GP's again

[meggy]

Originally Posted by greekgranny

No offence meant, sorry

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no worries. None taken

[duchy]

Originally Posted by lizzie145

Bath it fully and either contact the local eye hospital or 111. Dont bother with the GP for eyes

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Yup , that’s what I told him but he rang the doctor (who will only do phone consultation) they advised going to a pharmacist who can at least look at it.
Hopefully it’s minor or they will tell him to ring 111 and he might actually listen ! (Proper eye bath and saline did nothing)

[Guest]

Originally Posted by duchy

Yup , that’s what I told him but he rang the doctor (who will only do phone consultation) they advised going to a pharmacist who can at least look at it.
Hopefully it’s minor or they will tell him to ring 111 and he might actually listen ! (Proper eye bath and saline did nothing)

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My money is on the Pharmacist telling him to contact the Doctor.

I've had some trouble my eyes before now and what you're describing there sounds significant to me and the doctor should be the point of contact. Whenever I've had a problem with my eyes, the pharmacist has always said the opticians, go to the optician and they say go to the Doctor.

The irony of the pharmacist being allowed to look at it but the doctor can't is not lost on me.

[linder]

I don’t get this photo thing how can they diagnose certain things from a photo, also what if it’s a private area of your body would you want anyone but the doctor seeing it?

[MinniMouse]

Originally Posted by linder

I don’t get this photo thing how can they diagnose certain things from a photo, also what if it’s a private area of your body would you want anyone but the doctor seeing it?

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Of course they can! How do you think they got through medical school and all their years of training as GP's. Learning using books, online and years of actually seeing patients. They can tell a chicken pox rash from flea bites, and if something suspicious will ask the patient in. And if it's in an area you'd rather not want anyone else to see (as in file into your medical records), then you just need to say, you won't be forced in to doing something you are not happy with.

Do the majority want their health centre back to normal, as in full waiting rooms? What about the patients that are immunosuppressed, on chemo, pregnant mothers, the elderly, etc. If something can be dealt with over the phone, surely that's a good thing?

[Guest]

I found out yesterday the reason GP's aren't seeing patients face to face is because the local Health Board doesn't want them to. The GP's of one particular surgery actually would prefer to see patients. I'm not understand the thinking on this at all.

Lat week I went for a glaucoma check at my local hospital had all the tests I usually have and was then seen my my usual chap for pressure etc., even had the back of my eyes photographed.

I wondered about things then, it's all just developed into a really odd situation ...

[linder]

Minnimouse when I worked for a gp he always said you can learn many things from books but seeing things was the best way to get a true diagnosis. I agree we don’t want surgeries overrun again but sometimes seeing a doctor can help overcome any fears you may have. I understand everything is different at the moment but I hope this is not the way forward

[DrMagical]

Just a view from the other side as a GP. Pictures can be sometimes be hugely helpful, sometimes not. Sometimes we'll look at a picture and decide we still need to see you face to face but sometimes we can be certain it's fine (or rarely certain it's sinister so needs a 2 week referral, why waste time coming up?). I see it as a first stage of triage.
I've had patients point blank refuse to even try sending a picture although I offer them easy instructions how to do it using their own phone and then they have insisted on a house call to look at their skin lesion. This then leads to 30 minutes out of surgery, fresh set of PPE used and potentially infecting their home with covid all to look at a clearly benign spot.
We now have to do more triage than we have ever had. Each patient we see we have to think of social distancing in the waiting room and corridors and PPE use and staff safety and safety of other patients in the building.
Also like to point out that the last 6 months we've worked really, really hard, put our lives on the line seeing infected patients daily, given up bank holidays to help secondary care and had to deal with enormous changes in our working lives. It makes me so sad to see people posting 'and they're still getting full pay'.

[ely3857]

Originally Posted by DrMagical

Just a view from the other side as a GP. Pictures can be sometimes be hugely helpful, sometimes not. Sometimes we'll look at a picture and decide we still need to see you face to face but sometimes we can be certain it's fine (or rarely certain it's sinister so needs a 2 week referral, why waste time coming up?). I see it as a first stage of triage.
I've had patients point blank refuse to even try sending a picture although I offer them easy instructions how to do it using their own phone and then they have insisted on a house call to look at their skin lesion. This then leads to 30 minutes out of surgery, fresh set of PPE used and potentially infecting their home with covid all to look at a clearly benign spot.
We now have to do more triage than we have ever had. Each patient we see we have to think of social distancing in the waiting room and corridors and PPE use and staff safety and safety of other patients in the building.
Also like to point out that the last 6 months we've worked really, really hard, put our lives on the line seeing infected patients daily, given up bank holidays to help secondary care and had to deal with enormous changes in our working lives. It makes me so sad to see people posting 'and they're still getting full pay'.

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I for one am eternally grateful for my GP practice the last few months. I’ve had four separate issues. Each time I’ve filled in the on-like forms, twice I’ve had a referral to another area via after a follow up call and twice I’ve been asked to attend the practice to be seen in person and for blood tests. My youngest daughter has also had one online form leading to one visit and diagnoses.

I appreciate the online system isn’t amazing for everyone but for me, I am loving writing it all down beforehand then getting a phone call and only being seen in person when necessary. I hope this system continues post covid but as I say, I can see why it doesn’t work for all patients.

[louiseybobs]

Originally Posted by GrumpyDopey&Me

The staff shouldn’t be told off. They are doing what they was told to do. What do you expect them to do?, as for calling the PM seriously? Again they are doing what they have been told to do. It’s not the staffs fault the OP doesn’t have a smart phone. This system has been in place for about 6 months.

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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.