No GPs?

"I hope your daughter enjoys her training as an anaesthetist, it’s gruelling (one of our daughter’s friends did it) it takes years, but I think she’ll enjoy the satisfaction of this extremely highly skilled area of medicine"

Thanks, she's passed the dreaded part 1 first time and is starting part 2 having taken a year out of specialism training as she didn't get a post she wanted to take ( it meant moving 100s of miles and after 5 years post grad she felt she needed to have some roots.) 600 didn't get offered a training post at all, honestly you couldn't make it up! She loves her job although it can be very stressful and actually taking a year out of training has been really positive for her, she worked in intensive care, again very stressful but so satisfying when you see a patient recover and move on.
General Practice is such a difficult area to work in. I don't know what its like in Australia but in the UK it's pretty unappealing as the services needed to support patient care, just aren't there so patients keep going through the same revolving door and coming back to their GP. I hope your daughter is OK and finds her "medical" home either here or in Australia.

Medical buses are being provided in France to cover areas without GPs. They will provide the facilities of a normal surgery and will be staffed by part time or retired doctors. Some buses will be kitted out more extensively to cover dental and gynae issues. It's still in the planning stage I believe.

That’s a good idea. I wonder if it would work here.

It's a pity some people are resistant to change I can manage a most of my health needs myself using the NHS app, having telephone appointments, seeing specialist nurses and having very occasional in person appointments with a doctor. It's a much more efficient way of providing primary health care and leaves Doctors free to see patients who actually need an in person appointment. Does rely on having an internet+smart phone or laptop though and the ability to use them which not all people have.

To be fair Vintagewhine I think that is precisely what most people do. However there are others who are not resistant to change but have health issues and needs which are not easily dealt with over the phone or via the internet - nor indeed can they necessarily be addressed in a DIY fashion.
I think it is doing them an injustice to suggest that their attitude or computer skills need to change

Some people are resistant to change, I've read through the thread and some people don't have a good Internet connection or the means of using one. Surely what we have is a shortage of gps doing as much as they can to spread themselves around to give a service to all the patients. It's the lack of gps that's the main issue but most of this thread seems to be complaints about the gps.

Vintagewhine

Some people are resistant to change, I've read through the thread and some people don't have a good Internet connection or the means of using one. Surely what we have is a shortage of gps doing as much as they can to spread themselves around to give a service to all the patients. It's the lack of gps that's the main issue but most of this thread seems to be complaints about the gps.

Isn’t that what the thread was about?

Whether or not there is a problem with a shortage of doctors, yes, we all need to be prepared to be more proactive in looking after our own health - as indeed most of us do. But I challenge anybody with serious health issues to “cope” by the NHS, Holland and Barrett and sadly too often telephone diagnoses can miss the real problem
However the issue is not computer literacy but access to health professionals.

however the issue is not computer literacy but access to health professionals

There is ample research that shows people with continuity of care have better outcomes. Obvious isn’t it but nigh on impossible as our GP services are stretched to the limit

I can remember reading about a government proposal (pre-Covid) that elderly patients - over 65’s - were to have their own designated doctor for just that Iam - continuity of care. Such a basic but good idea. If a person sees the same doctor each time not only is rapport and understanding built up, small changes are noticed by the GP as they get to know their patients. It’s not rocket science. But sadly, so many part time or GP locums nowadays means that idea was scuppered. Our GPs are super but there’s about 10 on the books - rarely is there continuity or face recognition “how are you doing?”.

Yes, you get seen at our practice easily enough.

But these days are long gone ..