Will GPs ever actually ever

Old_Laytonian

Old_Laytonian

Well-known member
See a patient in person again?

it hasn’t bothered me but I know a couple of people who have been diagnosed over the phone and ended up in hospital after speaking to 111
My wife had go to the local surgery and pass her exemption form under the door , pathetic.
 
Will be interesting. My son starts his 4th Year Medical degree next week. The week after he has a 4 week GP placement. Hes not exactly sure as to what to expect at the mo.
 
They use 'askmygp' at our surgery where you can fill in a short form on-line and request an e-mail reponse, call or a face-to-face. I'd been having some problems so filled it in on a saturday evening 8 weeks ago. Ten to nine the following monday the doctor rang, we had a chat , decided he needed to see me and asked if I could get down to the surgery at 10. Had a quick examination, took some blood and referred me to the hospital. 2 weeks later I was in hospital for the day and given the all clear by the specialist before I left.

Can't really fault that.
 
Our GO still sees you if you ask. I've torn a ligament in my shoulder (angrily typing leftist nonsense on AVFTT) and she diagnosed it, referred me for a confirmatory scan and I'm seeing a consultant tomorrow.

All face to face (albeit masked)
 
I think we need to strike a balance here. The majority of GP appointments before Covid didn't really really need a face to face appointment and could have been dealt with over the phone or via video link. Some of the GPs in my local areas were already doing that before Covid. Clearly some patients do need a face to face appointment, but if the majority don't then it is a much better use of both patient and doctor time. Where they have this system the waiting times for patients has been drastically reduced. Patients that had to wait a week or more for an appointment usually have a phone consultation the same day or the following day. They can send any prescriptions direct to the chemist for collection. Most patients think it is an improvement. Some surgeries have reduced waiting lists to virtually nothing.
The other thing it helps with is time wasted under the old system on patients who did not attend appointments. You will be amazed on the number of people that do not turn up to pre-arranged appointments and do not bother to let the surgery know.
I am on the local Health CCG Board and see reports on all of the above. One positive out of Covid is the above changes, and whilst there must always be the capacity for face to face consultations, the health system has been crying out for modernisation and better use of scarce resources for years
 
Good post that.

I have to ring up and speak to a person who asks another person who then get the person I spoke to to ring me back and then they arrange a time for me to come in and speak to the person they spoke to.

I could have just emailed my question and got a reply.

When I complained to my GP surgery about the fact it takes about 20 minutes to get through, they rang me back at the same time (when I'm always in a meeting) for three weeks without leaving any contact details or trying a different time.

I suspect that a lot of the time they're so busy that they simply don't have the space and time to ponder change. It's an irony that efficiency breeds inefficiency because change requires distance and reflection and if your overstretched, those things are in short supply.
 
It’s absolutely Scandalous, time to get on with it. It’s not going away and thousands of people are going to die of other medical problems.
 
I think they've all been in Spain for their hols (with the teachers 😉 ) and are now self-isolating.
 
On a positive note it’s stopped the many time wasters taking up the GPs time and those who book appointments and simply don't turn up at cost to the tax payers. I’ve heard that the GPs have been instructed to now start seeing patients face to face but have seen little evidence! My son had a diagnosis over the phone with his GP who referred him to the hospital for another over the phone diagnosis and the doctor there didn’t even bother to ring him back, when he rang the hospital he was told the doc had gone home! He’s now had to pay for a private consultation face to face to get the right diagnosis and hopefully a path to recovery.
 
Old_Laytonian said:
See a patient in person again?

it hasn’t bothered me but I know a couple of people who have been diagnosed over the phone and ended up in hospital after speaking to 111
My wife had go to the local surgery and pass her exemption form under the door , pathetic.
Click to expand...
My daughters got an appointment but we had to push. I think they put one Gp on a day for face to face visits at her surgery.
Yes they need to get their face visors on and get back to work like everyone else.
 
td53 said:
Good post that.

I have to ring up and speak to a person who asks another person who then get the person I spoke to to ring me back and then they arrange a time for me to come in and speak to the person they spoke to.

I could have just emailed my question and got a reply.

When I complained to my GP surgery about the fact it takes about 20 minutes to get through, they rang me back at the same time (when I'm always in a meeting) for three weeks without leaving any contact details or trying a different time.

I suspect that a lot of the time they're so busy that they simply don't have the space and time to ponder change. It's an irony that efficiency breeds inefficiency because change requires distance and reflection and if your overstretched, those things are in short supply.
Click to expand...
td53 - see my post. The 'askmygp' app is off-the-shelf and could be used by any surgery. You still have the option to dial directly but we now just use this. It also allows the GP to have a quick look in the inbox and prioritise who they may speak to first.
 
Wizaard said:
Our GO still sees you if you ask. I've torn a ligament in my shoulder (angrily typing leftist nonsense on AVFTT) and she diagnosed it, referred me for a confirmatory scan and I'm seeing a consultant tomorrow.

All face to face (albeit masked)
Click to expand...

I bet it's your far left shoulder as well, and you were spotted "leaning towards Europe" in the waiting room, don't think we don't know.
 
bollieboy said:
td53 - see my post. The 'askmygp' app is off-the-shelf and could be used by any surgery. You still have the option to dial directly but we now just use this. It also allows the GP to have a quick look in the inbox and prioritise who they may speak to first.
Click to expand...
Yes, that App has been used locally and is very effective, especially when both GPs and patients get used to it
 
I rang my GP and we talked about my “complaint” - I then spent a very messy 10 minutes with some vaseline and a rubber glove as he talked me through giving myself a rectal examination. At the time I thought it was odd because it was my hip that was giving me gyp!

It was only an hour later when I realised I had phoned my MP and not my GP by mistake, Tory bastard knows I’m a Labour supporter so I’m sure his instructions were deliberate, laughs on him though, I gave myself the all clear!
 
Both MrsDP and I have recently had our annual check-ups at our doctors surgery.
Done by one of the nurses.
I think they are having some appointments with a doctor though.
 
At the end of the day, a diagnosis over the phone is a bit rubbish. At our GP it feels like the booking receptionist is making the decision on whether you get to see a Doctor. What medical qualifications does she have to judge?
Also, I’m not sure if they still do this post Covid but having to physically see the Doctor for a repeat prescription for a pre existing medical problem seemed like a waste of everyone’s time and a slot someone else could have taken.
 
I wonder if many GP’s have actually worked (or in many cases, not worked) themselves out of a job during the pandemic.

They had already become like rather robotic, prescription writing automatons before Covid. I genuinely think you could replace 90% plus of GP’s with a computer program. In fact, you’d probably get more consistent and better results by doing so.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
I wonder if many GP’s have actually worked (or in many cases, not worked) themselves out of a job during the pandemic.

They had already become like rather robotic, prescription writing automatons before Covid. I genuinely think you could replace 90% plus of GP’s with a computer program. In fact, you’d probably get more consistent and better results by doing so.
Click to expand...
Let's hope they don't use Government algorithms. 😉
 
Part of the reason for limiting appointments will no doubt also be linked to managing social distancing in the waiting areas - it's the main reason we have continued to host most client meetings virtually

Mind you I walked passed the Turkish barbers in Poulton earlier and none of the six or so people in their waiting area was masked
 
And chuck in COVID-19 as the cause of death while he’s at it.
 
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