Gp surgeries

Ours only does appointments up to one week in advance

I called and said I need an appointment but it's not urgent so I'll wait - two or three weeks wouldn't be a problem - I was told they only do appointments one week in advance

So asked why and was told that was the rule and if I wanted an appointment I would have to keep ringing to try and get one within a week and it would be by telephone only to start with

I gave up
 


The Lambton Worm said:
I don't know if you know this already but you can buy Naproxen online. Think its approx £32 for 56 x 500mg. If you ever go to Spain you can buy it over the counter in any pharmacy. Prices vary and so does the dosage. I bought some in Feb 2020 at 5€ for 28 x 550mg tablets but a mate brought some back from Minorca that were 5€ for 8 x 660mg tablets. I'm off to Malaga & Seville in October so I'll be stocking up whilst I'm there.
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That may be a way to free up doctors appointment times then , there must be loads of drugs available over the counter like they seem to be in Europe to buy rather than making repeated appointments to see the GP.
 
Good news that the government has stolen £250 million from the existing NHS budget to throw a sticking plaster over the issue of GPs seeing patients.

The Tories promised 6000 more GPs at the 2019 election but have managed to lose another 2000 in the intervening period.

Wonder how they're doing on those 50000 nurses they also promised us in 2019?
 
Billericay Dichio said:
Good news that the government has stolen £250 million from the existing NHS budget to throw a sticking plaster over the issue of GPs seeing patients.

The Tories promised 6000 more GPs at the 2019 election but have managed to lose another 2000 in the intervening period.

Wonder how they're doing on those 50000 nurses they also promised us in 2019?
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Hunt also promised 5000 more by 2020 and lost GPs rather than gaining any.

To be honest I've been expecting news stories being pushed about NHS workers for a while; it helps cover up the root causes of the problems.

To give some context;
We have a low number of GPs per population and the country is growing whilst GPs are reducing.
Since 2018 the number of patients registered at GP Surgeries has increased by 2,000,000 but number of GPs have decreased.
It's nonsense to say they aren't working; GPs set up the first vaccine centres in England with no initial funding.
In August 2021 GP offered 250,000 more appointments in a week compared to the same period prior to the pandemic in 2019 (with less staff).

And, to top it all off, some universities been paying medical students to defer for a year.

It made all the sense in the world to protect GPs and triage by phone as they are such a valuable resource and the first point of contact into the NHS for many not to mention the closure and downgrading of walk in centres and such like.
 
rudd said:
Hunt also promised 5000 more by 2020 and lost GPs rather than gaining any.

To be honest I've been expecting news stories being pushed about NHS workers for a while; it helps cover up the root causes of the problems.

To give some context;
We have a low number of GPs per population and the country is growing whilst GPs are reducing.
Since 2018 the number of patients registered at GP Surgeries has increased by 2,000,000 but number of GPs have decreased.
It's nonsense to say they aren't working; GPs set up the first vaccine centres in England with no initial funding.
In August 2021 GP offered 250,000 more appointments in a week compared to the same period prior to the pandemic in 2019 (with less staff).

And, to top it all off, some universities been paying medical students to defer for a year.

It made all the sense in the world to protect GPs and triage by phone as they are such a valuable resource and the first point of contact into the NHS for many not to mention the closure and downgrading of walk in centres and such like.
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I wonder what the percentage increase into GP surgeries has been over the last 20 years per 100,000 people.

I bet it’s huge.
 
Can't fault my surgery. Pre covid it was a pain in the arse to get an appointment because of selfish people not attending. Usually 2-3 weeks. Since the pandemic they have pushed the e-consult system a lot more and they get back in touch within 48 hours, so from my point of view it works well and only yesterday they responded to my request within 4 hours. They once assessed my e-consult and had a face to face appointment within a few days. Hope it stays this way to be honest, far easier
 
GordonMuchallNo1Fan said:
Can't fault my surgery. Pre covid it was a pain in the arse to get an appointment because of selfish people not attending. Usually 2-3 weeks. Since the pandemic they have pushed the e-consult system a lot more and they get back in touch within 48 hours, so from my point of view it works well and only yesterday they responded to my request within 4 hours. They once assessed my e-consult and had a face to face appointment within a few days. Hope it stays this way to be honest, far easier
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I haven't had the need to access mine since March but prior to that I'd rang 4 times since the start of the pandemic. Got calls back the same day, twice had a chat and got things sorted, had a video consult for some antibiotics for a sinus infection and got called in for a examination, blood tests and referred on to gastro.

It varies massively though. When I'm ringing GPs through work there's a few surgeries where I know I have to plan to be waiting a half hour. Had a couple GPs just give me their personal mobiles instead of having to join the queue again.

I'm all for it remaining to a large extent, it has to unless people are willing to wait 3 weeks like before. There has to be face to face visits as well. I've seen reports of heart failure being misdiagnosed as chest infections more frequently (it happens face to face too but far less frequently).
 
Daughter had blood test results on Friday ( second lot they lost the first lot ) receptionistcwrangvto say nothing found in the tests. Daughter asked to see the actual paperwork , the receptionist reluctantly emailed a copy and in the results it had listed , poditive for “pre diabetes” , Shecrang back asking for a face to face appointment with the doctor , thiscwascrefused point blank , she is having to wait until 27th Oct for a telephone consultation.
 
This government go to deflection for years in the NHS has been to promise the earth with general practice whilst the service is slowly grinded to dust.

Basically there are thousands fewer GPs with a larger population offering the best service they can. All it takes is for a GP to retire and one to get I'll and a great practice can be overwhelmed very quickly.

I worked every possible job as a GP in the NHS and it was unbearable. I was desperate to look at when I could retire. I decided to look at alternatives and ended up emigrating. It's been life changing for me in terms of my career and I can see no reason not to work till I am 65 now.

Whatever you read most GP work very hard and are very dedicated to the NHS but it's becoming almost impossible to cope with the stress and pressure involved in the toxic environment they are now in. My feeling is the service is fucked unless significant change happens but there is no political capital in providing a good class primary care service
 
RichB said:
This government go to deflection for years in the NHS has been to promise the earth with general practice whilst the service is slowly grinded to dust.

Basically there are thousands fewer GPs with a larger population offering the best service they can. All it takes is for a GP to retire and one to get I'll and a great practice can be overwhelmed very quickly.

I worked every possible job as a GP in the NHS and it was unbearable. I was desperate to look at when I could retire. I decided to look at alternatives and ended up emigrating. It's been life changing for me in terms of my career and I can see no reason not to work till I am 65 now.

Whatever you read most GP work very hard and are very dedicated to the NHS but it's becoming almost impossible to cope with the stress and pressure involved in the toxic environment they are now in. My feeling is the service is fucked unless significant change happens but there is no political capital in providing a good class primary care service
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Amazing when you think the heaviest service users of GP practices are those who support the government the most
 
ontap said:
Daughter had blood test results on Friday ( second lot they lost the first lot ) receptionistcwrangvto say nothing found in the tests. Daughter asked to see the actual paperwork , the receptionist reluctantly emailed a copy and in the results it had listed , poditive for “pre diabetes” , Shecrang back asking for a face to face appointment with the doctor , thiscwascrefused point blank , she is having to wait until 27th Oct for a telephone consultation.
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That’s f***ing disgusting to be honest.
 
Get a text saying time to book a review . Tried NHS app ,fails
Rang Gp ,while on hold you get the full story from the automated voice
" we won't tolerate abuse ,high level of calls etc "
Get through
Hello ,I have a text saying I need to book a review

" ohhh (and a sarcastic chuckle) ,you're looking at well into November " ?!?!
I'm thinking in my head ,so ! ,if it's November it's November, they want to see me not the other way round

How do they want you to reply to that ? Are they wanting a moan and groan from me and a fight?
Thought I'd moan about not moaning on here instead
 
My local medical centre is massive. When I’ve attended, for regular blood tests and for a couple of recent appointments, the place has been virtually or completely empty. The appointment has been rushed and usually consists of a failure to diagnose plus a prescription that, on the last couple of occasions, I declined to collect. The advice I’ve been given has invariably been corrected by a specialist, and now on a couple of occasions, for less serious ailments, by a pharmacist.

I now only attend to get my blood taken so I can maintain required regular haematologist appointments. My first recourse is a pharmacist consultation for small stuff. I don’t have much confidence in GPs

Reading the above makes me sound like a hypochondriac but I’m talking over a long period for one or two connected issues.

I know the reports are that they are busy and short staffed but it never appears so.
 
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Nothing but praise for my recent service from my GP surgery.

Rang in with symptoms of cellulitis and was given an appointment to come in and see the nurse practitioner that morning. She diagnosed it and gave me antibiotics and steroid cream. She rang me a week later to check the meds had worked.

Rang in again with different symptoms which turned out to be shingles. The GP rang me back within the hour and sent me a secure link to upload photos of the rash. She texted me back diagnosing it, with a link to the NHS page about shingles for care advice and sent a prescription to my chemist.
 
Rang my GP wed 9-15-ish. Recep said they only dealing with emergency and triage app's as all other times were gone. They said call after 8-00 tomorrow and you'll get an app for that day.

Did that and got a 2-00 app same day.

New doctor, but was well impressed with how much effort they put in to come to a conclusion. Got prescription and plan was to come back if it got worse.

I then remembered something that i thought was relevent, and she booked me in for blood tests next morning.

No long waits for apps, happy and impressed with that. Bloods nurse even said they were short staffed but had just got an additional Doc in which was who i saw.
 

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