Bonkers new rule at our GP surgery

GP receptionists will be a job role of the past

I hope not. Despite the fact that I had a bizarre conversation with a new one recently and had a slight contretemps with one who called me a liar (turned out to be their mistake, not mine) most are very good.
They are helpful, knowledgeable and would be missed.

Musicgirl

How ridiculous. Our surgery is not as bad as many l hear about, in that you can generally get some sort of appointment but the nurses seem to do most of the work. The daftest thing at our surgery is that you can now no longer book non-urgent appointments in advance. You have to ring the surgery at 8 am along with everyone else.

That's how my surgery has been. In that respect, the new online booking system might be an improvement. I've used a beta version of it and I was given the option of an urgent appointment or an advance booking. I had to write down exactly what the problem was and was given the option to state a preferred clinician, which was what I got - two weeks later, which was fine. I guess if I hadn't needed a doctor, I would have been directed to the appropriate person. I've also ordered blood tests via the system and been given an appointment without further triaging.

It's all been better than the 8 o'clock scramble and the queue of people at reception trying to beat the system. It gives everybody a fairer chance and hopefully people can be prioritised and directed to the appropriate person.

Fleurpepper

growstuff

maddyone

I didn’t know that the receptionists are being phased out either growstuff.

They are in my practice.

And what are they proposing to replace them?

They're not replacing them. The new digitised system makes them redundant.

I once had a lump like that surgically removed. To this day I can recall the face of the extremely good-looking young male doctor peering at me between my knees, as I had my legs up in stirrups, while a couple of nurses looked on. I've never been so embarrassed in my life. Thankfully, they were all quite used to that kind of thing and we had a good laugh about it.

I think I would be even more embarrassed taking a photo of myself and uploading it to my computer and then sending it.

Thanks, Growstuff I will write that sie down. I am talking with experience about a lump that you would not want to photograph. After I had one of my DDs I discovered a lump. The G.P. referred me straight away to a Urologist. Only to be asked by him if the medical students could come in and see it. Luckily they put a screen up so they could not see my bright red face.It could only happen to me.
Sometimes like you say a face-to-face appointment would be so much quicker and less worrying.

How ridiculous. Our surgery is not as bad as many l hear about, in that you can generally get some sort of appointment but the nurses seem to do most of the work. The daftest thing at our surgery is that you can now no longer book non-urgent appointments in advance. You have to ring the surgery at 8 am along with everyone else.

growstuff

maddyone

I didn’t know that the receptionists are being phased out either growstuff.

They are in my practice.

And what are they proposing to replace them?

I'm thinking that the are going to phase out GPs. I expect that we will have to self refer after filling out an online forms in the not too dim and distant future.

maddyone

I didn’t know that the receptionists are being phased out either growstuff.

They are in my practice.

Yammy I know this is a bit of a diversion from the thread, but I came across this the other day:

111.nhs.uk/emergency-prescription

It could be useful if you've run out of medications and can't get a prescription review in time.

I haven't tried it, so don't know how it works.

Yammy

maddyone

Just tell them it’s urgent because it’s an investigated lump. Mind you, if it’s been there since before Covid and it’s unchanged, it’s probably not urgent at all. You could send a picture in with an email of course.

What if the lump is somewhere intimate, would you like to photograph your privates? Who knows where some people including maybe you in the future get lumps then you could put your idea into practise ,maybe ask a friend or partner to take the photo for you

It's not just in intimate places. I have a brown lesion on my back. It's about 2 centimetre in diameter with uneven edges. I can only see it in a mirror and it seemed to be growing.

At the time, I was on my own (before OH) and we were limited to the people we could see during the pandemic. I managed to get an online appointment and was told to take a photo. I obviously couldn't see what I was doing and it took me about an hour to get a photo of the right place. I sent it to the GP, who complained it wasn't clear enough and got me to go into the surgery anyway. He had a special camera which ruled out any malignancy. It took about two minutes. I couldn't help thinking that if I's had a face-to-face appointment in the first place, it would have taken ten minutes max and I wouldn't have had to do contortions to try and take a photo myself.

maddyone

Just tell them it’s urgent because it’s an investigated lump. Mind you, if it’s been there since before Covid and it’s unchanged, it’s probably not urgent at all. You could send a picture in with an email of course.

What if the lump is somewhere intimate, would you like to photograph your privates? Who knows where some people including maybe you in the future get lumps then you could put your idea into practise ,maybe ask a friend or partner to take the photo for you

maddyone

Why don’t you stop moaning and be glad your husband has got an appointment?

Why don't you show a bit more empathy?
Lots of us are having trouble with our surgery at the moment presumably you haven't or you wouldn't give such a sharp and thoughtless reply.
I hope all goes smoothly for your DH. I was told something similar that I couldn't have a repeat until I had been seen at the surgery but they could not give me an appointment there and then I had to do the 8.30 sit like you.

I didn’t know that the receptionists are being phased out either growstuff.

Growstuff, thanks for informing me. I wonder if Rishi Sunak knows the online system is not working.

Caleo Because NHS England has decreed that practices should adopt total triage and online systems.

GP receptionists will be a job role of the past. In my practice, they're not even called receptionists any more (I've forgotten their fancy new job title). Allegedly, they've all had training to direct people to the most appropriate clinician. However, they're being phased out and replaced by an online system, although one or two will be retained for people who can't access the online system. In theory, the online system could be monitored by somebody anywhere in the world.

I do understand GPs are too few to do all they are supposed to do, and that GPs have had to empower their practise managers to make rules that sort through what patients' needs are.

What I don't understand is why practises (which are now run as businesses) don't employ more of the relatively low-paid receptionists so any patient can at least speak to a human being not a recorded message or a line engaged signal.

Then I actually think we agree Fleurpepper.
Of course 111 is separate from the surgeries, but often it is the same doctors who do both, like my son in law.

Agree MissA.

maddyone

I’m sorry if I misunderstood you Fleurpepper.
As we now have 111 and GPs do work at night and weekends, I can’t see how there is no provision though. My son in law, before he went to New Zealand, worked as a GP at his practice during the week, but did many extra shifts both at night and at weekends. Sometimes he was just talking to patients and then prescribing for them to pick up at the duty chemist, sometimes he advised them to go to hospital, sometimes he did a home visits shift where he had a driver who drove him to patients houses and he did a home visit. This is why I don’t understand why anyone thinks we should go back to individual GPs doing all home visits. The provision is there, and when I had Covid, it most likely saved my life.

I am NO saying they should go back to those crazy times- NOT at all.

Those who cover nights and week-ends are totally separate from the GP services. What I am saying, is that it has a huge repercussion on the shortage of GPs and other doctors.

Although we have been able to see our Drs for most of the time apart from lockdown periods France is experiencing similar problems in recruiting GPs. In rural areas some communes are offering inducements for doctors to work there. Free housing for example. Our surgeries don't hold clinics or have nurses there but we are able to see the Dr generally within a couple of days of ringing up. We pay 25 euros per visit but part of that is refunded.

Yes, thanks, Maddy.
It's very complex, it seems, with multiple layers but to an everyday person (me!) it's as if gps just were wiped off the face of the earth.

My daughter, who has three young children, would be unable to do any night shifts when her husband was out doing his night shifts. But she can work in the practice during the day.

I hope my previous comment answered your query MissA.

I’m sorry if I misunderstood you Fleurpepper.
As we now have 111 and GPs do work at night and weekends, I can’t see how there is no provision though. My son in law, before he went to New Zealand, worked as a GP at his practice during the week, but did many extra shifts both at night and at weekends. Sometimes he was just talking to patients and then prescribing for them to pick up at the duty chemist, sometimes he advised them to go to hospital, sometimes he did a home visits shift where he had a driver who drove him to patients houses and he did a home visit. This is why I don’t understand why anyone thinks we should go back to individual GPs doing all home visits. The provision is there, and when I had Covid, it most likely saved my life.