No GPs?

I am housebound.In the past seven years I have only seen my GP twice. On the occasions I have needed .treatment a paramedic or nurse has attended and they do not know my history.
When I was a child long before the NHS the doctor would come out any time night or day and on one occasion Christmas Eve. He would even sit and have a cup of tea and a chat.

It took 4 weeks between booking on line and a telephone appointment for my (suspected) Plantar Fasciitis
I’d have been happy to see a nurse who would have involved a doctor if she felt it necessary.
Cynically I wonder if they think we might get better in the intervening time!

I fondly remember the days when there was one doctor, you arrived in the waiting room to find it full, counted how many were there, then knocked one off every time till your turn came around. And the doctor was a kindly human being.

maddyone

I’m also sorry to read of your experience Purpledaffodil.
I hope you get the necessary treatment quickly and recover.
I think the problem here is that so many people of a certain age get heartburn that the relevant drugs, which are very good, are dispensed to anyone complaining of heartburn. Rarely are any investigations asked for at the beginning and by the time they’re relevant, the disease has developed.

Part of the problem is also that without a face to face consultation the GP would have been unable to pick up on tell tale signs that would have told him it was more than simple heartburn. As previously mentioned, we have the worst rates of early cancer diagnosis, and I firmly believe that the move to phone and online appointments plays a part.

Easy fog whistle to blame immigration! Immigrants are generally young and fit.

It’s been well known for 50years that the boomer generation will be hitting old age now and old people need more health care. Not rocket science !

The boomer generation didn’t want to pay tax to invest for these costs now!

I think you'll find that there are as many differences within 'the boomer generation' as there are between that demographic (which spans more than one generation) and other media-identified groupings.

That is a blow indeed Purpledaffodil - every good wish

I’ve forgotten what face to face GP appointments are, I haven’t ‘seen’ a GP since lockdown in 2020. The only GP appointments Ive had have been over the phone although I did see a practice nurse twice when the receptionist triaged me as urgent.
Our GPs surgery has taken off the system for online booking and there’s no on line form to fill in to make queries about any medical issues.
The only way to make an appointment is to join the queue at 8am but it’s only for appointments that day you can’t book ahead however I have to say I’ve always got some sort of appointment this way. Someone I know went in to the doctors reception and was told they couldn’t make an appointment in person. I’m not sure what the many people are supposed to do who are at work at 8am and aren’t allowed to use a phone at that time.
Mornings must be very stressful for reception staff.

Our surgery has 8 doctors all of them part time, both male and female doctors. I know this as a close relative works in the practise. Recently, my DH has had health problems and has huge trouble getting an appointment. I'm so glad I haven't needed to require a GP appointment recently - touch wood.

Our group practice in previous published surveys was in the bottom quarter of the UK. Housebuilding in the area is soaring, with no additional resources being put in for infrastructure such as GP, dentists etc. An adjoining area, also being extremely overdeveloped (crammed in high-rises) on every inch of space, apparently has in the region of 39,000 patients on their combined practices' books, and are now advising patients to travel to an off-shoot surgery in the centre of town. Limited, extortionate cost parking, CAZ charges for older cars, or an unreliable bus service. I wonder how that's working for disabled patients, and people on limited income who can't change their cars, and most importantly, for people feeling too ill to travel?

All the GPs at my practice are part time equates to 3.5 full time. Receptionist takes details and passes to nurse practitioner who may offer an appointment to see them or pass to GP. If necessary GP will offer face to face appointment usually same day. Does work but just not the same as face to face appointment every time.

I wanted an appointment at our Dr's surgery & looked online at their booking system yesterday. The earliest appointment, either phone or face to face, was 16th September ! It's crazy. I'd either be dead or in a poor way by then!

bobbydog24

What I don’t get is pre covid my practice had 3 GPs two full time one part time, 2 nurses, one nurse practitioner. Since covid same staff but both full time GPs have gone part time, one only working 1 day.
What is he doing the other 4 days. The GP shortage didn’t suddenly become a problem in three years. You couldn’t see a doctor during most of covid. They were at home.

The GP shortage did become a problem over the three years of Covid. We are draining GPs to other countries including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, where they are either paid more, work fewer hours, or both of these, and perhaps the most relevant, treated with respect by their patients, who although having paid through their taxes like we do for their health services, also pay per appointment, except for children under 14 in the case of New Zealand.

Additionally DOCTORS WERE NOT AT HOME DURING COVID. I’m sorry to shout but this ridiculous and frankly stupid idea must be rebutted. My daughter is a GP,and her now ex husband is also a GP and so I think I know what GPs were doing during Covid. My daughter worked three days a week during Covid (to all those who think GPs shouldn’t work part time I’ll just say that she had at that time six year old twins and a two year old. Do you think that qualifies her to work part time? Because I do.) She worked two days a week at her Practice, doing telephone appointments wherever possible, and seeing patients face to face with totally inadequate PPE, but as she said to me ‘I can’t do a vaginal examination over the phone.’ She then worked one day a week in a management role, setting up vaccination centres across the south eastern corridor. Her ex husband was working full time at his Practice, doing telephone appointments wherever appropriate, and seeing patients face to face when it was needed. He then went, several nights a week, to the Covid Hub in our area and he worked there usually until midnight! To be honest I’m sick to death of seeing people say that during Covid doctors were at home. They weren’t!

From the BMA. Who I would hope would know what they are talking about.

www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/pressures-in-general-practice-data-analysis

On one occasion I was 59th in the queue. After 45 minutes I was next in the queue. Then a message came on to say 'you are in our queue system and are now number 35' !!I

Town where our GP practice is had five different practices. At first there were no appointments, you just ‘waited your turn’, and initially you could always get appointments to suit. The doctors from our practice took it in turns to do house calls, be on call during the week, and each practice handled the on call one weekend in five. This seemed to work well, and I think the GPs were much less stressed than now. All changed when it went to out of hours services.
I know much more is expected of GPs nowadays, but do wonder how much of the extra work actually benefits the patient.

maddyone

I’m also sorry to read of your experience Purpledaffodil.
I hope you get the necessary treatment quickly and recover.
I think the problem here is that so many people of a certain age get heartburn that the relevant drugs, which are very good, are dispensed to anyone complaining of heartburn. Rarely are any investigations asked for at the beginning and by the time they’re relevant, the disease has developed.

Sadly, very true as we found to our cost.
Heartbreaking.

I’m so sorry Urmston, how are you?

Like you cool gran I was no 42. Hung on fir over an hour til I got to no 3 another 25 minutes wait only to be suddenly cut off.
Needless to say I gave up.
E consult is never on at our surgery and the whole thing of getting an appointment by telephone or gave to face is a nightmare.
Prior to COVID it was always excellent. Really disappointing and a worry.

The senior partner at our surgery told us that in the last year they have had several new GPs come in and work a morning surgery and then not return after lunch - never to be seen again. He was asking us to use the on line booking form if we could because it would free up the telephone for people who aren't able to.

The practice has just taken over a surgery that was only open two or three days a week because they couldn't get enough doctors to do any more.

Our GP phone line will only accept 30 in the queue. After that it flicks over to the engaged signal and you have to redial. I have the redialing down to a T. Once though I actually got through and was so taken aback I hit the redial automatically and cut myself off 🙄

bobbydog24

What I don’t get is pre covid my practice had 3 GPs two full time one part time, 2 nurses, one nurse practitioner. Since covid same staff but both full time GPs have gone part time, one only working 1 day.
What is he doing the other 4 days. The GP shortage didn’t suddenly become a problem in three years. You couldn’t see a doctor during most of covid. They were at home.

What is he doing the other four days? Whatever he wants to do. Why is it anyone’s business?

Drs were not all at home over covid. What a silly suggestion

Doodledog

I think you'll find that there are as many differences within 'the boomer generation' as there are between that demographic (which spans more than one generation) and other media-identified groupings.

Of course. The difference is the sheer number of boomers vs other generations

It is quite usual these days for doctors to have "portfolio'" careers. Often a GP will acquire additional qualifications in specific areas of medicine eg dermatology, paediatric care, sexual health, and then work regular sessions in the relevant speciality in NHS hospitals or clinics. The increased knowledge and experience they can gain from this can be very useful to bring back to their GP practice, as well as easing pressure on secondary care services. Other GPs are involved in contributing to the university education of medical students. Some are carrying out research of their own. Whilst some people might perceive their GP to be working only part-time if they are not physically present in their surgery five days a week, there is a good chance they are contributing to health care in other ways. However, if a GP does decide to work fewer than five days a week because of parental or caring responsibilities, or perhaps to safeguard their own health and mental well-being, I don't see why they should have any less right to do so than anyone else.

Not many of us oldies around where our surgery is , even bother trying to get an app. now. I split my cartilage last December and was told it would ‘heal on its own’ ….I live alone (husband in care)….I need to walk to see him ( no bus service worth mentioning!) at least twice a week. I haven’t fully recovered from my injury (8 months)…and when I tried to get a follow-up app in consequence was told via e-mail that I was being referred to MSK…. ( roughly a 12 month wait around here) ….so requested some stronger pain relief as the codeine I use for sciatica ( v.good) does not touch the sides with the pain I’m in now….dead silence since! If I’d had a gun , some mornings I would’ve shot myself as the pain when I try to walk is incredible. I’ve had a broken bone that didn’t touch this scale ….if I’d been a premiership footballer I’d have left the pitch ….had my scan …and excellent treatment. But I’m not….I’m just someone who contributed to this country’s economy with 46 years of work and kept my nose clean and brought my kids up well and added further by looking after grandkids while my daughter follows the same pattern as mine. Why did/do we bother!?
Us generation of post war babes are being shafted , because there are too many of us ( like we asked to be born!!) anyway , the upshot is , I have to now rely on Dr.Google ( surgery’s words, not mine) …to figure out any problem I may have. Not even been called for regular bloods or stroke clinic checks like pre-Covid….
I remember the good old days ( 5 years ago!!)
When a doctor said to me with my broken bone …..” I’m not interested in feeling your pain …I want to heal it”…. Whatever happened to his ideaology I wonder?
As a postscript ….I was referred to our local Moorfields from my postponed cataract surgery pre-op tests ….as I have a problem with my retina and the surgery couldn’t be performed until I’d seen a consultant ….I was informed by letter to contact Moorfields IF I hadn’t heard by a certain date…..11 days later I managed to get an answer on the phone …no answer forthcoming from any of my E-mails …and secured an app. next month . It’ll be cancelled of course…but I’m sort of smiling while I’ve still got it.🤬