Trainee GP concerns?

I guess the term trainee GP needs defining - one hopes this refers to fully medically qualified people and not PAs
It should be perfectly clear which is which.
It seems only on Gransnet that people don’t know the difference..

My surgery always seems to have trainee GP's, very difficult to see an experienced GP. One such trainee rang me back after a phone consult. and sending photos of complaint and.told me I probably had oral cancer and he was referring me to an oncologist straight away. Later that day he rang again, after talking to a trained GP and told me everything was OK. Another trainee who hardly spoke English obviously did not understand what I was saying and I could not understand him despite my asking him to speak slowly 'because it was a bad line' . He eventually sent me some info online the first para of which said if the complaint lasted more than 2 weeks speak to a GP urgently. I had said several times to him that the problem had been going on for a couple of months by then and I'd had a couple of meds which had made no difference.
I think these trainees should be supervised at all times.

Luckygirl3

*I have found trainee gps to be thorough and health professionals at the surgery to be cheerful, caring people who have more time than the gps.*

But in the end do they know their stuff? Will they be capable of making the right diagnosis and organising the right treatment? These are more important than being cheerful, although both would be nice!

I guess the term trainee GP needs defining - one hopes this refers to fully medically qualified people and not PAs.

Yes, I do feel that they know their stuff because they deal with specific areas and are trained in those. The phlebotomist takes blood samples, the junior nurse changes dressings and does heights, weights and bps etc.
Gps are generalists with a wide range of knowledge to draw on and experience to back it up. They are an invaluable resource in a practice but do not need to be involved in collecting the evidence towards making a diagnosis or in providing ongoing low-level care.

A trainee GP is a qualified doctor who is doing two years extra training to become a GP. They are supervised by an experienced GP. As mentioned upthread they report back to their mentor and may well discuss each case at the end of the day. If at all unsure they can call on a GP in the practice.
I would just mention that the mentoring takes place outside of surgery hours so doesn’t impact on appointment times.

I work in a GP practice which is a teaching practice, the trainees we have are already fully qualified doctors and every consultation is reviewed by one of the GP partners. If they have any concerns about the advice given to a patient then the patient would be recontacted. You are within your rights to request a follow-up appointment with another GP.
It isn't unusual for any doctor to use charts or even online tools to assist with diagnosis and treatment.

Judy54

I am more concerned about the Physician Associates who have 2 years training and are not qualified Doctors. Their role is to assist Doctors not take their place. It is very concerning that they are being allowed to do things that only trained Doctors should be doing. They are soon to be recognised by the General Medical Council Why? The problem is we are not told when visiting our GP's whether we are seeing an actual Doctor or a Physician Associate. This cannot and should not be acceptable to Patients.

This is my experience entirely and I completely agree with you. I have no confidence at all in our local GP surgery but it seems that this is common feeling about other practices in my area. What can you do?

I wish I could actually get to see a GP. In the 5 years that our GP surgery moved, taking in a wider catchment area, I have managed to see a GP once. It's always been with a Clinician, Advanced Practioner, or a Paramedic Practioner. I tried to make an appointment the other day and asked why I couldn't see a GP, their answer 'The GP's only see people who are ill or in an emergency'.! BTW, the earliest appointment is 25th September !

At the practice I used to work at, all trainee gps/GP regisrars had a debrief session on all the patients they saw that day with a senior GP.

I have found trainee gps to be thorough and health professionals at the surgery to be cheerful, caring people who have more time than the gps.

But in the end do they know their stuff? Will they be capable of making the right diagnosis and organising the right treatment? These are more important than being cheerful, although both would be nice!

I guess the term trainee GP needs defining - one hopes this refers to fully medically qualified people and not PAs.

A blind man on a galloping horse could work out I needed a referral

Is this then the answer to our NHS staffing shortages?

Bring back Lester Pigott.

I agree, their training is more recent and we've found that locums were sometimes more up to date though all GP's are supposed to take regular updating courses. In our experience most trainees are not worried about seeking a second opinion if required. It was actually a locum who picked up my husband's serious heart failure after two previous appointments with our GP practice.
As regards the flow charts, I do think that many GPs follow a menu like this, they're tried, tested and compiled by experts so it's probably a good way to work out what is wrong in most cases. After all, GP's are not specialists like those in particular hospital departments.

A blind man on a galloping horse could work out I needed a referral..

Working out that you need a referral is one thing, actually getting one is a totally different matter.

My urgent referral now requires a a chest x-ray, before the it can be actioned.
I had it five weeks ago, but apparently they are taking ten weeks to come back.
I will probably be dead by the time, I eventually see someone.

Not everyone gets a quick referral, despite the urgency.

HelterSkelter1

Ronib. The ""hun" comment and the "short skirt" comment were both attributed to one poster when in fact they were made by 2 separate posters. It all gets so fractious. I understand the thread. It's not difficult, but as I said it gets boring. I'm off for a bath so no need to reply.

Sorry if it seems abrasive. I’d just rather address attitudes I find unpalatable in a thread rather than ‘reporting’, and I just could not let that one pass me by.
Hope you enjoyed your bath. 😀

On the topic of the thread, I have found trainee gps to be thorough and health professionals at the surgery to be cheerful, caring people who have more time than the gps. I’d prefer to see someone who can deal with my (usually) minor issues rather than clog up the gp’s schedule. I do realise that I am very fortunate, and am grateful for my health.

Marydoll

I have only formally complained once at my GP surgery.

My meds were stopped, due to a lack of communication from the surgery, when a GP failed to review my controlled drugs and I couldn't understand why the prescription hadn't been written.
I had just come out of hospital after a heart attack and was left with withdrawal symptoms, because the repeat hadn't been prescribed.
I received a formal apology from the Practice Manager.

I certainly wouldn't waste my time and their time, because someone called me 'hun' (I did a touble take, when I read your post. In Glasgow that has a totally derogatory meaning, b.t.w. 😉)

The fact you got the referral you needed after one visit, is a positive outcome. I have been waiting for a referral since Decemeber 2023, when my Cardiologist wrote to my GP, saying I needed one see consultant in a different speciality, the referral still hasn't been done.
You are very fortunate in that the trainee did her job, regardless of her appearance.

A blind man on a galloping horse could work out I needed a referral.

ronib

Marydoll there definitely is a problem with leaving hospital with the right medication and the gp having full information immediately available.
My friend’s gp continued to prescribe the wrong medication that is pre hospital medication and had not received emails on discharge. It was a real battle to get this sorted out. It should not be happening but it is.

It wasn't the hospital's fault. I had been on this controlled drug for years, there was a lack of communication between the surgery pharmacist and my G.P.

I was too unwell to deal with it, was forced to do so.

Marydoll there definitely is a problem with leaving hospital with the right medication and the gp having full information immediately available.
My friend’s gp continued to prescribe the wrong medication that is pre hospital medication and had not received emails on discharge. It was a real battle to get this sorted out. It should not be happening but it is.

I have only formally complained once at my GP surgery.

My meds were stopped, due to a lack of communication from the surgery, when a GP failed to review my controlled drugs and I couldn't understand why the prescription hadn't been written.
I had just come out of hospital after a heart attack and was left with withdrawal symptoms, because the repeat hadn't been prescribed.
I received a formal apology from the Practice Manager.

I certainly wouldn't waste my time and their time, because someone called me 'hun' (I did a touble take, when I read your post. In Glasgow that has a totally derogatory meaning, b.t.w. 😉)

The fact you got the referral you needed after one visit, is a positive outcome. I have been waiting for a referral since Decemeber 2023, when my Cardiologist wrote to my GP, saying I needed one see consultant in a different speciality, the referral still hasn't been done.
You are very fortunate in that the trainee did her job, regardless of her appearance.

HelterSkelter1

Ronib. The ""hun" comment and the "short skirt" comment were both attributed to one poster when in fact they were made by 2 separate posters. It all gets so fractious. I understand the thread. It's not difficult, but as I said it gets boring. I'm off for a bath so no need to reply.

"The Hun" and "short skirt" comments were both made by Primrose.

RosiesMaw2

^Oh no, I hate that. At our surgery last week a nurse called me “hun” and I really detest that. On the way out I moved aside for a cleaner and she said the same^.
They sent a feedback request and I complained on there
Oh dear and some people complain about waiting weeks for a face2face.
Why must there be this intolerance? You may not like a term such as “hun” but it is not unkindly meant. What happened to live and let live?
I find myself increasingly alienated by judgemental and critical attitudes by my (as I thought) peers on Gransnet. No wonder tempers flare up sometimes in RL if we cannot swallow our sense of entitlement in the face of the looks or language of others.

You seem determined to have a real go at me for some reason.

As I said I received a feedback request after my visit so I answered it honestly. What would you do, lie? Our surgery makes a big thing of getting feedback “to improve our service”

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be addressed by your own name in a professional setting.

Ronib. The ""hun" comment and the "short skirt" comment were both attributed to one poster when in fact they were made by 2 separate posters. It all gets so fractious. I understand the thread. It's not difficult, but as I said it gets boring. I'm off for a bath so no need to reply.

HelterSkelter1

Yet another thread descending into snapping and snarling. It is becoming boring and the posts are impossible to read with all the cross references often referring to the wrong poster.

HelterSkelter1 what did you not understand?

Yet another thread descending into snapping and snarling. It is becoming boring and the posts are impossible to read with all the cross references often referring to the wrong poster.

What is a GI problem please?
I do think the trainee doctor would have all your health information on screen, the problem and what has been prescribed. At my surgery appointments are every 10 to 15 minutes, if you can get one, they will only discuss one issue.
It concentrates the mind and I write down before hand the main reason for the visit and how can it be fixed.
I do think dressing appropriately is professional and necessary in meeting with the public, it inspires confidence however there are those that don’t care. I certainly don't think showing your knickers appropriate, neither would most people and I would mention it as they might not know, not a pretty sight.

RosiesMaw2 Yes I was frequently judged by gps for being slightly overweight according to the Body Mass Index and went on a few supervised diets. I noticed that BMI is out of fashion and Hip to Waist Ratio is in fashion.
Interesting to note that I lost lots of weight once a huge life threatening ovarian cyst was removed but that took forever to diagnose. To be fair once it was, all speed ahead.
Please keep Angela Rayner out of this discussion.

Read the few previous comments but got called away in the middle of my post. Sorry for repetition.

Primrose53

I recently saw a trainee doctor and was not impressed. She was very unfriendly and hurried me. She was a big girl with a huge backside and a very short skirt. When she bent over to adjust the couch you could see her knickers. She did do a referral for me though. Overall opinion, not very professional.

Well you sound like just the sort of patient who would get a Doctor jumping out of bed happy and eager to start another hectic day at the surgery.

When you decided to register your 'complaint' about being called 'hun' by a friendly Nurse and a Cleaner at the same surgery, do hope you used the opportunity to add that the Doctor you saw was a 'big girl' 'very unfriendly' and 'hurried' you. Or, that she also had a huge backside in a very short skirt, and was dressed so inappropriately for the job that you got a glimpse of her knickers when she bent over to adjust the couch!

You've stated on here that you not only had a Dr's appointment on request (when it seems that half the country reports that they wait forever to see a GP) but also at that consultation you were given a referral. So, wasn't that a good result ? Anything else would only seem to suggest a very sour and hyper-critical attitude towards the actual assistance you received, as well as the chance to criticise on this thread someone's appearance : shape, size, weight, dress sense, attitude.
Probably says a lot more about you than her.