Doctor First - Or should it be patient last?

Katiehound

Unfortunately OP's experience is very like my experiences. I live in a pleasant E.midlands market town, property prices much lower than the south.

The population here is growing, houses built in every nook & cranny in town and on the fringes on what were greenfield sites. However 3 practices have shrunk to 2. Nowthe one I attend has far more patients, the surgery building itself now cramped. Ring at 8am or forget it!

I had both knees replaced 3 years ago and I still haven't actually seen a GP (spoke to 2 on the phone!) Otherwise you are offered an appointment with a nurse practioner or nurse. I don't even recognise half the names on the brass plate outside!!

As an aside I have seen the surgeon very many more times than any one else

Undervalued

brook2jack wrote: »

Undervalued, gps and dentists are paid in very different ways.

Dentists are paid nothing at all except when a patient undergo treatment, so every no show means there is nothing to pay the expenses of the practice . Moreover no shows means any problems will be worse and emergency appointments are more likely to be needed throwing time keeping into chaos.

GPS have some practice expenses paid and are paid a set amount , each year, to look after patients , so don't direct lose out financially if a patient doesn't turn up, however it may mean they don't meet their targets and 10 minutes per appointment doesn't give a lot of time to catch up.

I understand it is different for dentists, both in terms of how they get paid plus having an empty surgery with at least the dentist and nurse standing idle. I would assume too that generally dentists have less letter writing and referrals to deal with than a GP to fill idle moments?

Even if I had the first GP appointment in the morning it would be rare for it not to be 10 mins late. By mid morning it would not be uncommon to wait an hour or more. So I dread to think what it would be like if every patient turned up. Obviously the system shouldn't have to rely on that in order to just about get by but that is easy to say and far harder to solve.

littlerock

Just read this thread with interest, in relation to a more recent similar one I have posted. Although I have an ongoing condition it only flares up from time to time. Otherwise I can go a long time seeing GP at most once a year if that. I too am wondering under the circumstances, to try an appointment at a private GP.