Are NHS GP's Days Numbered?

[Trusty ian]

Only get on the day appointments unless you book 2 weeks in advance on a Monday.
On the day is virtually impossible if you work as you need to be on the phone at 8am precisely . Then it's a lottery if you can get through before the available appointments have gone. If you get appointment it could be in an hour's time which is ok if you work in the town .then when you get to surgery there's probably only 2 of us in there. Really! This was before covid. A few years back you could get appointment and turn up to surgery full of people and 6 drs on site . Our town has grown hugely over the last 5 years but no more drs surgery's than 20 years ago.

[evergreen]

My DD 15 poorly last week phoned GP phoned back prescription at chemist within the hour (tonsillitis) you can wait a week to see our group of about 4 Dr’s

[braby]

I suppose it's like all things in life, there is good and bad in everything. My surgery used to be great; if you called at 08:30 you'd get an appointment that day at a time suitable for you.
They recently merged with another surgery to become a health centre and it's been a complete disaster, patient’s records disappearing, wrong medication prescribed and prescriptions sent to the wrong pharmacy.
Personally I signed up to Patient access so I can request my repeat prescription online, this is then sent straight to the pharmacy and I can collect 3 days later. During the height of COVID I requested a prescription in the usual way, checked the app that it had been approved 3 days later went to the pharmacy to collect and nothing was there. After a rather heated phone call it turned out they had transferred my records over incorrectly and had the prescription at the surgery for me rather than at my designated pharmacy. The pharmacist asked them to re-issue the prescription to which they refused so in the middle of lock down I had to make a non-essential journey to my surgery to pick up a prescription that for the last two and a half years has been issued online!
Whilst I have nothing but admiration for the front line workers, some of the administrators leave a lot to be desired.

[Guest]

I needed to use an online doctor a couple of times during lockdown. One for diagnosis of something not had previous. I wasn't convinced by the outcome. But that could have been down to the difficulties of video diagnosis when you cannot palpate / touch rather than the fact it wasn't my local GP. The other was for a sick certificate. Duly issued. My work accepted it in the circumstances as they recognised the lockdown restrictions but told me that private fitness certs are not accepted for SSP or sickness absence purposes in normal circumstances. So unless that changes I cannot see it happening as long term proposition. However it does make me think about the long snaking line to the surgery on a cold winters morning with less favour.

A significant number of people will not be online or who find the face to face interpersonal contact and support essential and soothing.

[Tinkerbell]

I think there has to be a sea change from both Health centres and the general public as to how services are offered, used and abused.

[2point]

I've discussed this in a previous thread - during Covid the appointment system has got better and easier for working people.

I can call the surgery and be given a time window when the doctor will call me back. Perfect, I can still be in work and go about my day. Phone consultation went fine, got a prescription and picked it up later that day. I followed up about getting a referral for a scan on my hip (I've had a pain in my hip during lockdown), sorted in a few minutes, just waiting now for card to come through from the hospital.

I'm happy with what I perceive as being an improved service.

[mitch84]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

Is it declarable as a taxable benefit do you know?

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Yes I have about £400 a year as a BIK but can access this service too. I have never actually used it though, I rarely need to go and my surgery is pretty good to be honest

[Clare]

Totally agree re comments of perhaps as a nation we expect and demand too much. That expectation and demand will always be there irrespective of private healthcare, the difference with private healthcare is usually quicker service and they don’t care how many times you see them as they’re happy to take your money (or insurance), the sticking point then comes with the insurance drawing a line under ‘too many claims’ or a condition becoming ‘chronic’ and no longer covering.
I’m fortunate in that my local GP, hospitals and the CCG are excellent, never any issues even through Covid. I’ve also got through my employer private health which covers me for my non chronic conditions. I believe the two can work side by side but the worry is the current two tier system becomes even more so, as a country we need both.

[Moorlandman]

As people have pointed out, insurance companies and private GP’s only want the easy stuff.

I have private health through work and both claims I have made over the years have been followed by exclusions for the same issue at renewal which means I have to go via the NHS.

[daytonababe]

Seems to be hit and miss here as to the service you get and that’s applied long before covid ..

My little granddaughter has had skin issues since she was tiny , which gradually got worse , we took her to the drs numerous times to be told it was dry skin .
Around April time she woke up one morning covered in blood from scratching in the night , rang the Drs and they asked to see her the next day . We went and 2 drs came and spent 1/2 hr examining her and decided she had a severe case of eczema. The senior of the 2 asked why it had been left so long , I told him to look at her records and see just how many times we had been to the surgery and been fobbed off. He was livid .

But her being seen in person is definitely not the norm here now , most appointments are done via the phone or using the new email service where you answer loads of questions and get a reply within 24 hrs

I did this recently and a paramedic not a Dr replied to me 🤷 Agreeing to up my medication .

I wonder how many will be misdiagnosis because they aren’t seen in person or something missed ? A few years back a huge cyst was found in my husbands neck only because he went for another matter and the Dr found it whilst examining him , had it been left undiscovered it could have killed him .