Bonkers new rule at our GP surgery

I got a blood test done and chased the results for 8 weeks as two of the GPs didn't understand what the result was. Finally another phoned me to tell me me he thinks it's Sjogrens and has sent a referral letter to hospital. As I'd never heard of this it frightened me so of course I enquired what it meant for me. He just sound annoyed I asked and said the hospital will be in touch when there's appointment and rushed off the phone. I know I shouldn't of, but I Dr.Googled it to find out about it and now I've myself all worried. It was the only way to find out what Sjogrens actually was though until I hear from hospital and our waiting lists are dreadful here in N.Ireland, well in all of UK.

I don’t understand the first sentence in your second post.
Earlier in the thread I laid out exactly how many years it takes to train as a doctor and as a GP. I know what I’m talking about with the training of medics since my daughter trained as a medic.

Since I said several times in this thread that there is a shortage of GPs, why is your post addressed to me sazz1?

With regard to your friend’s daughter, it seems to me that everyone involved in her care did the right thing and made the right decision except the friend who declined to wait eight hours to be seen with a child with suspected meningitis. Yes eight hours is a long time, but meningitis is a serious disease and your friend opted to go home. I wouldn’t have done that if my child had suspected meningitis!

maddyone
I said after 4 years of being qualified so qualified after 6 years, work as Dr 4 years that's 10 years. Then work as GP year 11 year 16 year 21 etc.
People are dying from terminal cancer because we have a huge shortage of GPs and they wait too long for appointments.
Also General Practice would enhance specialists knowledge of other diseases and ailments, different treatments, new tests, etc which may later appear in their chosen speciality patients. People often suffer from several ailments at the same time.

My friend took her daughter to the hospital yesterday evening as she's been ill for 3 days and 111 wanted her checked at a hospital. The waiting time was 8 hours so she went home and saw GP this morning. They sent her to the hospital again. Saw a nurse twice then waiting time 6 hours for a Dr. After 4 hours the waiting time was increased to 22 hours!!!
Fortunately my friend's daughter was seen after 5 hour wait as it was deemed urgent. It wasn't as serious as the GP thought so they sent her home. This was for a child with suspected meningitis at a children's hospital.
Our NHS is badly broken.

I think that is what's happening.

There do appear to be a variety of systems operating across the country. I will tentatively suggest that possibly it’s because GP practices are actually private businesses. They receive funding from the NHS it’s true, but GPs also pay a huge amount of money into their practices, in other words they ‘buy in.’ They become a ‘partner’ in the practice which effectively means the partner GPs actually own the business. Of course they also employ some salaried GPs too, but basically the partner GPs buy and own the practice and then receive other funding from the NHS for treating NHS patients. My daughter was a partner GP and paid in thousands over the years, which when she left the practice they had to pay back to her, and it took over a year and a half to get her money back. I may be wrong because I don’t know enough about it, but I wonder if because GPs own their practices, they can make their own rules and decisions about how their practice is run, usually with advice from a Practice Manager who they employ.

I've never heard of those systems.
It's all so patchy, it seems, the way each practise is working.

My own experience is that if, after being triaged by the surgery (I send in a typed, online written explanation of my concern using the 'PATCHS' system. There are several of these online systems around, Klinik is another. They enable the patient to write and explain to the doctor the nature of their problem which a clinician then reads, decides the importance of the problem and makes appointments accordingly) I have confidence that my problem is known and dealt with appropriately.

If it is thought that one needs to be seen face-to-face, an appointment is given. I have had several experiences of being contacted within a few minutes (and in one instance an ambulance called by the doctor).

The problem is partially that people feel entitled to a face-to-face consultation even 'though the need for one is not there.

Obviously, my writing about a great online system is not much consolation to those whose surgeries have outdated procedures and I urge those people to try to change matters by speaking to the Practice Manager or joining their Patients' Association.

I love phone appointments, and wish they'd been around years ago.

Regardless of that, I would like the option of being able to ascertain when I need to see someone in person.

I don't dislike telephone consultations. When you're ill, you often don't want to go out, and surgeries will send your prescription to the chemist's which can be a boon.

Very good post Candelle.

I like telephone consultations. I much prefer them, and so many things do not require a physical exam. My doctor made me go in when I had a kidney infection even though I was in bed feeling poorly and didn’t really want to bother. But she told she needed to examine me, so I went. She gave me an appointment for that morning.

When my daughter was working during the lockdown she did lots of telephone consultations, but she continued to do face to face appointments too. As she said to me about a patient she’d seen,
‘I can’t do a vaginal exam over the phone.’ Doctors know when they need to see you face to face.

This is a message for Oreo.

I promised that I would ask doccy daughter your question of how patients she sees in a day.

Her answer is that it is generally held that it is safe to see around 25 patients daily in face to face consultations.

Currently, she sees 25 patients face to face... then takes around 25 telephone consultations but reckons she deals with at least 60 patients in an average day.

Please do not forget all the blood test results that have to be run through, patients then contacted etc. Oh and prescriptions that need authorising and signing and ... well, I won't go on (haven't mentioned admin, sick notes, emergency contact with hospitals etc., etc.).

I really hope that people understand that your doctors really want to help but they really can't do much more. They are all becoming exhausted, demoralised and no, they do not earn a great amount of money for their hours, responsibility and loss of family time.

If it is held that seeing 25 patients a day is the safest highest number of face-to-face consultations, can you imagine how the doctors feel working under such pressure?

Two small points: many posters here seem to have surgeries with antiquated administrative systems, why not consider doing something to change matters? There should be a 'Patients' Association' at your surgery. Do contact them and make suggestions as to how things could/should be changed for the better.

Alternatively, contact the Practice Manager and ask for an appointment with him/her. Run through your concerns and perhaps work with her/him to make things better. I did a similar thing at my surgery and we have improved the system for repeat prescriptions - it can be done.

Secondly, my daughter says that many patients actually like telephone appointments. They are not obviously appropriate in all cases but patients do not have to dress, drive, park etc., and can speak to a doctor on the 'phone. Not everyone hates telephone appointments!

The flak that doctors have to take is a sad reflection of the state we are all in. The situation will not be a quick fix so we had better all try and do what we can to make things better at our surgeries and give doctors a little credit for their hard work and yes, dedication.

I hope the above numbers answer your question.

Regards.

Can anyone recommend a do it yourself surgery book? I should really have another blood test as I had a seizure last year but the rigmarole puts me off asking unless there is a really urgent problem. I got a bladder infection sorted after a wait of a few hours when a very busy doctor got around to writing a prescription after looking at my specimen.That lump mentioned should have been seen promptly.

I live 150 miles from my aunt and uncle. My cousins are working. Fortunately, a neighbour has volunteered to take him. Even so, it will be very difficult for him to get in the car and move into the surgery. There are still occasions when home visits are necessary and kinder and l think that when a patient is very elderly and frail (and has paid their taxes and tried to use the NHS as little as possible) they need them and a hefty dose of compassion.

We are desperately short of GPs. (My local surgery took over the list of another when the drs there retired, and no-one wanted to take their jobs) Many foreign-born doctors and nurses have returned home after all the unpleasantness of Brexit because they felt unwelcome either personally as people had been rude to them, or as a group when 2016 seemed to unleash a tirade of overt racism.
I hear of many UK-born doctors disappearing to Australia, NZ and Canada where they feel they might be treated with a little respect by the govt.
As for drs going part-time, I'd have gone part-time from a ridiculously stressful job, if it meant protecting my mental and/or physical health.
Those poor souls still carrying on are ludicrously over-stretched.

Yes I just think it is disgusting! I have booked an appointment for my dad (3 weeks wait but there we go) for next Tuesday, I think I will need a chill pill before I enter the room as I will be asking about this latest Comedy. Trouble is the Doc we are seeeing is not a usual one and obviously not his/her fault. But we shall see how it goes.

It's just plain thoughtless, bikergran!!
It sounds as if a jobsworth sent that message.

The tickbox mentality.
Phone and ask to speak to the practice manager.

apologies for spelling mistakes I got a bit angry.

Oh well listen to this!

4 weeks ago I applied/filled the forms in so that I could order my dad's medication on line and book appointments on line( Like I do with my own surgery and it works well)

So far so good!

I hadn't heard anything about the form so rung my dad's surgery and was told (by a lovely young gilr, that someone would be in touch) whoopeee I thought, oh to make life simpler.

Later that after noon I recived this word for word.

Unfortunately we are unable to set up Proxy account for Mr X as he has capacity he can usethe normal online form and add your email address

Sound's ok doesn't it!

My dad is 87. was diagnosed with Parkinsons 10 yrs ago, has dyslexia, grieving for his wife of 72 yrs has no idea how to fill forms in, whatso ever.

I am too disgusted to invetigate further at the mo, as I'm sure I may say something I regret.

We have POA for health but are trying to let my dad be as independant as he can for as long as. But as for logging onto a laptop etc etc etc . I am speechless.

In my area, there's a voluntary service for people in exactly that situation. Drivers are paid a nominal sum to transport people to medical appointments. Is there anything similar in your uncle's area? My surgery also has a paramedic, who does home visits.

Is there no family who could take him?
I took my mother to the doctor, the dentist, the hospital, the podiatrist, and the opticians.

I don’t know if this belongs here or not but in addition to everything that has been said here, my uncle, who is in his mid-eighties, can now hardly move. For many years, he has been looking after my aunt, along with carers, who is a total invalid? He needed to be seen by a doctor and was asked if he could get there. When he replied that it was impossible he was given some cursory advice about upping his painkillers. How does anyone know if there is nothing more serious without being seen. More importantly, where is the compassion in twenty-first century Britain?

Maggiemaybe

Blimey, let’s hope nobody from the Dept for Work and Pensions is reading this - they might just extend the idea to those of us above working age as well! Anybody got a spare garden shed I can hide in?

I'll be Two Soups

The World has gone mad (well blooming Doctor’s surgeries anyway). Just bloody daft😡