Getting through to a GP

[Mister M 1,608]

This information comes from my sister who works as a practice nurse. For obvious confidentiality reasons she can't go into specifics but she claims that a sizeable proportion of people who come in for doctors appointments don't really need one.

 

So she's not a doctor?

Also doctor's and their representatives are saying that many people cannot get to see their GPs

Edited August 22, 2014 by Mister M

[Mr Bloke 1,445]

Surely that applies to A&E too...and probably just about every other clinic...But charging people is NOT the answer. I've worked for 40 odd years, and paid my 'dues'...I want free medical treatment as and when I require it...it's bad enough having to pay £8 odd for a prescription item! without having to pay for a doctors appointments too.

Maybe the cost of your appointment could be deducted from the cost of your prescription?

 

That way only those that don't need any treatment have to pay for an appointment.

[PeteMorris 10]

Maybe the cost of your appointment could be deducted from the cost of your prescription?

 

That way only those that don't need any treatment have to pay for an appointment.

 

hahaha....In a sort of weird way that makes sense. But a visit to the doctor doesn't 'always' result in having a prescription written...lol....But the appointment may still have been necessary

 

---------- Post added 22-08-2014 at 15:11 ----------

 

Many years ago before mobile phones and internet and all that...I had a doctors surgery where you didn't need or have to have an appointment...you just turned up when the surgery opened...first come first served....If you stuck your head through the door and it was bursting to the seams with other and it wasn't particularly urgent you just went away and came another day. Seemed all very simple and logical to me...But it worked, and everyone knew the system!

[razvanalbu 10]

hahaha....In a sort of weird way that makes sense. But a visit to the doctor doesn't 'always' result in having a prescription written...lol....But the appointment may still have been necessary

 

---------- Post added 22-08-2014 at 15:11 ----------

 

Many years ago before mobile phones and internet and all that...I had a doctors surgery where you didn't need or have to have an appointment...you just turned up when the surgery opened...first come first served....If you stuck your head through the door and it was bursting to the seams with other and it wasn't particularly urgent you just went away and came another day. Seemed all very simple and logical to me...But it worked, and everyone knew the system!

There is a lot more people in this country compare to the old days, havnt you notice?

[Resident 1,185]

Maybe the cost of your appointment could be deducted from the cost of your prescription?

 

That way only those that don't need any treatment have to pay for an appointment.

 

But what happens when you need further examination/tests to be done at a later date? At that point you're not getting a prescription.

 

What needs to be done is the fining of those that make appointments and then fail to turn up!

 

My local surgery, in June, lost something like 40-odd hours in missed appointments. call it 5mins per appt and at just 40hrs that 480 appointment slots that could have been used by a genuinely ill person.

[Mr Bloke 1,445]

hahaha....In a sort of weird way that makes sense. But a visit to the doctor doesn't 'always' result in having a prescription written...lol....But the appointment may still have been necessary

Good point!

 

OK... I admit that I may need a bit longer than a Friday afternoon coffee break to solve the problems of the NHS...

[Mister M 1,608]

There is a lot more people in this country compare to the old days, havnt you notice?

 

Yes thanks to our NHS, and advances in medicine people don't die at a terribly young age, or from terrible diseases like rickets. Clearly very good news!

[PeteMorris 10]

There is a lot more people in this country compare to the old days, havnt you notice?

 

Oh....thank you for pointing that out for me...I didn't realise.

 

Doctors surgeries are also much bigger with more staff and doctors these days too...The surgery I talked about earlier had one nurse, one receptionist and one doctor....that was it...and no it wasn't a very small patient list....it was huge...from reception you could see the racks and racks and racks of patient records....there were thousands of them!

[Anna B 1,401]

Seems to be getting worse nowadays, I've remembered in the past when I've been seeing a GP the receptionist tapping on the door to ask a doctor a quick question as I've just walked in after being called through.

 

I'm on some medication for a fungal nail infection and 2 months into it, and it is working. However the medication has started giving me bad headaches so I phoned my Surgery on Monday to ask the receptionist if she could ask a GP if there is an alternative medication that can be prescribed as due to the headaches I've stopped taking it, she said I'll put it on the system and if you'd like to give us a call tomorrow after 12.

Called next day to be told no reply as yet so call tomorrow, called the next day to be told no reply as yet so call tomorrow, I then get a voicemail message at 12 lunchtime Thursday saying could I call the surgery regarding the medication I'm on, I ring the surgery an automated recording tells me the surgery is closed I keep trying throughout the day getting same message. I then get a call today from reception to be told the Dr says stop taking the medication and he will see you for a review we haven't any appointments available for 2 weeks but we have a cancellation for Wednesday 27 Aug.

 

Don't use GPs that much but what a ridiculous service, they are 10 foot away from a GP I'm sure she could have asked on the Monday when I originally called and they are still taking in new patients, makes you wonder should we all book routine appointments one a month just incase. Lol

 

I agree that the GP service seems to be having all sorts of problems. Often too much change over a relatively short period is enough to upset things and governments do love to meddle.

 

As for medication, have you tried having a word with your pharmacist?

[Plain Talker 11]

No, most people who work have disposable income and choose what to spend it on. You can either buy junk food, drink and smoke or you can eat healthily and put a bit of cash aside in case you fall ill or maybe take out health insurance.

 

If you don't have enough personal income there are many things you can do. You could work more hours, take on a second job, get qualifications to get a better job. Or if you're spending too much you could downsize to a smaller house, get rid of your car, cut down on luxuries like having the latest mobile phone or designer label clothes.

 

So yes, for all but a few, being poor is a choice.

 

 

 

Go into your local GP surgery and you'll find plenty of people who don't need to be there. Overprotective mothers who think that just because their baby's sneezed they need an urgent appointment. Pensioners who just want somewhere to go and someone to chat to. Hypochondriacs, pregnant teenagers, the list is endless. If they had to pay £5 a time I think you'd find it a lot easier to get an appointment if you genuine need one.

One, how do you know when something is trivial or not without checking it out with the doctor?

My friends daughter died aged 15 months. She started with "a cold" in the Thursday morning. By night she was dead of meningitis. Over-anxious or not, you can't play fast and loose with a baby as thinks like Bactrian meningitis can overwhelm their little bodies within hours.

 

I have diabetes and a bad heart. I can't take chances of something trivial developing into something more serious, a simple cut on the foot, for someone else, could mean gangrene and a amputation for someone like me.

 

As for the "work more hours" garbage, just how many hours do you think someone can fit into one day? If they work more hours, where exactly do you expect them to fit in fripperies like sleep, food, or even interacting with ones children? And speaking of children, more hours at work, for a parent, I equals more hours needed for childcare. So it's self defeating. Any increase in wage for more hours is eaten up in childcare costs.

[Mister M 1,608]

One, how do you know when something is trivial or not without checking it out with the doctor?

My friends daughter died aged 15 months. She started with "a cold" in the Thursday morning. By night she was dead of meningitis. Over-anxious or not, you can't play fast and loose with a baby as thinks like Bactrian meningitis can overwhelm their little bodies within hours.

 

I have diabetes and a bad heart. I can't take chances of something trivial developing into something more serious, a simple cut on the foot, for someone else, could mean gangrene and a amputation for someone like me.

 

As for the "work more hours" garbage, just how many hours do you think someone can fit into one day? If they work more hours, where exactly do you expect them to fit in fripperies like sleep, food, or even interacting with ones children? And speaking of children, more hours at work, for a parent, I equals more hours needed for childcare. So it's self defeating. Any increase in wage for more hours is eaten up in childcare costs.

 

Rickie can fit 'working hard', and posting on here at the same time!

[mikebatty 10]

Seems to be getting worse nowadays, I've remembered in the past when I've been seeing a GP the receptionist tapping on the door to ask a doctor a quick question as I've just walked in after being called through.

 

I'm on some medication for a fungal nail infection and 2 months into it, and it is working. However the medication has started giving me bad headaches so I phoned my Surgery on Monday to ask the receptionist if she could ask a GP if there is an alternative medication that can be prescribed as due to the headaches I've stopped taking it, she said I'll put it on the system and if you'd like to give us a call tomorrow after 12.

Called next day to be told no reply as yet so call tomorrow, called the next day to be told no reply as yet so call tomorrow, I then get a voicemail message at 12 lunchtime Thursday saying could I call the surgery regarding the medication I'm on, I ring the surgery an automated recording tells me the surgery is closed I keep trying throughout the day getting same message. I then get a call today from reception to be told the Dr says stop taking the medication and he will see you for a review we haven't any appointments available for 2 weeks but we have a cancellation for Wednesday 27 Aug.

 

Don't use GPs that much but what a ridiculous service, they are 10 foot away from a GP I'm sure she could have asked on the Monday when I originally called and they are still taking in new patients, makes you wonder should we all book routine appointments one a month just incase. Lol

 

Many surgeries have a "Floating GP " to see patients who feel the need to see a GP in an emergency.

You need to call the surgery as soon as it opens of a morning and they should have appointments for that morning .

It may not be the GP that you see regularly , or the one who prescribed the medication in the first instance , but they will have the details on the screen and be able to help you .