course, I can order at any time of the day or night - I just have to allow a couple of days but that was always the case.

No, no typo- that was in 1970 and 71- Junior Hospital Doctor at West Middx and Queen Mary's. Absolute and sheer madness- and yes, almost beyond human endurance- and it broke many. But those that survived learnt very fast, got massive amount of experience quickly and became very confident diagnosticians. His working hours decreased to a mere 90-100 for the next few years as a GP trainee- but still 5 day week + i night in 3 on call, + 1 week-end in 3 on-call non-stop. if you did obstetrics or casualty, very few of those hours allowed any rest at all.

Even as a GP it was also full 5 day week + 1 night in 3 and 1 week-end in 3, on top, + admin, + reports, + marking and mentoring- so again, an 80 hr week min per week. In the last 5 years he gave up teaching and on-call hours went out of house- so dropped right down to 60- easy peasy.

No, it does not happen anymore. The new rules are 70 hrs on call of which no more than 55 can be actual working hours. A different world now.