I've been struggling with SOB, wheeze and phlegm for nearly 3 weeks and finally gave in and contacted my GP surgery this morning at 8.30, when phone lines opened. They have a new system, where they sent me a form to complete, by text. I filled that in, giving all the pertinent details of what was wrong and it also asked who I wanted to see, so I put my GP and asthma nurse as my preferred options. My GP phoned me just after 9am and gave me an appointment at 10am!
To say I'm impressed is an understatement. Dr checked me over at the appointment, he agreed no chest infection and we discussed my preferred treatment and I left with that all sorted as plan A and with his preferred treatment as plan B if plan A doesn't work out.
Had to share this as I know we all face challenges in accessing our GPs and treatment, but this is definitely an improvement from past arrangements which depended on phone consultations and seeing the nurse practitioner, if an in person check up was required; but she had a propensity to under prescribe asthma flare ups, leading to multiple courses of treatment.
I'm still in a bit if a daze, to be honest. Just hope this system doesn't get binned as it definitely worked well for me today and has given me confidence to seek earlier help in future.
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Poobah
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I've certainly experienced woeful access in the past and tend to delay contact, even though things have improved over the covid period. Strange that it was easier to get a same day phone appointment because of covid, but it did tend to be the nurse practitioner. Swings & roundabouts.
That’s excellent Poobah, I hope your surgery sticks with it. We had a similar system. You rang up, a GP ( or one of the team”) called you back within an hour. They would then either advise, or prescribe over the phone or if necessary ask you to attend the surgery - same day usually within an hour or two. I thought it was brilliant but lots of people objected and so it was dropped. We are now back to sitting on the phone at 8am until lunchtime to be told all appointments have gone and please try again tomorrow.
I wonder who objected to a perfectly good system? I recognise the "all the appointments have gone" scenario, which was very much how things were when I joined this surgery around 12 years ago. I think covid has concentrated their minds on how to triage patients more effectively.
That's great Poobah, glad it worked so well for you!
My surgery has a similar set-up but they have the e-consult form on the website. It's all one page now, which is easier as they used to ask for loads of information across many pages which was often quite repetitive or not relevant, and it was hard to see it all. Now it's one page and you can see all the questions. I prefer it this way as it's easier for me personally to make sure I include all the relevant information for them, in a logical order, and don't forget things because I'm nervous.
Last time I got a callback in about 40 mins at the end of the day and an appointment the next morning at 9am. With a PA not a GP, but she was good and listened, and acknowledged my complexities. And didn't expect a wheeze!
We agreed on a plan of action which was a compromise between her thinking I needed antibiotics for my chest, which I did on this occasion, and me not wanting to take antibiotics at all and especially not unnecessarily. (She gave me a prescription and told me when I should start them, while making it clear she'd have been fine with me starting them as soon as I picked them up).
I agree Lysistrata, that making the most of the treasured appointment is definitely a win. It doesn't matter how quickly we get an appointment if we walk away dissatisfied. That happened to me last winter, in that we couldn't reach a compromise and the GP stuck to the "all asthma is the same" mantra and I had treatment that wasn't effective, despite clear instructions from my consultant being on my notes. Anyway, today was a major win has has retored my confidence.
It definitely helps to have a win - I also find it helps me act sooner and not delay. I'd spent ages wondering if I should even contact the surgery and if they could/would do anything. Definitely helps to have someone who listens - I may as well not bother with 'all asthma is the same' drs.
Hoping you don't need to see them again any time soon, but if you do I hope it goes just as well!
I had a surprise call from the pharmacist at the GP practice last night. She had noticed I hadn’t requested Asprin for a long time I had just put in a request for my repeat prescription and she was authorising it) I explained that it caused stomach discomfort and reflux and I had been buying coated ones. She then changed the prescription to this type. She then asked about my reflux and added extra Lanzoprozole so that I can double up on them if a fancy a curry or an orange etc. Then she said my cholesterol was stubbornly raised (last check was October) and that she could add in a tablet that was not a statin which would clear cholesterol from the intestines. We then chatted about antihistamine and why my antihistamine nasal spray could not be on repeat but assured me it was available on request.
All in all I came off the phone (about 30 minutes later) feeling cared for. It was a nice relaxed conversation covering lots of issues.
I have a GP who is the best I have had for many years. When I moved to village. we chose the largest pharmacy - Well I always seem have an item missing - I was recommended pharmacy next village, what a difference, Amiodarone I need - could not get it in my village, was at my door two hours after GP had wired the script over. Friendly and relliable.
It really gives one a boost when something so positive happens, Troilus. Listening to patients makes such a difference. Your pharmacist sounds a real treasure.
Lucky you!!! I went to re-order one of my preventer inhalers (which I use as a top up in winter months, or at any other time of year when I need a “top up”) to discover that not only had that one been removed from my repeat prescription list, but two other inhalers for asthma had been as well! When I rang to find out what was going on I was told only a clinician could re-instate them and the first appointment available was over two weeks away (though I could have had an urgent one if necessary). Very fortunately I do have spares of all my inhalers (just in case a problem occurs - damage, loss, failure to work etc). I was also told I was due a medication review.
Question: why did they remove these inhalers BEFORE the medication review? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to discuss the situation with them at said review.
Question: why did they remove these inhalers WITHOUT warning me that they were going to do so? Two of those inhalers removed were also prescribed by a consultant. I’m due an appointment with my consultant; it’ll be interesting to see what he says when I tell him about this.
I’m guessing the reason is that all three of the inhalers concerned are used on an “as and when needed” basis (and I’m fairly certain that is in my notes) which means they don’t have a regular pattern of re-ordering. Even so, medications for a condition such as asthma should not be removed from a repeat prescription list without consulting with the patient first.
I totally agree with you about removing meds from a repeat prescription without consultation. In the past my surgery has declined prescription requests if an asthma review was overdue, which is extreme. At least now they just send an invite to make the review appointment, a much more enlightened approach.
Hopefully, you'll get things sorted at your review. Good luck.
This happened to me on more than one occasion. I rang and they said I needed a review. I told them I had had one. She checked and issued a prescription. Next time same again. Told them I had had my review. She checked and agreed and told me that the nurse “hadn’t signed off on it” and she would check with the nurse. Another nurse rang to do the review. Told her I had had one, but had to go through it all again because “ the other nurse hadn’t signed off on it.”
On another occasion I checked my records and here was an asthma review - I hadn’t had mine- the peak flow was right but there was night time awakening. Rang up and pointed out the error. Again the nurse would ring me, which she did, but she “ didn’t know how this had happened” and then reviewed me.
I suppose it is things like this that made me so pleased when the surgery pharmacist rang me and was so informed about my conditions.
Hello Troilus. Sorry off posters topic, but you said a couple of things that have/are happening to me. My nasal spray was removed too, no explanation though. I had to phone to be reassured I could order on request. Other my cholesterol is high. No statin.
Great that you're cared for. We fight here mostly..., small surgery huge patient list.
I'm so jealous. I completed an e-consult online and got a call back from a GP the next day. She prescribed an inhaler (first time ever) said she needed to see me face to face and that the surgery would contact me. After a week when I didn't hear anything I contacted the surgery who said they needed to do another e-consult! I got a text saying I was on a waiting list to see the GP. After a week I contacted the surgery again and got an appointment for 3 weeks time- the earliest she could offer. The pharmacist explained how to use the inhaler and spacer. On seeing the GP she was very helpful but getting to actually see her was a nightmare.
I must admit that my emphasis is always "asthma flare up/worsening asthma symptoms" in order to wave a red flag. If your surgery isn't triaging cases, it may be time to discuss the matter with your GP or asthma nurse. Good luck.
As I write this I am using my rescue pack! My asthma nurse has told me I have had too many exacerbations so am being referred to my local hospital respiratory dept. Chest x ray and Spirometry. Finished my steroids yesterday and three Doxycycline left to take. I have a long drawn out cough from hell! Normally the steroids kick in on the third day ?
Your surgery sounds well tuned in ! Sounds really practical. My wife used to work as a receptionist our local GP. I was invited to a walk for life with them. A conversation I had with one of the doctors on the subject of Covid prompted the ‘ new’ regime of phoning in and getting triaged. He said it was farm more efficient than the system pre Covid. My experience up and until now has been great with the new system. To be honest I am now seeing our surgery near enough full with patients.
My asthma nurse told me that I need to request to see a doctor for my next asthma appointments as she thinks it is appropriate as things have been going downhill?mi have had asthma since my folks bought me a cat when I was recovering from brain surgery. The cat was the trigger for the asthma I had a as a five year old to return with a vengeance!
Thanks Pedro. Sounds like you need continued treatment if your cough is persisting. I'm in my 60s now and the length of initial courses of antibiotics and steroids are shorter than they used to be in the past. I'm allergic to cats too, but Montelukast has definitely helped me cope better with family felines.
I needed to make 3 calls to the surgery the other week. Call one Thursday- a phone call would have done but I was immediately booked in for face to face.
Call two Tuesday - definitely needed face to face. NO appts available at all. Advised to call 111 who sent an ambulance. Physical exam then they phoned a 111 GP to discuss treatment. Clear written treatment plan explained and left with instructions to see GP on Friday, or go to A&E if worse.
Call three - Friday. Immediately offered face to face appointment in an hour's time.
So, I got all the care and treatment I required but on Tuesday an ambulance crew and 111 GP did what my own GP should have been doing.
There is great variation from day to day. My d.i.l. was told to physically go and join a queue outside the surgery by 7.45am to get an urgent appointment for my son the next day as they can only make the appts on the day. He ended up in A&E because there were no appointments by the time she got to the front of the queue and the issue was in danger of becoming life threatening if not treated quickly. A gp could have provided the necessary meds.
I don't really understand what's going on.
However, I am very glad that your experience was such a positive one and I think we need to share such experiences to balance up all the awful stories we hear.
Perhaps they are trialling some different ways of managing their caseloads. Gone are the days when you just turned up and waited to be seen .
That system of first come, first served is awful as there's no triage. We know that our emergency services are under strain and it's unfair for GP surgeries to be adding to that strain.
I have resorted to using the 111 service in the past when my surgery was less organised and the 111 Dr agreed I needed to see a GP and made a magic note on my records and told me to phone the GP surgery, whereupon they gave me a same day appointment.
There's no requirement for GP surgeries to implement triage but they're repeatedly advised to do so. If you're feeling bold, bring up the subject the next time you see your GP.
we have something called ‘Engage Consult’ in our area. Fill in a form online with problem etc. I have used a few times when I knew I needed to b seen but couldn’t get an appointment. Worth looking on your Drs website to see if offer same service
That sounds good. Our system is shared by 3 surgeries and is called Accute Emergency Hub, but we have to phone in the first instance and then the triage e-form is texted or emailed. I must admit I thought the completed form wouldn't be dealt with quickly but it took about 10 minutes before I received a phone call from my GP. I hope that this new service is retained. 🤞
We have an econsult system where you submit your query online and they get back to you. Can be within 3 days but in my experience it's always been same or next day with either advice, treatment or a F2F appt. Shame not all GPs are offering this as it really does seem to work.
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Poor care at GP practice
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