I was unfortunate enough to end up in hospital about a month ago, with an infection. We were away with the grandkids in Nottingham. The hospital was brilliant! I was in for 3 days having had iv Antibiotics and came home. Then yesterday I had to call the GPabout a couple of things…..to be told I could only talk about one thing! Even though my second query was connected. So I have to call again, in the long queue again, wait for the doctor to get back to me again…..Am I not wasting more of their valuable time in having to do this?
For any moderators watching I am NOT being political, I am simply talking of my personal experience.
Take care all
Judi
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Heyjude31
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I feel for you this used to happen to me some years ago I never knew one appointment is to discuss one thing if you have more than one I was told you had to book a double appointment which I did say how silly is that but apparently how it works but some Doctors let you talk about more than one thing especially if it is connected
I am not that lucky in most things but my Doctor talks to be from anything from 40 mins to an hour twice a week and I am so grateful but she is the only one that does
Sorry you have to go through it all again and I hope you are feeling ok and everything gets sorted x
I saw it yesterday and am going to reply I had to report it not your messages but the last few weeks when I have been getting a message I have only been able to read a few the rest it said I had them but could not read them
Lat night it looks like they have finally resolved what ever it is because I started to be able to see them again so I will have a catch up with you later x
Lets be clear here it's not the GP to blame it is the Government. Why ? the answer lies in they ( Government ) are letting GPs away with it. The Government is the employer us poor souls are the payers without any say, so it's up to the Government to bring the GPs back under control. The GPs are not going to walk away why because of the great salary you and me are paying. Rant over
"So I have to call again, in the long queue again, wait for the doctor to get back to me again…..Am I not wasting more of their valuable time in having to do this?"
If you go through the rigmarole of calling back then yes, this wastes the doctor's time as they'll have to pull up your records again and fritter away a few seconds repeating some security questions.
But you'll waste much more of your time, and that unfortunately is the whole point.
By applying a "cost" (in this case the cost of your time rather than your money) it reduces demand for GP services. Many people in this position, possibly most people in this position, won't bother. So in the long run that saves the GP time.
The reality is that medical care is rationed. Demand for medical care far exceeds supply, so the hard fact is that many rationing mechanisms are in place. This is just one. Some of the others, like for example "QALYS", would take your breath away!
Most enquiries to our GP's aren't really necessary in that there's either nothing the doctor can really do, or the issue will get better on its own without any intervention. By making access less and less convenient it filters out some of these unnecessary demands.
Of course a very small number of genuinely urgent cases will also be deterred by these barriers, but so far at least NHS outcomes (ie how many of actually drop down dead) are holding up fairly well. The problem to date is with service levels, ie delays and waiting lists, rather than medical outcomes.
As a nation we're becoming older and less healthy (look at things like growing obesity levels and the Type 2 Diabetes epidemic that excess weight is causing), so regardless of what political party is in power it's unlikely the NHS will get much better, and it could easily become a great deal worse.
bit far….though after my experience in hospital in Mansfield who were amazing I thought I might move there!Good for you though, that’s great to hear there is some good practice 👏👏😊
yeah but yours double up as vets..........just saying
My new Dr "Grunts" to busy even to say yes or no, the last Dr was a MMMMMMmm er and would say it after every question asked, then draw in a large amount of breath between clenched teeth before answering......
These habits are bad enough face to face, but over the phone? it just amplifies it.
Baby rant done { for now }
this is the same with my GP practice - I guess it helps them see / call more people each day rather than less people asking about multiple issues.
It does seem counterproductive but I guess they get through more people.
I guess I felt a bit like a toddler being told off ‘I am only speaking to you about one thing’ I think the only thing missing was ‘now go away’ perhaps with different language 😆
HeyJude, I fully understand what you are saying. It does sound belittling and uncaring. and I suspect doctors could be a little more understanding and sympathetic in their responses. What kind of mum would say to her child, "Come back next week with the other problem you have."
If a 'patient' has a 5 minute slot with the GP and it takes 10 minutes to discuss the primary problem they are there, then it is reasonable to be told 'your time is up', irrespective of whether there are other issues or not which could follow . There are likely others behind said patient who have an equal right to the GP's time and who may be inconvenienced by any delay. However if the patient only taken 2 minutes of a 5 minute slot then it is reasonable to be allowed to discuss any other issues as necessary, provided these don't overrun the 5 minutes.
I don’t disagree with that. It is also the manner in which you are told ‘I will only discuss one thing with you,’ particularly when the other thing is relevant to the issue being discussed in the first place. I am respectful of their time, always. However I do hope for a suitable explanation of what is being discussed and not rushed out of the door!
At least the days of 'doffing your cap' to your local doctor have long gone. I remember the days when the doctor was a figure of great respect in the community and you did not answer back or question their wisdom, just demonstrated your humility when in their company. 😆
I get as frustrated as the next person at the difficulty in accessing appointments etc. However, personally I'm mostly just hugely grateful to all doctors everywhere for choosing to train to do the job they do.
Much the same here Heyjude. I don't think they have a one problem/one call 'rule' as such but it definitely largely depends on which Doctor at our surgery you get to speak with. Some of them are hugely helpful and others not so much. I do hope you're feeling better. Carol
i have had the one thing only even though things maybe and often are interconnected. We are not lots of bits and pieces but whole entities and how can a doctor get the whole picture with the one thing at a time approach?
A week ago made a routine appointment with my GP to be told it would be 18 May 2023. I asked if a telephone appointment would be quicker, to be told no it would be the same date 18 May 2023. I am able to get an emergency appt if the receptionist puts a request thro to the Duty GP who makes a decision as to whether it is appropriate to be seen as such. Receptionist then rings me back with the Duty GP’s decision. Disappointing.
Total Bull isn’t it and since your overall health is down to how all the conditions you might have not just 1 I think this is why good treatment has declined as you have to treat the person not 1 aspect of the person
i agree with Chappychap and Lowerfield. If I am early on the telephone queue at 8 a.m. I am likely to get a doctors appointment same day. But the timings have to be managed. Probably 15 -20 minutes a slot. If I come in with a dodgy ankle then so be it. But if I bring up a dodgy nose then that time may cut into the next patient's appointment. So if that were allowed across the board, then the domino effect would be that time would run out to see any more patients.
Wouldn't it be great if patients themselves could plan and diarise their own ailments in advance? 😀
I have been having terrible trouble breathing especially at night and my GP said he can see my septum has collapsed a bit at the bridge of my nose and I need to see an ENT consultant. He then added I have to use a spray first or they won't take the referral!!? I duly phoned back to say it didn't work and spoke to another GP and repeat, in the end I took up 3 appointments, I had already tried numerous sprays so surely they could have trusted the doc to make the right decision and accept his referral no wonder it's difficult to get appointments if every referral is like that. Char
How disgusting. I am fed up with our GPS and to ring them is so stressful and you can’t bypass all the stupid messages they play at the start and then your 10 th in the queue and when you do get through only phone appointments and 3 week wait! They need sorting out.
Same in my surgery, they should try waiting in a queue on the phone for hours, or trying to do an E-consult in a two hour given slot which is already taken up
I would have the potentials to be rude to the doctor I’m speaking to if he had suggested that to me 😡😡😡
Not sure if it is because maybe they know I’m spicy or just the surgery policy but never happened to me.
I’m sorry to hear that! I think I’d write a letter to the surgery manager highlighting what a lot of nonsense is the policy they have in place (assuming it is their policy not just the single GP awkwardness).
Same here. Have to agree with Chappychap - it’s all designed to stop us calling if we don’t really have to. I’m sure there are, or were, lots of so called “time wasters” - colds, sore throat etc that can be dealt with without a doctor. At my surgery, we still can’t get in the door unless we have an appointment - if you are lucky enough to get in, there is a sign asking you not to speak to receptionist but to phone if you have any queries ! I have spent almost a week of calling as soon as surgery opens, waiting for 45 mins plus, only to be told no availability. Finally had to complain to practice manager before I got an appointment. Definitely not good enough. I’m 71 and dread to think how those in their 80s and above cope with all this.
My partner and I have different GP surgeries (as there are two very local to us.)
His are brilliant in regards to this and “happy” for him to attend with a literal list of what he wants to discuss.
Mine have the strict one problem one appointment rule (via phone or in person.) However my surgery are very good at answering econsult queries (usually call back with 2-3 hours) his not so much! My surgery is an absolute nightmare to get an appointment booked unless it’s an emergency (when they are usually very good.)
It’s just so odd that all surgeries seem to have different rules and “allow” different things.
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