A Healthwatch healthwatch.co.uk/sites/hea... report found tens of thousands of people in England struggled to contact or see their GP during the first year of the pandemic. Negative experiences of GP access rose by 20% under the pandemic to the highest ever levels.
Sir Robert Francis QC, chair of Healthwatch England, said: "We urge NHS England to undertake a formal review of the ways people access GPs. It is important that people understand the changes brought in during the pandemic are here to stay and how that affects the way they can get the care and support they need."
Commenting, Dr Richard Vautrey, GPC chair at the BMA, said: "Just as patients might have felt frustrated during this time though, so too have practice teams, who have had to adjust to ever-changing goalposts about how best to provide care."
He continued: "We understand that the pandemic has been difficult for many of our patients – it has for us too - but it’s important to remember the context practices are currently operating in; a once-in-a-generation health crisis with minimal Government support. Government and NHS leadership must learn from this, to ensure services are better prepared for the future, and that GPs are never left again without the resources and funding they need."
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holyshedballs
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That's amazing! Your surgery appears to be a beacon for others to aspire to. Unfortunately, a lot of patients have suffered a worse expereince. it seems some surgeries are using the pandemic as an excuse to keep patients out of the surgery and away from doctors. So much so the NHS wrote to GPs telling them to actually see patients that need to be seen.
For example, some GPs surgeries are no longer giving Vit B12 injections despite them being clinically necessary because it means patients have to come in to the surgery for them.
One of the problems is that they always fail to consider the hearing impaired who cannot easily do phone consultations. Since you can't easily get into the surgery without an appointment and you can't get an appointment for anything except cv19 - and you have to phone (which mostly no one answers) to get an appointment - I can't even get hearing aid batteries. NHS 0/10
In my view, there is scope for remote consultations, using apps for viewing test results and booking appointments etc. that can free up valuable time for patients and surgeries. its just that some surgeries have gone too far in removingthe patient from the services.
Think maybe the system has always been getting more overloaded and under funded through the years.Maybe all these doctors and health care workers feel frustrated at the system as we do.There hands are tied with red tape bureaucracy and funding.I personally have knocked them all myself with my experiences as some have been rude obnoxious abrupt while others have been helpful understanding and sweet.I know I’m wrong for thinking that as I have great respect for the NHS! At the end of the day is it the good cop bad cop approach so they can move on to the next patient as quick as they can under a creaking an over burdened system.Move you down the line for someone else to deal with.Maybe they know the cards there dealt to play with and each deal with it in different ways.I’ve seen the disappointment and concern in there eyes.What about the emotional side they suffer.This new system I bet it’s a relief for the majority as it’s automated.In the phone call or email you receive it’s far easier emotionally for them to fob you off than it is in a physical face to face consultation.Were all only human.Then there’s the internal struggles from the bottom to the top.The politics careers and funding.The selfish ruthlessness and desire of the clubs powers and material possessions there tier system is based on,greed of the inner ego..Maybe it goes right to the top and is being directed by multi national pharmaceuticals.Health is one of if not thee biggest earners in world history now.Maybe I’m wrong.Profits are like squeezing a water balloon just below half way.All the profits will go up and every now and then ease off and let some back down to feed new egos.Now I’m not saying everyone is ruthless or selfish there are amazing and wonderful people within the system.Take this site for example.The people here offering advice and help from there own experience and knowledge and the principles of it can help each other get back to good health quicker than the doctors.Why.Well maybe there approach is based on an that old controlled system and they maybe don’t want to listen to these sites as a healthy person is not a profitable person.Maybe I’m just overthinking on a Sunday to try relieve the head that’s banging like a barn door on a gale force night.Maybe
Maybe Maybelline I just need to go wash my hair in cold water to relief it
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Threatening Meeting with 2 gps at my practice yesterday 
GPs threaten to remove patients who visit ‘Dr Google’ first
Tell your local Healthwatch
