[Misc] GP wait times

[stewart12]

Probably doing private work. A surgeon I had through BUPA was 3 days NHS, 2 days private

yes, I imagine most GPs do work full time hours, just not necessarily at one surgery

 

[stewart12]

Reading through these it seems it is not political but down to the efficiency of the individual surgeries.

From my experience, none of the GP surgery's in B&H are coping particularly well at the moment, and their ability to cope varies. Not just on efficiency but also the demographics of the area that they serve gives different pressures on different surgeries

Even the "well performing" ones wouldn't be performing as well as they would have been pre-2010 so I would say it is at least PARTLY political as they have all been put under an extreme amount of pressure since then due to various factors. The ability for surgeries to cope will vary

 

[Wardy's twin]

Reading through these it seems it is not political but down to the efficiency of the individual surgeries.

Individual policy and processes certainly differ and have an impact on the level of service given but the wider issue is political , its not just funding its about the whole structure and leadership. Its missing and its not helped by a Tory government who see medical health as a potential cash cow.

GPs passing patients over to an already overworked A&E isn't doing A&E any favours. The system needs completely rebalancing, we have the technology to do wonderful things but often don't have specialist workers e.g. radiologists to use machine we have.

 

[A mex eyecan]

Individual policy and processes certainly differ and have an impact on the level of service given but the wider issue is political , its not just funding its about the whole structure and leadership. Its missing and its not helped by a Tory government who see medical health as a potential cash cow.

GPs passing patients over to an already overworked A&E isn't doing A&E any favours. The system needs completely rebalancing, we have the technology to do wonderful things but often don't have specialist workers e.g. radiologists to use machine we have.

or the technology that actually communicates from one department to another, let alone one surgery/hospital to another within the same authority

 

[Super Steve Earle]

My local GP is absolutely terrible. To get an appointment, you have to call at 8am sharp and even then you are likely to be as far back as 25th in the queue. And you can forget seeing your GP that week unless you're at risk of death.

I've given up. Luckily my local hospital is only 10 mins down the road and has an on call GP. I use that if I have to go at all.

Needless to say, it was all noticeably better before the Tories took charge.

It was specifically better before Tony Blair gifted them more money to work fewer hours, but don't let a fact get in the way of the NSC left wing narrative.

 

[Simster]

It was specifically better before Tony Blair gifted them more money to work fewer hours, but don't let a fact get in the way of the NSC left wing narrative.

I'll just leave this here:

Chart of the week: How has the waiting list changed over the years?

Each week we present analysis of data in chart form to illustrate some key issues and invite discussion. The waiting list in England recently topped six million people, which is the largest figure since the NHS was established in 1948. John Appleby looks back over the years to explore the...

www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk

 

[Wardy's twin]

or the technology that actually communicates from one department to another, let alone one surgery/hospital to another within the same authority

that I see as part of the organisation..... i am aware at one point Royal Sussex had two radiologists available but 3 machines because they had an acute shortage of them. They don't just operate the machine , they write a report based on their observations of the image and that's what doctors need to determine treatment.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

It was specifically better before Tony Blair gifted them more money to work fewer hours, but don't let a fact get in the way of the NSC left wing narrative.

Also what was hidden from view was GP's used to be paid from the NHS budget centrally. Labour made a huge thing about giving trusts a huge increase in funds but made them start to pay all the local GP surgeries. I used to know the local trust CEO, she resigned over the change, unfortunately she died soon after. Her family blame the pressure of the changes on her Ill health.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

Refereed to infectious diseases August (Lyme disease)
15 Sep - message I need a blood test to reconfirm Lyme disease (positive last September, result in a week), next one available is...
24 Oct - blood test ("book doctor appointment two weeks after")
6 Nov - follow up appointment with GP, oh, hang on result is "pending" GP says chase me up to chase them up in two weeks
21 Nov - chased GP
23 Nov - result is "pending". Oh not lost then? No definitely not lost, pending.
Meanwhile symptoms I went to docs for of chronic fatigue and intermittent acute arthritis in all joints is getting worse.
Very depressing

 

[banjo]

Must be Very lucky, never had a problem.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

In the interests of balance, my surgery is fantastic. I can book an appointment via the NHS app, to see a doctor, usually the next day, but never more than three days later. If they do not have an appointment free, no bother - they have a one hour walk-in session, three days a week, where you will see a doctor (but might need to wait an hour or so).

The only time you'll have a significant wait, is if you are absolutely insistent on seeing a specific doctor, rather than whoever is available.

Its a semi-rural location, with a staunchly blue-rinse clientele, of a certain age, so while there is a long wait if you insist of seeing nice (posh, white, male) Dr Roberts, rather than Dr Da Souza - that's entirely your fault.

If heaven forbid, you are happy to be seen by Dr Atabi, there's nearly always a space next day!

 

[jcdenton08]

To those who have good experiences - fantastic and I’m very envious of you! Doesn’t change the realities where I am though, you know? It does go to show though how different one surgery to another can be. And here in Seaford we aren’t overwhelmed with choice. It’s hard enough to even get a GP let alone shop around (I am told)

 

[GT49er]

Up to six weeks for a routine appointment here - and then it often turns out to be with a nurse practitioner, not a GP. It's been like this since way before Brexit, but they've started to make some improvements lately - if there's a phone queue, you can press an option to have a call back and keep your place in the queue - so you get phoned back when it's your place in the queue instead of hanging on the phone for 3/4 of an hour or more.
Going all electronic on prescriptions (strictly no paper option) has been a walking disaster - and that's practice policy, not imposed on them from above in any way.

 

[Boroseagull]

Gosh some horror stories in this thread. So fortunate to live in Spain (Andalucia). Appointment via the App, usually next day but if it's urgent the health centre is open 24/7 and you just go down and see a para medic (as I did last week with Bronchitis). Meds prescribed and told to return to own doctor in 7 days. Did that yesterday, seen 10 mins before due time, chest checked but he wanted x-rays to be sure. So downstairs to x-ray dept. (all in house), 3 minute wait, called in, x-rays taken, told to return upstairs to doctor, 5 minute wait and he called me in again. Checked x-rays on computer, told all clear and to return without hesitation if any further problems.

 

[BLOCK F]

that's a factor, i've had night and day difference between city GP and pronvincial town. also the loss of drop in centres, so one less alternative to GP.

fun fact though, GP numbers are going up, quite a lot. why do so many have so many problems getting appointments? personally i think the system is fundementally flawed, as gatekeepers to NHS GP's get bogged down in trivia and referals that could be dealt with in better ways.

To a certain extent, the trouble is that many GPs work part time, so whilst numbers are going up, the hours worked don’t necessarily follow on. At our surgery, which is pretty well run, I think that only one GP can be considered to work full-time, and at the last count, there were about eight doctors working there. Invariably, you get offered an appointment with a nurse or nurse practitioner rather than a GP, which may or may not suffice. I know of quite a few people who have had to, metaphorically, jump up and down and insist on seeing a doctor. As for seeing the same doc, well good luck with that. Not so important if you are going for a fairly straightforward problem, but for those unfortunate enough to have a mental health problem, continuity of care is crucial.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Another angle I've not seen mentioned yet:
a) population increase = more people seeking GP appointments
b) ageing population = older people [usually] require disproportionately high number of GP appointments

 

[cheshunt seagull]

I have Myeloma blood cancer and am immuno-compromised so minor infections can become serious quite quickly. I usually manage to get an appointment but have to be really assertive and dramatic about the risks which I hate doing. The alternative would be a wait in A&E but a 5-minute consultation resulting in a prescription is a much better use of everyone's time and resources. If we are on the subject of GP performance; when I first got what turned out to be symptoms of Myeloma it took them 5 months to refer me to a consultant in which time the cancer caused 4 vertebral fractures and a fractures sternum.

 

[jcdenton08]

Another angle I've not seen mentioned yet:
a) population increase = more people seeking GP appointments
b) ageing population = older people [usually] require disproportionately high number of GP appointments

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Perhaps plays a part, in some cases, but don’t see how as in my OP the turnaround for an appointment, blood test, then consultation about results can go from 4-5 days to 9 weeks, in the space of a few decades. That is well outside of population growth figures as a percentage increase.

 

[Weststander]

It was specifically better before Tony Blair gifted them more money to work fewer hours, but don't let a fact get in the way of the NSC left wing narrative.

That actually happened. Confirmed to me by GP’s on a ski trip around that time.

It was a Risdale moment. Blair said we’ll give a significant pay rise to an average of £100k, end weekend work and home visits in the evenings, that’s our one offer.

The GP’s union accepted it in a flash.

 

[A mex eyecan]

That actually happened. Confirmed to me by GP’s on a ski trip around that time.

It was a Risdale moment. Blair said we’ll give a significant pay rise to an average of £100k, end weekend work and home visits in the evenings, that’s our one offer.

The GP’s union accepted it in a flash.

wonder why