When Can We See A Doctor?

[smurfchops]

Now the Covid crisis seems to have died down (forgive the pun), why aren’t we allowed to book an appointment with our doctors yet? It is still ring receptionist, hang on for half an hour, doctor will ring you back and hopefully see you later in the day.

[riptide]

Covid is still with us, I have it at the moment. I think it is very wise that Doctors are still doing a lot of phone call consultations before assessing whether they need to see you. I believe you will find that they will continue this way for the foreseeable future.

[dannyk13]

My GP has three types of appointment for which you can choose :-
Video, phone anf face to face.

[david small]

There will have been thousands of preventable deaths because of the Covid excuse. Things will never be the same again. Some very stupid and selfish actions have been attributed to this mutating virus. Many of them totally erroneous.

[Gizmonster]

It's ironic people saying that Covid is still with us and we have to be careful, etc .... yet I can see my dentist no problem.
Surely the risk to a dentist is far greater than that to a doctor .... drills whirring around in your mouth, splattering saliva all over the place??
Need I say more??

[Atheist]

Doctors used to work on 10 minutes per patient and thus see far more people than dentists. Dentists wear serious PPE and I believe have extra ventilation and cleaning times between patients.

[Maydup]

People don't tend to go to the dentist unnecessarily either, nor can any issues be solved over the phone. I'm happy with the phone system, saves a lot of time on both sides and if the Dr needs to see me or I want to be seen in person, that's discussed on the phone and an appointment is made.

[237SJ]

They have just found a more economical way to work that benefits them and not the patient/customer and they are going to stick with it. They are not the only ones though.

[bednobs]

things wont go back to the way they were.

[237SJ]

^And that's the problem with the public sector - customers can't take their custom elsewhere

[Prudie]

I don't think it will ever go back to how it was either. I don't know about everyone else's GP surgeries but mine before you even get in the call queue you have to listen to over 5 minutes worth of pre-recorded messages that can be summed up with if your query, problem or illness is anything to do with Covid *** off because we don't touch it with a bargepole.

[Sqad]

LOL...this re-organisation of GP should have happened 30 years ago and I agree it will never go bck to the archaeic practises of Dr Finlay and Janet.

[Hazlinny]

Remote control GP appointments just do not work. I was once told by a doctor that quite often he could diagnose what was wrong with a patient by just looking at them! At one time, people regarded their doctor as a friend - now I doubt if a GP would recognise their patients
if they passed them in the street. Before lockdown, a new GP came to the Practice I attend - I never met him but he sounded efficient - he has left the Practice and I wonder why?

[Sqad]

Hazelinny.....you had better get used to remote medicine because it is her to stay.

I was once told by a Consultant Physician that in 80% of cases one could make a diagnosis by just talking to them and that the examination would confirm, but not tell you any more concerning the diagnosis.

With that advice I have practised medicine for over 50 years and it is more true today than it was then.

[cashier]

Our surgery is the same as Prudie's. They don't want to know about anything either.

[237SJ]

They see you very quickly when you pay privately

[jourdain2]

OH sees the nurses regularly for a long-standing wound problem dressing, so I'm at the surgery regularly. It's empty most of the time. Once, not long ago, a nurse was concerned about the condition of the wound and had to go to see if there was a doctor around to have a look at it - there wasn't and, bless her, she had to play it by the seat of her pants regarding the dressing. She was right by the way.
So, in early afternoon in a busy, well appointed surgery (recognised as the best around) there was not a doctor on the premises (there are 5 doctors). Don't tell me they are working their socks off - I won't believe you.
I don't ever bother the doctor these days and when I broke a rib recently I didn't even bother to go into A&E (had one before, know the score).

[cashier]

That should have said they don't want to know about anything else either.

[Hazlinny]

sqad - do you know if the GPs at each surgery decide how they will conduct their patient appointments system or are they told what to do by a higher authority?

[Sqad]

Hazlinny....GP;s are independant contractors in the NHS and although theoretically there is central Governmental control, they run their practises as they see fit....and that includes how appointments are handled.

[Hazlinny]

Sqad - thank you. Am just about to have a heart attack watching Rangers play Leipzig - is there a doctor in the house?