Not seeing a Doctor

we don't have econsult at my GP practice and can see a GP or nurse within a few days.. I do order prescriptions online and could make appointments on line if I wished.. I really wonder if it is a postcode lottery and GP's and dentists go where they want to live.. we also still have NH dentists with space down here according to my Nextdoor.. I wonder why the government doesn't try harder to balance up the services around the country

DH was 32 in the queue yesterday morning, and got an appointment. He has just finished a course of antibiotics for a chest infection, but still has a sore throat on one side, now has an urgent appointment with ENT, rather concerning.

The NHS in a lot of places, is no longer fit for purpose. In my opinion.

It seems to be the way now to diagnose more and more on the phone instead of a proper GP appointment.

We are just not looked after like we used to be and our surgery has no appointments unless you join a queue at 8 in the morning outside.

I can't remember when I last saw a GP in person, although I had a blood test done for cholesterol, arranged by texts and forms, a year ago. I have just received a text from a GP saying that a prescription has been filed for me and I must now start taking Atorvastatin to protect me from declining kidney function. What? How can this doctor diagnose me when he hasn't met me and hasn't done any recent test? Why a statin? I am suspicious that he is medicalising me because I have recently passed my 75th birthday. I have always been a compliant patient. In future I shall question everything.

Well before covid, DH had a terrible cough and felt very unwell. GP insisted on giving him the same (cheap) antibiotic for 3 weeks. Finally, I had had enough and took him to A&E - they were cross with him for turning up on a busy BH Monday but after a lung x-ray they sent for a respiratory consultant from the wards. He couldn't believe DH still walking around and prescribed 2 expensive antibiotics and the obscure form of pneumonia cleared up in no time.

We've since moved and have new GPs who still see their patients quickly, usually following a telephone triage.

My friend had a chronic cough for over a year. GP saw her and gave antibiotics then when they didn't work just kept saying its a virus. Her daughter took her to A&E in the end. It was lung cancer and she died 2 months later. Now if something doesn't improve I would go to A&E.

The e consult system is one that the govt has said all GP surgeries have to have in place by a certain date ( can't remember when)
I personally think it's great. It's freed up loads of appointments for people who actually need them on the day and people are not urgent can be seen a few days later. At my surgery you can still ring up and get an appointment but cos most people use the on line system the phones are answered much more quickly so it better all round

I don't understand the idea that people are unable to book an appointment for whenever their is one available.

Nope, doesn't matter how much you plead that it's not urgent, and you're happy to wait a month.

Nope! Not allowed. Ring on the day.

There.

Optomistic1

The e consult system is one that the govt has said all GP surgeries have to have in place by a certain date ( can't remember when)
I personally think it's great. It's freed up loads of appointments for people who actually need them on the day and people are not urgent can be seen a few days later. At my surgery you can still ring up and get an appointment but cos most people use the on line system the phones are answered much more quickly so it better all round

May work for some.
But look no further than about 5 posts in this thread, that is is not working for.

My partner was diagnosed with with PMR (Polymyagia Rheumatica) about 6 months ago. The treatment is steroid medication that gets reduced over time. The Dr reduced the dosage without seeing her. She gave detailed information on the surgery app as to how bad the pain was. PMR is very painful. The Dr didn’t see her just reduced the dosage again. Yet again she was in pain and gave another detailed description on the app. Fast forward to three weeks ago. She was in excruciating pain one night that I called 111. I was told to take her to A&E immediately. She was made a priority and had an X-ray. Then a CT scan and was admitted that night.
She had an MRI the next day and was diagnosed with cancer. Yesterday she started with radiotherapy treatment.
Maybe if the doctor had listened or even saw her, this diagnosis could have happened sooner.

Oh that's shocking!!

My husband saw two doctors about a persistent cough and breathlessness, one prescribed decongestant, the other over-the-counter cough sweets. At his third appointment a locum, sent him to hospital as he had serious heart failure, suggesting he go in by ambulance.

I was going to say that seeing a doctor doesn't mean much, if they're not on the ball.

Both DH and I have had really bad coughs, his much worse than mine with a real bark and wheeze. On Monday he popped into the surgery and was told there were no appointments but he could possibly get one at a Hub in a nearby town, he got a text and an appointment there the following day. He was prescribed antibiotics and steroids there after a thorough examination. I thought maybe I should get mine checked out to prevent it getting to the stage his had, so the following day I was passing the surgery early in the afternoon, so popped in and was given an appointment with a paramedic for the same afternoon. He gave me a thorough check but apparently my chest is clear so he just suggested a nasal spray and a daily antihistamine. Theses are two completely different ways of dealing with a patient presenting with similar symptoms within the same surgery, but at least I learnt from the paramedic that they release afternoon appointments with him at midday each day! DH went in about 10.30, so now we know what to do next! However, we are both still coughing.......

Doctors used, in our childhood for instance, to maintain that they neither could nor would prescribe for patients they had not seen.

From what I read on Gransnet I gather that in the UK you can wait for weeks for an appointment. If this is so, sending a prescription for antibiotics known to cure the coughs going around just now seems sensible.

After all, if there is not an improvement after the week of antibiotics, the patient can phone again, can't he?

It may not be the best way of practising medicine, but surely better than giving someone an appointment in six weeks' time or so.

A case of Needs must, when the devil drives, perhaps?

I rang my GO and got an appointment witnin minutes. I was referred to A£E . Waiting there for 9 hours I witnessed a department where up to a dozen individuals seemed to be doing absolutely NOTHING. One woman, sat on a high office chair at a laptop on a trolley , typed ONE word in a 20 minute period before she and the rest of her colleagues were called away when their lunch arrived. We were all told to go away and come back in an hour. My GP wasn’t the problem.

Some depressing stories on here.
Waiting for hours in a telephone queue reminds me of when I was young and a visit to the doctor could mean sitting in a crowded waiting room among sick people for hours before your name was called. That was possibly even worse.

My friend had appendicitis last year but at first was sent home from the hospital after an examination showed nothing and her about to burst appendix was hidden under her colon so not painful to the touch.
Luckily when the CT scan was looked at, it was obvious and she was recalled to be taken straight into theatre!

Matelda

I can't remember when I last saw a GP in person, although I had a blood test done for cholesterol, arranged by texts and forms, a year ago. I have just received a text from a GP saying that a prescription has been filed for me and I must now start taking Atorvastatin to protect me from declining kidney function. What? How can this doctor diagnose me when he hasn't met me and hasn't done any recent test? Why a statin? I am suspicious that he is medicalising me because I have recently passed my 75th birthday. I have always been a compliant patient. In future I shall question everything.

You are correct that is what is happening many places. I too will decline statins, I don't need them.

We use e-consult here too and are usually phoned back the same day, then eventually get an appointment if we are lucky. They do statistics on the patients and know who needs to see a GP and who does not inter yes, it is very difficult to get an appointment if you are not one of the ones they see as requiring one. All annual check up are done by self service now in booth with a computer. The nurse does any blood tests required before the booth checkup.

grandtanteJE65

Doctors used, in our childhood for instance, to maintain that they neither could nor would prescribe for patients they had not seen.

From what I read on Gransnet I gather that in the UK you can wait for weeks for an appointment. If this is so, sending a prescription for antibiotics known to cure the coughs going around just now seems sensible.

After all, if there is not an improvement after the week of antibiotics, the patient can phone again, can't he?

It may not be the best way of practising medicine, but surely better than giving someone an appointment in six weeks' time or so.

A case of Needs must, when the devil drives, perhaps?

But antibiotics won’t help if it’s a virus. And overuse of antibiotics is resulting in antibiotic resistant bacteria. If antibiotics stop working we’re in a big mess!

I would like to move from this house but I would be concerned first to see what the local medical practice is like. Our present one is — it seems — second to none. Our local medical practice has several trainee GPs , less experienced maybe but with up to date new information

If he thinks he needs more guidance/advice about his cough in case it could be symptom of something more serious, then why doesn’t he call the surgery back and say he would prefer to see the doctor in person before starting a course of antibiotics. Any medical professional can be politely questioned about their health advice ……just ask!

It is a bit odd that the doctor didn't at least talk to your son on the phone, although, antibiotics may be the first course action to take. Should the cough persist, then your son should pop into the surgery and try to book an appointment to see the doctor.
It's a shame more surgeries don't follow the same practises as ours. We have a triage system which works extremely effectively. We always get a call back within a couple of hours and, if necessary, can see a doctor the same day.
I hope your son's cough gets better soon.

I hate online forms, our practice uses one that goes offline at 11o’clock. I tried once and it kept timing out because I’m dyslexic I eventually got finished and I was out of time, switched off 10 mins early, try again tomorrow, sorry, after the weekend.
I’ve not tried again, clearly my surgery liked it when they padlocked the gate during lockdown and don’t want to engage with people anymore.