GPs Behind Closed Doors

Our surgery is excellent and I have no problem joining the eight o’clock dash for an appointment because I know I’ll get one on the same day. However, I have a very wealthy friend who is at the same surgery, and as a private patient she’s always seen at a time of her convenience, possibly at her home. Money talks!

I can understand that, Hobbycat, and there are times in the programme where you can see the need for a companion in the surgery, but at others it isn't clear at all why the extra person is there. It's up to them, obviously, but it just strikes me as odd. My husband often gives me a lift to hospital appointments, and sometimes walks with me to the surgery, but he always stays in the waiting room whilst I am being seen. There are always plenty of seats these days .

As long as you are present in our surgery before 10am you will be seen by a health professional (usually your preferred GP). Receptionists are helpful. I believe these programmes are manipulated to look so smooth running.

HowVeryDareYou2
Volunteers brought drinks and biscuits/cake round Great Western Hospital, Swindon A&E when I was there last week and there were drinks and biscuits available to help yourself at the A&E in Bath the day before.
I had a belly full of A&Es last week! 😂

Doodledog

It's the same in our surgery, but the town has expanded a lot recently and there aren't enough parking spaces for all the residents of the estates further than walking distance from the centre, so I suspect a few are parkers rather than patients.

Back to GP's BCD - I am always surprised at how many people take friends and family into appointments with them. Obviously parents will accompany children, and elderly people might want a son or daughter as another pair of ears, but there are husbands and wives, siblings and all sorts of combinations of what appear to be capable people going in together.

My son is 35 and autistic, although you can’t tell in casual observation. I always ask if he wants me to go in and he always says yes. Sometimes I think that the medic looks a bit surprised but after a few questions they get it. My son struggles to understand questions if they aren’t presented in a very straightforward way and has issues with paying attention. He often can’t answer questions because he isn’t able to think clearly about what his issues are. Lastly he can’t remember what advice he is given, because he finds it so hard to pay attention.

I wish the program makers of these and similar ‘live shows’ medical, gardening, house buying and auctions, could put the date of filming in the bottom corner, when these programs are shown. I know it is on the reel at the end but it doesn’t seem relevant by then, and on the web.

Oreo

If this is a tv programme then the doctors know they’re being filmed and will act accordingly.

I did wonder about the Songs of Praise effect, where every church was full 😁

Aldom

Primrose I'm hoping for the best possible outcome for your son.

Me too, that must have been such a shock to you both Primrose and what a good job that you saw the paramedic when you did and that he was on the ball.💐

Aldom

My surgery uses the Accurx system.
It works well for me. I always have a response within hours, sometimes minutes of contacting the surgery.

Yes, mine uses that, and it works very well.

My surgery uses the Accurx system.
It works well for me. I always have a response within hours, sometimes minutes of contacting the surgery.

Primrose I'm hoping for the best possible outcome for your son.

Well, something else "minor" too
[sorry for the multiple posts].

Suppose I ought to say, my GP surgery is ok for people who have been quite ill in the past.

I "only" have a skin condition.
I am bottom of the heap - two week wait for anything.

silverlining48

If only my local gp surgery services were so easy to access. ….

Agree.

Part of the reason I stopped watching.

I saw the physio at my GP surgery and she suggested I might benefit from a steroid injection. I expected a date at the hospital months later so I was shocked to be told the GP would do it if I could wait 30 minutes. Great service

Oreo

PamelaJ1

Lots of cars in our surgery car park. It’s like the Marie Celeste inside.
The cars must all belong to the staff.

I’m glad someone else says this, as I constantly wonder who all the cars belong to! I had to nip in there once to ask the receptionist something and it was as silent as the grave 😲

Same here. We get recorded messages saying they are receiving an unprecedented number of calls and reminds us that we need to be patient and not abuse staff. When you finally get an appointment, the place is deserted. We have 4 different waiting areas and usually all areas are deserted.

I actually prefer to see a paramedic at our Practice now. They are more patient and don’t rush you out like most of the GPs do. It was a paramedic who sent my son straight to hospital where he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Had we waited for 2 weeks to see a GP as the receptionist suggested he would probably not be here now. I insisted he was seen by someone that day and thank goodness he was.

I wonder if there’s any footage of a receptionist getting an ear bashing from a patient demanding to see a GP? Probably edited out and destined for the cutting room floor! 🤔

It's the same in our surgery, but the town has expanded a lot recently and there aren't enough parking spaces for all the residents of the estates further than walking distance from the centre, so I suspect a few are parkers rather than patients.

Back to GP's BCD - I am always surprised at how many people take friends and family into appointments with them. Obviously parents will accompany children, and elderly people might want a son or daughter as another pair of ears, but there are husbands and wives, siblings and all sorts of combinations of what appear to be capable people going in together.

PamelaJ1

Lots of cars in our surgery car park. It’s like the Marie Celeste inside.
The cars must all belong to the staff.

I’m glad someone else says this, as I constantly wonder who all the cars belong to! I had to nip in there once to ask the receptionist something and it was as silent as the grave 😲

It was indeed MissA

Our GP practice does seem to be learning from past mistakes. I usually get some sort of answer from E consult now- often a text ( such as make an appointment or prescription sent to pharmacy) or occasionally a phone call telling me ( or family member) to come in. When the new E consult and ‘must use the app to book appointments’ edicts first came in a couple of years ago, telephoning or popping in to reception were not allowed! This left patients without IT skills, smart phone or internet access unable to get appointments. Now they will help patients unable to use digital booking. Not rocket science!

silverlining48

Always enjoyed this programme. Have learned a lot over the years and have a go at diagnosing before the tv dr says what he thinks might be the problem. Am pleasantly surprised how often I am correct.

Its where we got our medical degrees, wasn't it?

If only my local gp surgery services were so easy to access. ….

Always enjoyed this programme. Have learned a lot over the years and have a go at diagnosing before the tv dr says what he thinks might be the problem. Am pleasantly surprised how often I am correct.

HowVeryDareYou2

Oreo

If this is a tv programme then the doctors know they’re being filmed and will act accordingly.

True. Just the same as Casualty 24/7, where the staff take drinks and sandwiches round to patients. It doesn't happen in real life - it's all done for the cameras.

When DH had to go to Casualty and I was need to accompany him, drinks were brought round and in one case I was offered sandwiches. We did have a long wait though while he waited for a bed on the ward,