In despair with GP practice .....

This is an appalling situation for you, Lucky! Is there any way you could manage to go to the surgery and insist on speaking to the pharmacist and refuse to budge until you can? I know this sounds horrendous itself but it's as if you're banging your head against a brick wall already.

Ideally, having someone go with you would help. And taking a packed lunch.

[LUCKYGIRL3} feel your weariness and your frustration.. I also have genetic hyper cholesterolaemia for which I now take a statin - often thought how does this tiny 5mg tablet make me less vulnerable to another stroke as have also had an episode of tachycardia last year and ended up in A&E where I was seen and treated quickly…it’s dire when you feel at your lowest physically which affects you emotionally

{URMSTONGRAN} your post resonated with me and sure other GNs have had terrible ordeals .. I also now move slowly and carefully with every movement..limit myself to going out every other day unless its for medical/blow dry appts

This in today Telegraph. Allison Pearson lives in Wales and her account is pretty damning - the paramedics who arrived in the ambulance after 40 minutes were the kindest professionals she was to meet for the next 24 hours.

Here’s an excerpt.

“ Back at home, I texted my friend, a senior doctor at the hospital I had just left. “A vision of hell,” I wrote, “Hard to believe we live in a First World country.”

“I share your assessment of A&E,” my friend replied, “and it is the same on the wards. Lack of empathy and concern for a fellow human being. Partly cultural. For some people it is just a job, a means to come to the UK and get more money than they can make at home. Language and cultural barriers don’t help.”

No, they certainly don’t. Not when you’re ill and want reassurance in your own language. My doctor friend, a first-generation immigrant who has built a brilliant medical career here over 30 years, points out that the UK has failed to train enough of our own high-calibre doctors and nurses and so the NHS is hugely dependent on healthcare migrants from 214 countries, some of whom barely scrape the English language requirement (“I will ask my colleg”) and don’t relate to the patients.

Even though we are now, at long last, training more British medics, immigration rules prevent the NHS prioritising students from our own universities. Can you believe it?

It’s a week now since what I think of as The Ordeal. I still feel sore and fragile, I cry at the drop of a hat, I move through the world with rather more caution.”

I agree fancythat. It would probably take ages trying to get through in the phone to cancel an appointment.
My dad was a GP. He saw everyone who turned up in surgery hours.

I had been thinking of switching surgeries.
Now I have come to realise, in my case, that my GP surgery is doing it's best, by keeping me back from having a long wait for a hospital dermatologist appointment, by trying to sort the problem themselves for me.

I had started looking into the next nearest GP surgery. Heard from someone, that the situation at that particular surgery appears to be bad.

I read somewhere on GN that people can have problem cancelling appointments to[I think her thread was about canelling hospital appointments].
Perhaps incompetence or whatever it is, extends to a system at a GPs, for cancelling appointments too?
Just a thought.

Luckygirl3 can you actually get to a different surgery if need be?

If so, I'd phone their practice manager and tell them you are desperate to switch surgeries (and know there are great reports of theirs) so please can they take you on?
If they say no, they have a waiting list I'd write to the manager and plead in writing to go on it. I told mine that I was happy to not have a doctor until they had a space for me.
They took me on.

You may find that this is helpful too:

www.themix.org.uk/your-body/using-health-services/i-dont-like-my-doctor-7660.html

These experiences sound appalling and, in Luckygirl's case, downright dangerous. Serious complaint time.
I was at DHs practice yesterday to pick up prescriptions for him. He'd phoned that morning and the duty Dr had prescribed the meds. I was very surprised to see on the board at reception that they'd had 54 failed appointments so far this month. It's hard to believe that so many people would fight through the system to be offered and appointment then just not turn up.

Unfortunately if it’s a poor practice the likelihood is that the practice manager is part of the problem. I suggested a formal complaint because I think you’ve had really shocking care Luckygirl, despite being proactive, and going formal is the best way of ensuring you are heard and action is taken.

Luckygirl I think the idea to make an appointment with the Practice Manager is good advice. I would say definitely do that, but don’t go alone as you are very vulnerable at the moment. Take a family member or a close friend with you. They could make notes of the conversation too.

Luckygirl I'm sorry you are going through such a difficult time.
Rather than making an official complaint, why not make an appointment to see the Practice Manager and tell them what you've told us and ask for their help in sorting it out. And persist until it IS sorted out

Luckygirl3

I just do not know what to do. I am on my own here with serious recent heart problems - major artery blockage and stent inserted - and the support from the surgery is just hopeless. Sadly I am not alone in receiving appalling service from them. Everyone is giving up on them.

Here's an example - my high risk recent heart episode (artery was blocked to 94% in one place) is caused by my genetic hypercholesterolaemia. I am on a statin. I asked my GP ages ago if this would be monitored and she said there was no need as the statin works. Just been to the cardiology department this afternoon and brought it up with them. They said I am on a far too low dose given my condition, and that the situation needs monitoring, the dose needs increasing and combination therapy with another drug needs looking at in order to prevent a further heart attack.

I am on six monthly injections for osteoporosis. This requires regular blood tests to monitor kidney and liver function, checking of results, ordering of the injection, booking an appointment for the injection etc. etc. I do all this - if I didn't, none of it would happen.

It is a dispensing practice, and 2 of the drugs I need are hard to get. I am not allowed to order any drugs earlier than one week before due, but I know that this is insufficient time to have them ready when needed. If I order before one week the order is rejected. If I order at the dictated time, I know that at least 2 of my drugs will not be there in time. I am under strict instructions from the hospital not to stop these, even for a day.

The other day I had a further episode of chest pain - the cardiology nurse at the hospital told me I must ring the practice for an urgent ECG - I did this and the surgery refused. Said I must go to A&E. I rang back the cardiology nurse who said she would ring them. She got the same response. She asked to speak to a doctor, and was told one would ring back - they didn't. It's hopeless.

I feel as though I am banging my head against a brick wall. I hate ringing them - they are sometimes quite rude and I do not feel strong enough to deal with them at the moment.

I live in a rural area and practices are few and scattered.

Ask to speak to the pharmacist attacheed to your GP practice, as far as I know most practices have a pharmacist working from their clinic. If I have a problem I ask for a phone call and the pharmacist rings me and I explain the problem and they sort it out. Just explain the problem to them and see what they say.

It is the same for me as well. Thankfully, I have not seen a GP for a long time and now they are bringing in a new system where you are booking appointments online.

I went onto the website where I order my online prescriptions and could not find the online appointment forms anywhere. I rang the GP and after nearly an hour waiting on the phone, I got through and asked the receptionist where this form was as the letter gave no indication where to find it. I was told it was a different website I had to log in to. I asked her why it did not give the website address on the letter informing us of this new form and she said they had forgotten to put it on the letter so people would have to ring them to find out the website's name.

I am not bothered about having to fill in an online form as it should be much quicker than hanging on the phone waiting to speak to someone but the whole system is a mess.

What about the people who are blind, do not have the internet or a smartphone, thank god I can use a laptop without any problems but why inform us of a new system and not give us the website name. It is beyond belief.

Put an official complaint in to the GP surgery - there should be an online form to do this and outline all your concerns.
Obstructive receptionist are no help when patients need medication, need to book further tests, or simply want advice so always get the name of who you are talking to and call them out in your complaint - otherwise nothing will ever change.
Try and arrange a meeting with the GP practice Manager, the practice have a duty of care to all their patients and you are being failed, the stress of all this is surely impacting on your health.
As ring suggests, try NHS 111.
Keep making a nuisance of yourself with the surgery, and your pharmacy - delays in making medications available are not acceptable.

Our surgery is rated “Good” but it is far from that. If you need an appointment it is at least a two week wait, likewise phone appointment. That alone is shocking!

If you need a repeat prescription it is at least 7 working days which could therefore become 10 days.

The pharmacy attached to the practice only has room for about 3 patients to wait. If it is snowing or raining you have to stand outside. Shocking really.

We have found ringing 111 very helpful as clear advice on what to do next is given. Some times a doctor will do a home visit from that team in an emergency.

I have lost faith in our medical practice, I used to get an annual check up and blood test but nothing has been offered in over two years.
Impossible to get an appointment with a doctor.
I used to work in the NHS but now I cannot fathom out how it works, even ordering a repeat prescription has become a minefield. I have had repeats refused when there were only two or three days left of my drugs.

Luckygirl3 I am so sorry. I've been following your health posts and know you've had a bad time. Obviously the NHS is making that bad time much worse.

My surgery is poor but not quite as bad as yours. I monitor my own health as no one else does. I double check results, ask for paper copies, and check what is posted via the NHS App. I've found several mistakes.

I have bought a Kardia mobile gadget for £99 which works with my phone so that I can do my own ECG. The Kardia is recommended by NICE and results are accepted by GPs as being accurate. Obviously it's just a first step towards proper treatment.

Luckygirl I know you’ve been very ill and in hospital with your heart problems and I feel so sorry that you’re going through all these difficulties now. If you have any heart issues or pain you must go straight to hospital, bypassing your GP.
Other than that I don’t know what to suggest. Such a difficult situation for you to manage.

Rekarie I’m sorry to hear of your difficulties too. To only prescribe medications one week in advance of need seems very prescriptive (pardon the pun) to me. We can reorder two or three weeks in advance, and we can order bigger quantities of medications if we’re going abroad for a while, such as when we visit our daughter in New Zealand for two months at a time.

Luckygirl3, I'm so sorry to hear how difficult your GP surgery is. I honestly don't know what's happened at mine either. Before the pandemic they were fine. Not quite as good as they had been 20+ years ago, but not bad at all.

Now it's useless. I've got to the point where I've given up. Rude receptionists and an in house pharmacist who thinks she's in charge. I had such a disaster last week. I'd phoned the receptionist and asked if it would be possible to collect my approved drugs a day early. Receptionist was fine, seemed to think it was no problem. Called back and my request had been rejected. I was somewhat surprised and asked who had done the rejecting and it was the pharmacist. Couldn't believe it! I'd needed them on that day as it would have been difficult to collect on Friday. Managed to get my daughter to go so all was well.

But it wasn't. Outage meant that the NHS systems were down. So I had to wait until Monday for these drugs. Gave them a call, yes your prescription has come over ... fabulous! As I'm about to put the phone down she tells me I can't have them because they have no stock . At this point I was debating crying or screaming but I managed to contain myself!

Finally got them today so all is well. It just seems that everything conspired against me.

I notice you only have scattered GPs, Luckygirl3, but would it be possible to choose another who might be better?

I heard a comedian once say that if you're over 60 we don't always get treated well. I'd hope that isn't true.

Do you have e-cosult? You could try to send them a message maybe. Get them to give you a phone call

I just find it sad that after my GP of 30 years resigned the whole place seems to not know what it's supposed to be doing

Exactly the same for my meds, luckygirl.

I am weaned onto meds, slowly and surely, then cannot get them, or they have disappeared off the app, or the gp says he cannot prescribe them, so I have to abruptly stop.

I don't know what the answer is; I wish I did.

It's beyond wearing- drives m3 to the very edge at times.

Just said on Sky news that GP’s are going to see less patients because of a pay dispute. It makes me furious when I think of the service provided at our surgery 12 years ago and what it’s like now. I don’t even know how to go about seeing a doctor if I needed to. DH has been on blood thinners for over 4 years and hasn’t once seen a doctor at our practice.

I am so sorry to hear this Luckygirl. It must be very frightening for you.
We are lucky, we have a very proactive surgery. In fact I wish sometimes they would leave us alone but I do sympathise with those who do not have this.
There is no excuse.

I would complain formally to the Medical Director for Community Services in your area Luckygirl. Set out what you have said in your post, make it clear you want your concerns addressed under the formal complaints procedure, and that will force a review of your care.

You have my sympathy. We are with a similar practice. the problem is the hospital is no better.