Re: Accessing a GP

Gosh, reading some of these replies l realise how fortunate l am.
If l need to see a doctor, l ring the GP surgery early from 8am onwards. Ok l’m in a huge queue but l put the phone down (on loud speaker so l can still hear it) and do something else whilst l am waiting.

When the receptionist answers she will ask me what’s wrong and put me on the list for a doctor to ring me. The doctor will ring me within an hour or so and decide if l should go to the surgery. If so, l get an appointment always on that morning.

When l rang three weeks ago as l’ve had a chest infection (the first since 2014) I was given an appointment with a doctor immediately.
Last week, l felt the antibiotics were making me worse, so in the afternoon, l rang the surgery and l was seen within two hours and prescribed more antibiotics that seem to be shifting it now.

I think their service is great and can’t believe how bad it is in other area.

Re: Accessing a GP

The country was South Africa, and yes l did pay, which almost
certainly explains why the service was so good?
But it doesnt realy explain why the public and private systems
are so different! Idealy the private system should piggy back on
the public system, using the same facilities but only allotting an
appropiate number of beds to private?
All doctors etc should be on the state payroll to prevent the two
seperate systems from developing again! Private patients should
still get preference but only within the parameters of the single
health service system!
The money from the private patients should be ploughed back into
the system and doctors pay to be determined by length of service
and qualifications and be greater than administratos pay?
I know this wont be popular among the existing private medical
fraternity that are presently creaming it off from the wealthy but
to the detriment of the NHS?
Just my views on what l have observed in two different countries!
Sorry for going on a bit!
Donkeyman!

Re: Accessing a GP

There has been a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses here. What with record numbers retiring and not enough being trained. We once had some neighbours who were both specialist radiologists and left in their forties because they'd had enough. Apparently it's a stressful job. It's people like this who are needed to write MRI reports. Having a scan done is one thing but it needs to be interpreted. However, the new developments in AI should in the longer run get rid of delays :

https://www.digitalhealth.net/2020/0...oke-diagnosis/


https://www.healthimaging.com/topics...e-brain-bleeds

Re: Accessing a GP

Most GPs aren't on a state payroll. Historically they have always been private businesses. It's funny therefore when you read about privatisation of the NHS.

Re: Accessing a GP

That is exactly how it worked at the hospital in Bradford where I trained and first worked after qualification. There was a private wing at one end of the hospital: the Duke of York's Home.
(I wonder whether they've changed the name now? )
I assume that profits from the private patients were ploughed back into the hospital.

Re: Accessing a GP

Hi

I ended up in hospital last night.

One of many whose condition had deteriorated due to lack of access to a GP.

A two hour wait in the Ambulance outside, then a four hour wait on a trolley in a corridor before an assessment and then another 3 hours wait in the Corridor for a Doctor.

You can forget Coronavirus, we where packed in like sardines.

I eventually had my heart reset, my BP on my left was 90/60, on my right 171/117.

A complete nightmare.

Lovely Nurses and Doctors, but under so much pressure.

It was so rammed I was stuck outside the entrance to the Ladies loos, constantly being moved.

The NHS is not as good as the Politicians keep on telling us.

We have less hospital beds per head of Population then Italy and 30% less beds per head of Population then Germany.

As regards cutting down on Immigration, I only saw one British Doctor, all the rest and all the Nurses were Immigrants.

Re: Accessing a GP

Our practice has over 15,000 patients on its books and we have to wait at least 3 weeks before we can get an appointment, unless it's an emergency...

Re: Accessing a GP

Sorry to hear you were so unwell Swims....hope you are ok now.

Re: Accessing a GP

I can also see 'a doctor' the same day and that can be a big mistake.
Three years ago I was experiencing strange scary symptoms (that didn't seem to be mentioned on the internet) and I was given an appointment with a registrar, a trainee GP with little knowledge. This resulted in a 6 month wait to see a consultant team which could have had serious consequences because it delayed my access to medication.
My own GP or a more experienced Doctor would no doubt have escalated the consultancy and resulting treatment.

A similar thing happened on another occasion after a Locum doctor failed to notice a mention in test results that I had tested positive for pseudomonas aureus and prescribed an inappropriate antibiotic which was later discovered by my own GP.

All this chopping and changing GPs means there is no continuity and that is not good for the patients.

Re: Accessing a GP

Similar has happened with me. Yes. If I ring the surgery nine times out of ten I can get to see a doctor the same day.
I have been suffering with blinding headaches and giddiness for a very long time. The first doctor I saw said "Migraine, It will pass" The second time about a week after. "Probably an inner infection, Take Paracetamol and if no better come back" he did not even look in my ear.
The third said "Probably a trapped nerve in your neck, I,ll make you an appointment with a physiotherapist"
I was given exercises to do by the physio; but still no better. Now after seeing another doctor I have to wait for an appointment at the hospital which could be months away yet with all this virus problem.
I am convinced that no-one cares much today about the well being of the elderly.