change.org/p/govuk-sajidjav...
Has everyone seen and shared this petition? I think the current situation is positively dangerous. We need to be examined, not diagnosed by phone. And receptionists should not be triaging, deciding which problem is urgent and which isn’t. People will inevitably die if this is allowed to continue.
Done. Thank you Hanne for posting this. I'll send the link to everyone I know. Great big hugs to you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And to you, peege! Our big surgery has more or less closed, not even a tel appt unless the receptionist decides it’s an emergency. How’s your precious big sister doing?
😘 ❤️ 😘
I have just signed it Hanne so thank you for that. It’s not great is it but Pete has been seen twice now thank goodness. Our son-in-law was seen at his surgery by a paramedic as his ears were very blocked. He was prescribed the wrong antibiotics so now has to use steroid drops. The GP is hoping permanent damage hasn’t been done. Xxxx
Hmm, the GP’s “hoping” is a bit late now isn’t it, Carole? I’m glad Pete has seen a GP but twice since the pandemic started, for a sick man, isn’t much.
Our surgery serves about 15,000 people but its patients are effectively without a GP as you can’t even speak to one. Whenever I phone, it’s “emergency appointments only”, with the receptionists deciding what constitutes an emergency. My husband is severely depressed, I’m very worried about his state of mind, but I can’t even get him a telephone appointment.
That’s terrible Hanne. Your poor husband needs to see someone right now. Dreadful situation.
Pete and I haven’t been impressed at all but it’s just worked out well for him. Our son in law is very angry as he can’t hear very well at all at the moment.
I’m thinking of you and your husband and wishing you better days ahead. Xx
That's bloody appalling H. I think its time to tell them its an emergency, before he gets any lower. I really don't get what they're all playing at. I'm just praying that my Jen is getting the care she needs in WSH, I've had no bulletins since Lucie went in on Friday. Peter was supposed to have an interview with a doctor on Monday. Its like getting blood out of a stone. P xx
Exactly, it wears you down when you’re worn out already and have no energy to spare. This morning husband drove me to path lab with a spec, ten mins away. Had to stop the car twice for me to throw up in the gutter 😩 I’m really not well & am on 2nd lot of abs, prescribed by me! Amoxil hasn’t helped so I’ve put myself on doxy.
I hope you get news about Jen soon. It’s a shame you’re not her next of kin, you’d be in there making sure she’s getting the best care. I looked up reviews for WS, most say staff very kind & care amazing, but communication poor! x
Oh flip C, this is bad news, why were you sick do you think? Too much mucus I'm guessing. I'm so sorry and hope the doxy makes a difference very soon. Yes, Jen has said that everyone is lovely. I do wish it was me visiting though 😕
Thanks, P! This morning was horrible, so embarrassing & I felt so ill. You’re right, just lots of infected crap I can’t get rid of. I’m lying in bed now, trying to summon the energy to do more physio. Feel better than I did this morning tho x
Thinking of you lovely 🤗
OMG! How awful.
It was ghastly. All these cars whizzing past, probably gawping. Poor me! 😆 I’ll feel better once I’ve managed to cough some of this stuff up x
I hope you're soon feeling better Hanne. Do try to take it easy. It is all very unfair- grrrrrr! You are such a tower of strength on this forum- you deserve a break. There must be some body you can complain to about the inadequacies of your surgery. Once/if you've got the energy. My ex surgery was placed in special measures after a vast no. of complaints. It seems to have done a tiny bit of good. Anyway the main thing is look after yourself. Sorry for rabbiting.
Rabbit away darling, it’s lovely of you to bother. Once I’m on the mend I’m writing to the senior partner & then NHS Eng and the CCCG. The latter held an enquiry 6 months ago, after which the surgery had a new telephone system installed. But it’s hardly any better cos there aren’t enough staff to answer it. Anyway, you just wait slightly less long to be told there are no appointments!
Thanks for your kind words, Alberta x
Hello Hanne62, there are other mental health services available in most areas , self referral is available for depression . Your husband should be on community care which the receptionist can refer you to, again only a phone call for help. Can you get an appointment if so tell them it is causing you stress. I find my surgery are very helpful but like your surgery very large and things can go astray on occassions. Fingers crossed you can get better help soon. xx
Thanks for that information, Katie. I’ll look into it.
Imo he needs antidepressants but it’s impossible to get a gp appointment. Yesterday the receptionist told me “there are no appointments, and there won’t be any for the rest of this week.” Eh? I asked how she knew that & she said she was looking on her screen & all appointments had been booked out, mostly by the gps themselves as follow ups. Severe depression isn’t listed on her emergency checklist so - no appointment. I’m writing to the Senior Partner x
Oh my. Hope your son is ok Carole. Xx
👍doing better thank you Anita. Xxx💜
That’s good xx
Have signed it Hanne
I have signed the petition!
I think it's disgusting the way gp surgeries have behaved using covid as a shield to hide behind for bad behaviour!
It is! As the petition says, every other public service is now open except them.
Apart from the chronically ill like ourselves, there must be many thousands of people with worrying lumps & bumps who can’t see a GP for an urgent referral. Lives must be at risk.
My GP surgery has been exemplary …..can’t find fault .Triage by gp or nurse practitioner , followed by same day face to face appointments as it was deemed necessary by the doctor.
Blood test straight away .
Review over phone , but I prefer that as less risk of infection, no transport worries etc.
No complaints at all.
That’s wonderful, very reassuring for you to know they’re there for you. If they can do it, why are so many others so badly run?
I think it all depends on the individual surgery myself.
Agreed here. I prefer a telephone consultation, followed by face to face if necessary. I've had no problem speaking to the doctor on the day if necessary and I've been followed up without asking. Repeat prescriptions work like clockwork on the computer.
Brilliant, that’s as it should be x
I so agree. We benefitted and the doctors who came here from India benefitted. But India, which was then one of the poorest countries, spent a lot of money training doctors for a rich country. Doesn’t make sense,, does it? Our Dr Raita up here was a lovely man. He became a magistrate after he retired and his son, locally educated, is one of the financial whizz kids at Number 10.
Pleased someone else also has a good medical practice. Mine is also excellent. Mainly telephone appointments but face to face if needed. I also feel that is safer than going into a waiting room. I also like the way I can ask a simple question which doesn’t really warrant a personal appointment. And I have finally worked out how to attach photographs.But my daughter in law can’t get an appointment for three weeks at her surgery and I know others are in the same boat.
In the 60s we imported 10,000 doctors from India and that virtually saved the NHS. Many have recently retired. We were meant to use that time to train more of our own!
Hmm, well that plan didn’t work. On the one hand it’s great to have drs from other countries to fill the gaps, but in the undeveloped world they should be providing healthcare to their own countries. I don’t know the solution 🤷♀️
Done,i am tired of Gp's shielding under the goodwill that the general population have generaly shown to those on the frontline of the Nhs,they seem to spend more time passing on work to others that they are perfectly trained and equiped to deal with than they do in front of their own patients?
My gps are clinically good, but have been invisible for the whole pandemic. The senior partner retired & any “management” has gone out of the window. The only way of contacting them is by phone (they withdrew their email option at the start of the pandemic) and receptionists consult a checklist to decide if your problem warrants a phone call. They’re taking the money, but basically the whole town is being denied a health service (it’s the only surgery.)
I could to a certain extend understand that if you lived in a suburb of a large city like i do but i always thought that surgeries in much smaller towns and villages where still old fashioned and patient friendly.obviously that is just a pipe dream of nostalgia on my part?
Ours used to offer have a couple of evening surgeries a week, AND Saturday mornings. AND they combined with other local practices to provide an emergency service, so if you phoned at night, you’d always get a visit from a local gp. This continued until about 20yrs ago, when privatisation started to really creep in (don’t let’s start on that one.)
These days gps seem to think they should pocket £100k for a four-day, 8.30-6 week 🤷♀️
Ps of course, they’ve got a fantastic union in the BMA
Have been told to go to A/E . Went to A/E was given excellent treatment but asked why I was there. Told them fair and square.Then ill again, Gp receptionist said Go to A/E Must have a record!!!!
Really peed off, only advice to ring for an ambulance if in pain. My daughter works in NHS and said that costs £500 per callout in admin/wages/ etc.
What is going on???
That’s terrible. A few weeks ago I dropped husband at A&E with a flare up of his heart problem. The surgery said they had no appointments so to call an ambulance or take him there! The dr he saw said “this is something your gp should be treating, don’t come to A&E”. Well, what are we supposed to do?!!!
Thanks Hanne. Signed and shared on FB.
Thanks Bev, that’s great x
Thank you for putting it up for us to sign and pass on Hanne dear. xx
You're very welcome! x
Excellent. I hadn’t seen it so thank you so much. Not on facebook but forwarded it to friends, including Angel. It’s climbing really well unsurprisingly. Even the hospital teams don’t get why they are not doing face to face if they can help it, as they have worked the whole way through.
I’ve had 2 unhappy telephone consultations, one of whom expected me to contact the departments concerned and another who said he was only taking urgent calls. After spending 10 minutes finding reasons he couldn't speak to me he did the referral I asked for initially🤷♀️
I also had an appointment with a resp physio at another surgery and was early. They asked me to wait in a large waiting room. There were 3 people there in discussion. One was a guy complaining about a receptionist who after being 20 in the quue put the phone down on him. The other guy was apparently the surgery manager and there was a woman I believe to be from the reception team. The woman said the receptionist who put the phone down had only been with them a couple of weeks. The complainant relied that he was either bad at his job or had not been properly trained and tHe woman then started blowing her own trumpet how with all her years experience she would have dealt with it differently.
I went to the loo but it was still going on when I returned. She said the receptionist on duty were very scared. He said why were thet scared, what did I say to them. Well this ‘very experienced’ woman then unbelievably said it’s nothing to do with colour.
Glad I then got called in
Cx
To use a cliché, you couldn’t make it up!God knows how we’re supposed to manage our various complex health conditions with no gp support whatsoever. I can’t even get a telephone appointment.
Wow that is dreadful. I am glad you were called in!
Unbelievable. What more can they get away with?
I've seen and signed this Hanne. Thank you for posting it. At the moment I'm dead worried about my husband who needs an urgent MOT. He's been put down for 2 hospital appointments, this year, next year ,sometime..... But face to face at the surgery, not a hope.
Oh dear, poor man. And poor you! It’s just not right x
Thank you Hanne, signed and hoping it works.Jax🐶x
Thanks! It’s doing well so far x
Hi Hanne62, have signed the petition and shared on facebook thanks for link. There are several of these petitions going round at the moment.
Thanks, Katie. My daughter sent me this one. It’s doing well so has obviously hit a nerve! x
Have signed and shared that one toox
Signed. Thank you for sharing. I’ve had 3 telephone consultations recently, that last one saying I might have bowel cancer, just out of the blue!
That’s not really something you want to hear over the phone, is it, Helen? I’m fine with telephone appointments (IF I could get one) but sometimes you just need to see your doctor. I hope you get some good news soon x
I had a ct scan on Monday so hopefully when the consultant rings I’ll find out one way or the other. I actually have a f2f appointment with my named go on Monday for a steroid injection in my knee - can’t have that over the phone!
I am in Scotland and have no problem seeing my doctor face to face. But as you say not everything can be diagnosed over the phone. I will sign your petition.
Thank you x
Done Hanne. Amazing that the gp can send you to A & E to do their job and knowing how overstretched the hospitals are x
Exactly! I think there’s a battle of wills between them atm x
Done, at times cannot even get through on the phone. Getting an appointment either a phone appointment or face to face is as rare as hens teeth.
I am fortunate in having a community nurse and I use her as my link to the GPs surgery because they have direct lines through. It would otherwise be as you have stated Snackjack, forget a response other than the usual menu reply which leads you nowhere except to ring 111. How can that ever be construed as the way forward, perhaps out of hours, but at all times during the day? What are they doing?🙄 ..... why do some of these GPs think they are exempt from business as usual? If they are not doing normal surgery hours, not running their speciality clinics, or anything else they would normally do, I ask again what are they doing instead? I don't know what to think anymore, it's too terrifying!
That’s my question too, Annie. There are plenty of GPs, nurses, a paramedic at my surgery. Just what are they all doing? I wish they’d just TELL us instead of getting the poor receptionists to say “sorry, no appointments” over & over 😠
At our surgery Hanne62 we get a recorded message once there are no appointments left. Have to admit occassionally it takes a long long time to get through which is not good , it took me 42 minutes one day , you can press a button for them to ring back also. If you have a sensible doctor they deal with more than one thing at once to save ringing back, which is fine for routine things but not when you need to see a doctor. Like you I agree I have been ill this year or so but only seen a nurse for routine check. Surely care in the community requires a bit of face to face supervision one would think.
Ugh, just like my surgery! It’s not on, is it? Atm we basically have NO access to primary healthcare, grr
Thanks for posting this link Hanne, I’ve signed and shared, pleased to find my little GP surgery is so good compared to many others, my caring GP has been out to my house 4 times this year, the 3 receptionists are great and they all give the feeling they will do everything they can to help. So sorry others are not being seen, or heard by a GP when they really need to, awful.
We’ll all have to come and live with you, zube 😊 x
You are all most welcome to come and live with me, you and peege would get on very well I spect but may find me a bit odd, laid back with a passion for brewing kombucha, kefir and country wines, don’t expect to stay sober or sane!.. or escape too soon.
Aww wouldn’t it be great to get together? I’m quite eccentric so we’d have a great time 😘
My understanding is that it is actually Government policy to encourage a return to face-to-face consultations, but I think remote ones are likely to remain common. I missed a face-to-face asthma review last week because of IBS, and was thankful that I was able to convert it to a Zoom consultation which, in the event, was perfectly adequate. But it's all "horses for courses" and face-to-face consultations are vital in many cases (my wife was saved by a GP earlier in the pandemic when a hospital doctor would not examine her, but the GP agreed to and discovered cancer which seems to have been treated successfully).
My GP nephew has had to stop going to the surgery after his younger daughter caught COVID after returning to school, so there are still practical difficulties in getting back to normal. In the end, GPs will have to make the decision themselves and, like all people, some will make better decisions than others. But there's nothing wrong with a bit of polite encouragement, providing we're all aware that the pandemic has not gone away and that there is (and always will be) a place for the appropriate use of remote consultation.
Good points, well made, and thank goodness the GP did examine your wife. I do hope she makes a full recovery.
I don’t mind telephone appointments (IF only I could get one!) they’re often all that’s needed, but occasionally the GP should examine the patient.
Had my flu jab today and actually got my blood pressure checked. Amazing Had a face to face physio last week but had to use a different door at the gps Not allowed through the corridors. Why? !!
Thanks hanne62for the post x
Gosh, you were lucky. Our gp cancelled all flu jabs & say “no idea” when they’ll get any. That’s not their fault as there’ve been freight problems, but some communication would be nice x
Yes would be nice. Ours was put back to today as should have been Monday x
A friend sent the petition to me by WhatsApp and I signed it happily.
GP phoned me yesterday and said “you asked for a phone consult”. “No” I replied “but give me a minute and I’ll have a list of ailments for you”. She laughed and said “sorry, a mistake somewhere” and hung up.
Can’t get an appointment when you need one but you might get someone else’s! I’m not making light of the problems but it did make me laugh.
appointments and taxis
Saw out of Hours GP yesterday. 29m
Eye appointment.
Home from Hopsital after a second flare up/ Appointment at Sheffield hospital
Lung transplant clinic appointment 
