GP's again

[GrumpyDopey&Me]

Originally Posted by louiseybobs

I'm sorry but there is no way I would 'do as I was told' if that was the case.

No chance. I'd be too embarrassed even asking the patient to do this.

Common sense should have come in to play here surely.

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So tomorrow your boss tells you that from now on there will only be conversations with customers via email. No more telephone calls. You would say no and effectively put your job at risk for a stranger.

Why would you be embarrassed to ask the patient to take a picture. A lot can be seen in a picture or from a description over the phone. This system will probably stay this way even when the pandemic is over.

[louiseybobs]

Originally Posted by GrumpyDopey&Me

So tomorrow your boss tells you that from now on there will only be conversations with customers via email. No more telephone calls. You would say no and effectively put your job at risk for a stranger.

Why would you be embarrassed to ask the patient to take a picture. A lot can be seen in a picture or from a description over the phone. This system will probably stay this way even when the pandemic is over.

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Not at all
It was asking the neighbour to do it I had a problem with

I have rosacea and have had to send photos to my doctor, as someone else said, much prefer it.

But my nan doesn't even have a debit card, let alone internet.

And yes if my boss said ask the patient to ask her neighbour to take a picture of the problem. I'd refuse and take it up with HR.

[JAF]

Originally Posted by GrumpyDopey&Me

So tomorrow your boss tells you that from now on there will only be conversations with customers via email. No more telephone calls. You would say no and effectively put your job at risk for a stranger.

Why would you be embarrassed to ask the patient to take a picture. A lot can be seen in a picture or from a description over the phone. This system will probably stay this way even when the pandemic is over.

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A lot might be able to be seen from a photo however, when dh had to send through some photos for potential skin cancerous moles he was told not sure but give it 6 months and hopefully things will be back to normal and you can get a referral! This is not acceptable so he is now hoping that all is okay but has to hope all is well and quite frankly the way things are going can not see this being the case.

[vhm672]

My Mums surgery were doing very well until it came to flu jabs.

I kept seeing on here people mention that they had already had theirs so asked Mum (who was shielding) what was happening about hers.

The answer on calling the surgery was that they were only booking people for them if they called the surgery to chase.

Given the surgery has an app surely it would not have been beyond the wit of man to notify the most vulnerable that they needed to book a flu jab. Consequently mum is still to get hers as they now have a supply problem.

[EssexSue]

Originally Posted by JAF

A lot might be able to be seen from a photo however, when dh had to send through some photos for potential skin cancerous moles he was told not sure but give it 6 months and hopefully things will be back to normal and you can get a referral! This is not acceptable so he is now hoping that all is okay but has to hope all is well and quite frankly the way things are going can not see this being the case.

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That's terrible. My son had the same thing but the GP referred him because he wasnt sure and it was removed within weeks. It was benign thank goodness and I truly hope your husband's is too.

[greekgranny]

Just had a text from the clinic I have been referred to, detailing all the information to be obtained by smart phone app. There is also a number to ring if you do not have the tech. Rang it straight away, they have noted on my records that I do not have said tech and will text and e-mail any further info. Restores your faith in human nature, just so simple.

[soooexcited!]

Originally Posted by vhm672

My Mums surgery were doing very well until it came to flu jabs.

I kept seeing on here people mention that they had already had theirs so asked Mum (who was shielding) what was happening about hers.

The answer on calling the surgery was that they were only booking people for them if they called the surgery to chase.

Given the surgery has an app surely it would not have been beyond the wit of man to notify the most vulnerable that they needed to book a flu jab. Consequently mum is still to get hers as they now have a supply problem.

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Apologies but the flu vaccine is an annual process if its needed every year then don't wait for a reminder letter or prompt just call to book at the same time every year.
As orders are placed the year before its very difficult to know which supplier will deliver on a specific date. This often gets put back nothing to do with practices. Ours weren't delivered until 29th September, very late for us.

[fl-veteran]

Originally Posted by snowbelle

Out of interest those who have recently had to see a GP face to face where are you having to wait ?

This is not contentious I am generally interested as it seems here we have to wait outside whether it’s cold , raining( our surgery has no cover ) no matter how old you are and you have to call your name and what you are there for in front of the line of other patients.

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To answer this and in case anyone is interested how things are operating generally:

It's different from surgery to surgery as some have nice big waiting rooms and some don't and have to limit numbers more. Surgeries who can't safely accomodate enough people safely will need them to wait outside. Again, the more we can deal with by telephone the less have to come down.

In the two surgeries I work in the waiting room is operating at significantly reduced capacity (about a third). We counter that by making the face-to-face appointments for each GP at different times of the day and asking patients not to arrive before their appointment time, come unaccompanied if possile and, if they need to be accompanied, it can only be by 1 person. Our waiting area seating is now divided by several wipeable screens so we can safely get as many as possible in. We also ask people not to come to the surgery for anything administrative and have developed other ways of handling this work.

If people arrive early and the waiting room is at or near capacity they will be asked to wait outside.

Patients are screened (recent covid symptoms such as temperature, new continuous cough, change of taste or smell and any recent contact with a covid +ve or symptomatic patient) at the door over an intercom. Non-contact temperature is taken at the door. Unbelievably, we've had several patients lie about their history in order to get to see the doctor. I'm sure you can imagine the havoc that this causes.

All patients must wear a face covering unless they have a GOOD reason not to (and remember, we have their medical reasons so we can weed out the liars / exagerators). Respiratory problems are not normally considered a good reason. It's more stuff like autism, deafness, etc. So far we've only had a single patient refuse to wear a mask. That resulted in them being seen in our red zone (zone for high risk / possible COVID patients) so as not to put other people at risk. Personally, I would like to refuse to see them if they refuse to wear a face covering but NHS England say we can't...

In addition, if we're bringing a patient down to our red zone because they have possible COVID symptoms they must remain outside of the practice until they are telehponed by the clinician who will meet them at a separate entrance wearing full PPE and escort them to the designated area.

Once a clinician has seen a patient in the red zone they are not permitted to return to the green zone for the remainder of that day.

All clinical space must be clean with sterilising sipes before work starts, in-between patients and when work finishes.

In the last few weeks there hasn't been a single day that I haven't had at least 1 GP colleague at home self-isolating. On some days it's as many as 4. Generally, we ask them to work from home doing telephone consultations if they're well enough (and if the IT is behaving, but that's a whole other story).

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Originally Posted by soooexcited!

Apologies but the flu vaccine is an annual process if its needed every year then don't wait for a reminder letter or prompt just call to book at the same time every year.
As orders are placed the year before its very difficult to know which supplier will deliver on a specific date. This often gets put back nothing to do with practices. Ours weren't delivered until 29th September, very late for us.

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I agree with you but some Surgeries do need to look at their own admin practices.

I ring my Surgery about the Flu Jabs and am told they will write to me when they are in

One hour later the post arrives with a letter saying they are in and to ring for an appointment

I ring back and they book me in.

I had my jab in the car park and am well happy with that but surely in this day and age they can E Mail people like me and save paper, stamps, time and therefore cost.

Hey ho I go with the flow but I do get frustrated.

[fl-veteran]

Originally Posted by soooexcited!

Apologies but the flu vaccine is an annual process if its needed every year then don't wait for a reminder letter or prompt just call to book at the same time every year.
As orders are placed the year before its very difficult to know which supplier will deliver on a specific date. This often gets put back nothing to do with practices. Ours weren't delivered until 29th September, very late for us.

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Complicated by not just lateness but which vaccine... We got our >65 vaccine reasonably on time but we've only just taken delivery of our first batch of <65.

Also not helped by bl**dy Dr bl**dy Hilary bl**dy Jones telling people aged 50-64 to get in touch and book on national TV when we're supposed to be doing those at lower risk last and only if we have sufficient vaccine for those most at risk.

Thanks "Dr Hilary" for the hundreds of unnecessary phone calls jamming our lines for other patients and all of the patients who were angry with us because we couldn't offer what you told them we could...