Doctors stopped doing face to face appointments

pickledonionspaceraider

I just rang our GP to book an appointment for an ongoing worsening medical issue - and was told they are have stopped doing face to face appointments...so not sure what to do to get some help - has anyone else had problems getting a GP appointment?

Undervalued

My GP has for the last couple of years run a system they call "Doctor First". Basically you cannot directly book an appointment, you have to convince the receptionist that you may need one, then the doctor has to phone you (can involve waiting around for many hours). If the doctor cannot deal with it over the phone and feels a face to face appointment is needed then he will make one "usually" the same day.

Alternatively a couple of the private hospitals around here offer 30min GP appointments for £100.

pickledonionspaceraider

Oh gosh @Undervalued - 
And that is what your GP is like, normally (before the COVID 19 scare?)  What a faff. 

Undervalued

pickledonionspaceraider said:

Oh gosh @Undervalued - 
And that is what your GP is like, normally (before the COVID 19 scare?)  What a faff. 

Quite!
Sad really because until about five years ago they were excellent. It is quite a large practice (medical centre) but they claim to unable to recruit doctors. In the couple of years before this system was introduced waiting times, which previously were quite reasonable, got longer and longer. I have always been very happy with any of the medical staff I have seen, although the receptionists and admin left a bit to be desired! It may well not be the fault of the practice but it is hard to know. Ultimately GPs are usually a private partnership and not directly NHS run, so who knows what is going on behind the scenes. 

Dymphna60

OP s are you saying that you phoned your surgery for an appointment and was told no we don’t do appointments any more - bye ? 

What were you told to do to get medical advice ? There must be some arrangement. 

The method of working that undervalued has described is increasingly common. My surgery partially uses it . I agree that it can be an effort when you are feeling ill and in pain to explain your problem and wait for a call back but I do think that if you have a problem that genuinely needs a Drs opinion/ advice it increases your chance of getting seen in a more reasonable time as all the available appointments don’t just get snapped up by the first to get through in the morning but might be going for unnecessary reasons . I remember sitting in the waiting room once over hearing a conversation with someone saying she was on her third appointment that week and her cold was definitely better but she just likes to be checked every few days and get a few opinions ! 

rach_k

OP - ring back and book a telephone appointment.  If you need to be seen face-to-face, the doctor will tell you what to do.

Undervalued

Dymphna60 said:

The method of working that undervalued has described is increasingly common. My surgery partially uses it . I agree that it can be an effort when you are feeling ill and in pain to explain your problem and wait for a call back but I do think that if you have a problem that genuinely needs a Drs opinion/ advice it increases your chance of getting seen in a more reasonable time as all the available appointments don’t just get snapped up by the first to get through in the morning but might be going for unnecessary reasons . I remember sitting in the waiting room once over hearing a conversation with someone saying she was on her third appointment that week and her cold was definitely better but she just likes to be checked every few days and get a few opinions ! 

I totally agree.

The biggest criticism I have (which is shared by many other patients) is not knowing when the doctor will call back and maybe not being able to take the call in private.

It is not a problem if you are ill enough to be housebound. However if you are at work or worse, travelling in a work colleagues car and need to discuss something highly personal with the doctor.......... 

The biggest problem with a free at point of use service, is that people will use it when it is not necessary. Balance that with the problem that even a small charge will deter some of those who genuinely needed to be seen.

pickledonionspaceraider

rach_k said:

OP - ring back and book a telephone appointment.  If you need to be seen face-to-face, the doctor will tell you what to do.

I tried that, all telephone appointments were taken for today - this was at 08.05am. So it is a case of ring back in the morning to try again

Undervalued is saying about going to work.  I find I don't know whether to make the journey into work, as if I am lucky enough to get a face to face appointment, I might find myself having to turn the car around and go back...or will I get a telephone appointment that happens during a meeting?

It is hard to know what to do for the best really - and I just wish you could go back to how it was when you could ring up and book an appointment for a time that was convenient as it feels like it is assumed that none of us have other commitments that we are trying to fit everything in 

As a result of this, you end up not bothering with something until it becomes a real issue or you end up in hospital, and don't even consider trying to ask the doctor about two problems. Even though the two problems may well be related, many illness have more than one symptom but you are only allowed to discuss one at a time.

pickledonionspaceraider

Anyway this wasn't meant to be a NHS bashing thread - more of a surprised reaction to Doctors withdrawing face to face appointments - and uncertainty of what to do.

lisyloo

Would you be better off moving to a Gp nearer your work?

pickledonionspaceraider

 @lisyloo -  I am out of their catchment area