Bonkers new rule at our GP surgery

maddyone

nadateturbe yes you’re right, it is possible to comment without being rude. However some posters sound like complaining about GPs is their life’s mission. This is hardly the first thread where complaints about GPs are aired and it won’t be the last. Perhaps I’ll feel less like responding to these posters negatively when they in turn stop constant complaints about GPs and make at least some effort to understand the situation.

Rather than being rude to people who are worried sick about their health, maybe you should direct your anger towards those who are responsible for the under-resourcing.

People will only stop complaining when we get the service we pay for. How do you expect people to feel when they are suffering ill health and not getting the help they need?
Understanding doesn't make them feel better.

nadateturbe yes you’re right, it is possible to comment without being rude. However some posters sound like complaining about GPs is their life’s mission. This is hardly the first thread where complaints about GPs are aired and it won’t be the last. Perhaps I’ll feel less like responding to these posters negatively when they in turn stop constant complaints about GPs and make at least some effort to understand the situation.

Well of course Callistemon some doctors do want to be GPs, and thank goodness for that otherwise we wouldn’t have any GPs at all. However I do know from the horse’s mouth that fewer doctors are choosing to train as GPs and that means that the shortage over time will become more acute. Many GPs are already retiring or are approaching retirement and many young doctors just do not want to become GPs. I think any thinking person should ask themselves why this is the case, but actually it seems many people do not want to wonder what the problem is, but would rather criticise instead.

I changed my GP Practice some seven or eight years ago. The Practice I attended rather infrequently amalgamated with three other practices and was taken over by a group called Vine which oversaw the whole group. When that happened it became impossible to see a doctor and you had to be very determined in order to see a nurse or paramedic. As I suffer from asthma, and at that time was having rather bad symptoms and needed to have oral steroids regularly, I became disillusioned and decided to change my practice. I was recommended a nearby practice, although it was further from my house, and so I approached them and they took both myself and my husband on as patients. They have been so much better and I always receive treatment on the rare occasions that I need it. I have found the NHS App very useful for making telephone appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions.

growstuff showed up thread that being persistent brings results. Complaining on Gransnet or any other online forum will not bring about any change. It just makes people sound like complainers.

And the government have tried to encourage more doctors to train as GPs BUT THEY DON’T WANT TO BE GPs

The one I saw (who apparently doesn't work at our surgery 🤔) is a trainee and should be taking her exams shortly. So 🤞

silverlining48 why indeed, I fear we may never get a truthful answer, and as long as everyone plays along with the Covid excuse and doesn’t make a fuss then this is how things will continue and can only worsen.

maddyone

Sorry, but what’s Brexit got to do with it?

Nothing, surely?

Our new receptionist doesn't seem to have had any training, talking to her on the phone was bizarre.
She didn't know the names of routine medications, denied they had a certain doctor at the practice (oddly, I'd only spoken to that GP the week before) because she knew all the GPs only by their first names which most patients won't know. "Oh, do you usually see Lucy, Maggie or Gem"?

Until Covid, it was straightforward to get a gp appointment. My erstwhile excellent surgery could often offer one within the next few days, otherwise a week or two if I wanted to see my named GP. You saw the doctor at the surgery, where they could examine lumps and bumps if necessary.
Why the change now. Have so many GPs suddenly left en masse since 2020?
I was curious so asked at my surgery and none of the doctors have left so what has changed, why is it suddenly impossible to have a face to face appointment, while other practices are more or less back to normal.

HousePlantQueen

I agree, it is bonkers.

To spend 40 minutes on the phone only to be told to send a letter so the surgery can phone to make an appointment is utterly ridiculous.

I thought our surgery appointments system was difficult enough but yours sounds worse.

Maddy it's possible to comment without being rude.
Even if people know there are problems in GP practices, it doesn't stop them feeling exasperated with it. And some are getting very bad service. I can still get on the day face to face appointments by phoning. My daughter has great difficulty ever getting to see a doctor, even with sick children. It's unacceptable.

We use the NHS app to book appointments, order repeat prescriptions etc. It helps keep the phone lines free for those who can't or won't use the Internet.

How do other businesses manage the fact that some workers want to do less hours?

It's quite a normal occurrence, surely?

I think I can shed more light on the reasons for the shortage of GPS.

To be fully qualified as a GP takes 10 years and a lot of debt. Many women are attracted to the role but just as they qualify they enter peak marriage/ childbearing age. When they return to work they don't want to work full time so only do a few sessions a week.

This leaves the surgery with a massive predicament because they don't share the additional tasks and responsibilities that full time GPS have. Newly qualified GPS can also earn more as locums and with online services.

Young GPs seem to be choosing practices where they can afford to live and with easy transport. My own practice invests heavily in the training of GPs but it's one way traffic.....once qualified they need to live somewhere cheaper and also leave their university hospital and return to their home areas.

My practice has eight part time GPs and three full time for 16000 patients. With that workload it's no wonder that they have a high turnover and permanently advertise for staff.

Our NHS no longer works....

Can only get an online telephone appointment with a nurse practitioner at our surgery. If you want to see a GP you have to phone at 8 am and get in a queue, maybe for 40 mins and guess what? All appointments gone. They will suggest that you phone 111. 111 may say phone GP back as they have a duty of care. This week I phoned and was told no GP but paramedic available who could deal with minor illness?? Except my need was not minor. No wonder A and E are overwhelmed.

FarNorth

maddyone

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

You think having to write a letter in order to have someone phone you to make an appointment is an improvement?

I think it is more likely that someone has got hold of the wrong end of the stick.

I am one of the lucky ones , I cannot fault my GP practice, it is just wonderful. So much so that we’d really like to move house, but hearing everyone else’s problems I think we’ll stay put. Their latest innovation is a telephone system that calls you back when it’s your turn- no more waiting in a queue! We have both joined the patients group attached to the surgery, it’s given us a chance to help out and to give the staff feedback, in which they appear to be very interested and take on board any suggestions we make, or explain why it would not be possible / practical to go ahead with a suggestion. I really recommend joining your patients group, it’s very rewarding and insightful, and often they are crying out for volunteers.

Jaxjacky

You fill in an online form for ours, or email, usually get a response with 24 hours.
What doesn’t help, as our surgery posted today, last month 384 patients just didn’t turn up for appointments, 97 of which were GP face to face, 69 with the nurse, others with health care assistants and other services.
How is this wanton disrespect stopped?

Doesn't that leave more time for those who do turn up?

PS. I've seen the notice on my surgery and it's never anywhere near those figures.

Most of the appointments are now by phone and patients aren't given a time. I know I've waited hours for a call and it's then happened when I've been on the loo (or otherwise away from my phone). You can't ring back and it counts as a missed appointment.

Joane123

Thank you growstuff I have taken your advice.

Fingers crossed for you.

You fill in an online form for ours, or email, usually get a response with 24 hours.
What doesn’t help, as our surgery posted today, last month 384 patients just didn’t turn up for appointments, 97 of which were GP face to face, 69 with the nurse, others with health care assistants and other services.
How is this wanton disrespect stopped?

Had a text from my surgery yesterday to see the nurse about my blood test results and the doctor would like me to have them redone in 2 months. Only waited couple of mins and got an appointment for next week and the receptionist told me the date in January to phone too book my blood test.

I have no complaints about anyone at my surgery even during lockdown I still could get any help I needed. Same at the hospitals.

As I said, sometimes you have to spell things out because people don’t understand or don’t want to understand.
If we all know about the shortage of GPs, then why the constant questions about lack of appointments? It seems we don’t all know, or we choose to ignore.
I think there have been some very disrespectful comments made about the availability of access to GPs to be honest.
And additionally some very sensible and understanding comments. It’s only the posters who are engaging in criticisms or failing to understand who don’t like the responses, which are, after all, true.
It’s pointless to complain about a lack of availability of GP appointments when there are insufficient GPs. Complaining on a social forum such as Gransnet won’t change anything, it just gives posters a facility in which to complain.

maddyone and just to add, everyone is aware of the difficulties in recruiting medics. What people are doing here is expressing their concerns about the situation they find themselves in.

Thank you growstuff I have taken your advice.

Bloody hell MaddyOne. I was just trying to be a mix of humour and exasperation over the performance we had trying to get an appt. You are very aggressive and rude in your replies, we do all know about shortages of GPs and your comments don't help. Thank you.

maddyone I didn't say there was anything wrong with the safety issue, although it has never happened before, just having to wait until the 29th to speak to someone.
Still can't get passed how belligerent you are. Is it really necessary. Although I suspect it is if you are always right.