When was the last time you "saw" a GP?

[Rich79]

I don't mean when was the last time you went to the doctors, I mean when was the last time you saw a doctor in their natural habitat?

It seems nowadays you ring the doctors, automated voice says "you are.......No.1......in the queue", so it repeats that for 20mins, you give up and actually go round there where you have to discuss everything to a receptionist in front of the other admin and the queue behind you.
You then get a telephone appointment in 2-3 weeks which won't be with your doctor, it'll be with someone else like a practice pharmacist etc, so granted you do actually get to talk with someone but they're not a doctor, and its on the phone so there always that overhanging feeling of being rushed and they've got to end the call, plus you can't ask them anything as they're not a doctor and just repeating what they've been told.

Where have all the doctors gone?

 

[SJC]

I don't mean when was the last time you went to the doctors, I mean when was the last time you saw a doctor in their natural habitat?

It seems nowadays you ring the doctors, automated voice says "you are.......No.1......in the queue", so it repeats that for 20mins, you give up and actually go round there where you have to discuss everything to a receptionist in front of the other admin and the queue behind you.
You then get a telephone appointment in 2-3 weeks which won't be with your doctor, it'll be with someone else like a practice pharmacist etc, so granted you do actually get to talk with someone but they're not a doctor, and its on the phone so there always that overhanging feeling of being rushed and they've got to end the call, plus you can't ask them anything as they're not a doctor and just repeating what they've been told.

Where have all the doctors gone?

Monday just gone saw the doctor who runs the practice.
Personally I’m happy to see a doctor or a prescribing nurse.
Strangely before covid our doctors was pretty naff.
During and after it changed for the better
Best thing I did was down load the NHS app book appointments renew prescriptions etc. Saves a lot of holding on the phone

 

[MDR14]

Simple economics.
Despite the effluent propaganda we're fed about more funding for the NHS, the population keeps growing despite birth rate dropping through the floor..... - so having to spread the funding further.
Your local practice has a finite yearly budget, once it's allocated money to cover the facilities and running costs etc, they are left with an amount to cover wages. So do they employ a Doctor or 2 nurses or 2 pharmacists???
This is from the horses mouth when I asked my doctor why it was nigh on impossible to get an appointment with him? He's had to cut his hours from only 4 days to now a paltry 2 days a week. He now does 3 days a week at the local university practice instead (students only practice), which is mostly foreign students

 

[Moz58]

I don't mean when was the last time you went to the doctors, I mean when was the last time you saw a doctor in their natural habitat?

It seems nowadays you ring the doctors, automated voice says "you are.......No.1......in the queue", so it repeats that for 20mins, you give up and actually go round there where you have to discuss everything to a receptionist in front of the other admin and the queue behind you.
You then get a telephone appointment in 2-3 weeks which won't be with your doctor, it'll be with someone else like a practice pharmacist etc, so granted you do actually get to talk with someone but they're not a doctor, and its on the phone so there always that overhanging feeling of being rushed and they've got to end the call, plus you can't ask them anything as they're not a doctor and just repeating what they've been told.

Where have all the doctors gone?

See one every six months for m.o.t I'm 67 I need looking after

 

[steviebabes]

December 1981. I needed a passport and she signed my application in return for a £5 note.

 

[Perlogalism]

I don't mean when was the last time you went to the doctors, I mean when was the last time you saw a doctor in their natural habitat?

It seems nowadays you ring the doctors, automated voice says "you are.......No.1......in the queue", so it repeats that for 20mins, you give up and actually go round there where you have to discuss everything to a receptionist in front of the other admin and the queue behind you.
You then get a telephone appointment in 2-3 weeks which won't be with your doctor, it'll be with someone else like a practice pharmacist etc, so granted you do actually get to talk with someone but they're not a doctor, and its on the phone so there always that overhanging feeling of being rushed and they've got to end the call, plus you can't ask them anything as they're not a doctor and just repeating what they've been told.

Where have all the doctors gone?

Exactly the same problem here. As an ex-Radiographer with 40 years experience it boils my p!ss to be triaged by a receptionist.

My wife (ex nurse) explained the other day that practices are paid to do certain things. So your yearly mot or asthma check up with the practice nurse are easy to book because they are a nice little earner. Ever wondered why they ask you every time if you smoke? That's because they can tick the box marked "smoking advice given" and earn an extra tenner.
On the other hand, if you see a Doc and they refer you for any tests then they get billed... Given incentives like that, it's not hard to see why you can never get to see one.

 

[Baz1020]

I didn't realise indian doctors had such long fingers

 

[Neil123]

Simple economics.
Despite the effluent propaganda we're fed about more funding for the NHS, the population keeps growing despite birth rate dropping through the floor..... -

Last time I went (couple of years ago) mine was the only name that would fit on the L.E.D sign they use to call you in for your appointment without it having to scroll

 

[Neil123]

Your local practice has a finite yearly budget, once it's allocated money to cover the facilities and running costs etc, they are left with an amount to cover wages. So do they employ a Doctor or 2 nurses or 2 pharmacists???

Many years ago our local G.P practices were spread out over the town and you registered at the one nearest to you and easiest to get to.
Then, in a reorganisation, they were all moved under one roof into one big health center.
Which of course was easy to get to for nobody, had barely any public transport links and totally inadequate parking, most of which was taken up by staff.
Most have to park in the Morrisons supermarket, which is the only thing within walking distance, then hope the appointment doesn't run over the 2 hour limit.
So now you have 4 GP practices, with 4 reception desks, each with 2 or 3 staff behind them, all working as separate independent entities, despite being at most 10 paces from each other.
Seriously, you can stand in the entrance lobby and see all 4 reception desks

 

[Rikard]

Simple economics.
Despite the effluent propaganda we're fed about more funding for the NHS, the population keeps growing despite birth rate dropping through the floor..... - so having to spread the funding further.
Your local practice has a finite yearly budget, once it's allocated money to cover the facilities and running costs etc, they are left with an amount to cover wages. So do they employ a Doctor or 2 nurses or 2 pharmacists???
This is from the horses mouth when I asked my doctor why it was nigh on impossible to get an appointment with him? He's had to cut his hours from only 4 days to now a paltry 2 days a week. He now does 3 days a week at the local university practice instead (students only practice), which is mostly foreign students

It seems surprising that the population seems to have grown to such an extent, all since the “epidemic”
Appointments with doctors are now so difficult to book, it’s as though they got away with minimum interaction and that now seems to be the new acceptable defacto standard

 

[Captain_Black]

The problem with health care in general is two fold.
The huge growth in population means extra workload, especially when they build new housing estates, but no extra facilities, the existing facilities just become overloaded.

The other issue is wages & tax.
When I was working, the tax threshold didn't keep pace with my wage increases.
It soon became unviable for me to work overtime due to that taking me way into the upper tax bracket (40%)
So I worked less,
Same with doctors & dentists.
The more you earn, the more you are hammered for tax, so they all work less hours now.
Basically, as a country, we are paying a lot more for a lot less.
The more the government take from people in tax, the less productive we become.
A vicious downward spiral to mediocrity.

 

[John M]

When I was in need of medical assistance and too ill to attend the surgery last year, they told me to make an appointment when I felt better. I kid you not.

I ended up getting way better help over the phone from NHS 111.

 

[Tricky-Dicky]

Been thinking of dressing up like a migrant and sneaking into a hotel to see a doc!

 

[Gazzy]

I've had a lot of contact with my surgery over the last month and their phone system has really improved. If you're in a long queue they've got a call-back, press 1 the call ends and they send a text giving a live-time position in the queue. They've always been prompt and helpful, including phoning back to give a same day appointment.
Yesterday I phoned at 10.30, a doctor phoned back at 11, and after a few questions booked me in for 2.30.
I haven't even had to give my dob or other info lately, they call me by my name from the start. I think I need another two appointments for a Christmas party invite, and still plenty of time.

 

[chris l]

Monday

 

[Rollo]

I've never had a problem seeing a GP when I needed to.
Maybe thats because here in Wales our population levels and therefore demands on any health system is not as great as over the border in huge metropolitan areas. But we do have a population that is probably still one of the unhealthiest in the uk, so you would expect more problems seeing an actual GP. It may be different in other areas of Wales, but up here in the North it seems normal to see a G P if you need to.
In my area of Wales- Parc Eryri (Snowdonia), we have small population centres and four hospitals of varying sizes around the outskirts of it. Each has its own speciallities as well as general care and if the condition you have is ultra specific and requires very specialist treatment, then its off to Liverpool, just across the border.
On the flip side, many routine medical practices, like blood tests, flu jabs, medication prescriptions and more are now handled by nurse practitioners, which takes some of the strain off the GPs, leaving them available to see patients who really do need a more specific diagnosis.

 

[C220w205]

We're registered with our local GP surgery under a specific Doctor but the surgery has multiple GP's based there. I have seen my actual Doctor, although that was a couple of months ago now but I did have ocassion to make an appointment recently but that was with one of the practice nurses. I have asked for appointments with my registered Doctor in the past and have been given dates for a month's time.

I am satisfied with the service that I have recieved because they (the surgery) contact me all the time inviting me for this or that vaccine or booster but sometimes I don't know whether to feel lucky or worried

 

[RDS1952]

Last time I had a concern I phoned, was transferred to a nurse who asked me to send a photo, which I did. She phoned back later the same day and told me that she had discussed it with the doc, told me what it was and that there is no cause for concern but keep an eye on it and, if it changes, let them know. I am a happy bunny.

Time before that, I phoned, after the morning rush, to describe something that had happened which didn't seem especially urgent but did seem a cause for concern. The receptionist said she would talk to the doctor and get back to me.

 

[RDS1952]

Sorry. premature button prodding!

Anyway, the receptionist was back to me within a couple of hours to say the doctor didn't like the sound of it and could I make it in to see him later that day! Which I did - various tests, all sorted some good news some rally not great but hey, that's life.

meanwhile, the same point I always make - we vote for people who make impossible promises, then moan when things are done "down to a price" and not "up to a standard" - we have only ourselves to blame

 

[pjgtech]

Yeah, they seem to have disappeared, along with lots of other "workers" who seem to have disappeared since C19?
Last time I saw an actual, real, in the flesh Dr was about 18 months ago, when my knees were so bad I demanded to see one, after being fobbed off several times the previous couple of months.
NB: Knees were fooked by taking Statins, which I was forced (eg: told I had no option) to take to lower my cholesterol. Before taking the statins my knees were fine. (After stopping taking statins later, I was then advised, "Oh yes, there are alternatives"!)
Anyway, eventually I see our Dr, a Young lady who did not seem that interested TBH.
She did not even examine me, just asked me a few questions and told me to have an X-ray, (which they did there and then to be fair).
The Dr was adament (without examining me, and before she had the results of the X-ray) that it was some sort of early onset Arthritus, despite my opinion regarding the Statins, which she did not know I had taken, (so presumably had not bothered to read my notes before seeing me!) I had to give her my medical history.
The X-ray results eventually came back (via letter) with no conclusive diagnosis. My knees are still fooked!
The NHS is bangjaxed IMHO.