GP or Pharmacist?

[Dustydog]

An interesting announcement today.
Our small local,Boots can’t cope now never mind being inundated with new tasks!
In the words of the old song “ There’ll be trouble ahead”?

 

[audiorob]

I also thought yesterday's news had the number of Pharmacies that have CLOSED since covid, and many small enterprises do not have any space usable for consultations. We actually need many more GPs to meet the need - locally a load of extra houses stretching the schools and all services including the health centre- and I suspect that is a common complaint from the patients and the health professionals in other places too!

 

[Challenger]

Fear not. GPs will be getting new 'phone systems, so it will be easier to get through to be told there are no appointments available !

 

[Jcloughie]

I have severe arterial issues and will hopefully get an operation in a few months. But in the hope that it would help, 6 weeks ago I made a self-referral to the physiotherapy department. Not hearing anything I gave them a call today. They were a bit short with me. They told me to go via my doctor. The whole idea of self-referral is to not involve the doctor's time.

To access our doctor we are supposed to use e-referral. I had a text to say it had been updated and could be accessed by the NHS app (no it cannot), or the surgeries web site. The website just wants to do computer diagnosis. In my opinion, it is not fit for purpose.

I called the surgery to be told I had to do it online. I told the lady about the difficulties, and after a while, I followed her instructions. We tried various keywords like legs and hips. Every time it told me to CONSULT A PHARMACIST.

She got as frustrated as me and apologised for what she had said and for the system. She then put together a statement that she will get to the triage team.

So good on her.

The systems at our doctors might work if you can put in words like headache, and sore throat. But with something complex, it lets people down. I can push for myself. But there are many who can not cope with the systems and are being neglected.

The new phone systems will not help. Our GP’s have it already as do most GP’s because they have had to get them to comply with their contracts. They need staff.

John

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Our surgery wants everyone to submit an online form and wait to hear what action, if any, is needed.
I can admire the logic. I contacted re a growth on my shoulder. Appointment sent out for 3 weeks time!
In the meantime it burst negating the need for the appointment.

 

[otherclive]

Our surgery wants everyone to submit an online form and wait to hear what action, if any, is needed.
I can admire the logic. I contacted re a growth on my shoulder. Appointment sent out for 3 weeks time!
In the meantime it burst negating the need for the appointment.

Folliculitis. There Dr Google will look after you 🤣

 

[Hutch]

Maybe our surgery and it's on line system is one of the few that works ,for the last three, yes 3, years it has worked very well,
Described the symptoms to a predetermined list, and admit photos if you can, of say a skin Rash, or lump , etc. And Normally within 24 hrs we have had a return phone call from a doctor.
I think our area is one of the few that seems to work very well.

 

[Dustydog]

Maybe our surgery and it's on line system is one of the few that works ,for the last three, yes 3, years it has worked very well,
Described the symptoms to a predetermined list, and admit photos if you can, of say a skin Rash, or lump , etc. And Normally within 24 hrs we have had a return phone call from a doctor.
I think our area is one of the few that seems to work very well.

Same here Hutch. The few times we have phoned the receptionist triages you. Photos can be taken and sent on a special link. You get a call from a doctor the same day , usually within an hour. Any medication needed is emailed to a Pharmacy, even one away from home if you are on holiday. They will see you same day if necessary or you can wait a few days and see a specific doctor.
Ours is a doctor “owned” practice. Sisters in Birmingham is owned by a company in Manchester where money seems the objective. Her service is shocking.

And now the best. They are talking about non qualified non degree educated persons training on the job! We all played doctors and nurses when we were young but this takes us in a different direction😵‍💫😵‍💫

 

[Buckman]

Our surgery is just over 4 miles away and nearest pharmacy is over 10 miles away. Our surgery being rural also dispenses medications, but sometimes to need to return the next day to collect the medication.

 

[Beehpee]

Hospitals are on their knees and god help if you need emergency help, called 111 as wife really I’ll with struggling to breath, told us an ambulance would come, that took a couple of hours, took her to hospital and in A & E AND 4 hours later in a room with a chair and she was shoved in there for 48 hours, it’s unbelievable, I think within the next few years the nhs will be wound up and it will all be switched to private health care, the sooner all these nhs staff going on strike all the time should be sacked, 48 hours waiting for a bed is the sort of care you’d expect in some 3rd world country

 

[Hutch]

Our village pharmacy is terrible, too small, we have a fairly large "Boot" in a shopping complex but they can't cope, out best hope is the Tesco Pharmacy in the same shopping complex, this new system is going to be a PITA.

 

[Beehpee]

Hi Hutch is it the system the doctors call ANIME

 

[Hutch]

Hi Hutch is it the system the doctors call ANIME

Hi, No it is called "System on line" by Tpp. But they also want to join it to a system called "Airmid" It also logs into my NHS registration so I can follow any appointments I have at the hospital.
So I can see all the notes about my Gall bladder removal and Investigation before it came to that out come.

 

[otherclive]

Hi, No it is called "System on line" by Tpp. But they also want to join it to a system called "Airmid" It also logs into my NHS registration so I can follow any appointments I have at the hospital.
So I can see all the notes about my Gall bladder removal and Investigation before it came to that out come.

Our health Center use both systems but are asking people to install the app Airmid, as it gives more functionality and they want to eventually only run one system. We are very satisfied with our health Center although fortunately we haven’t needed to use it very much since we moved here four years ago. But our family also use it too.

 

[Buckman]

Hospitals are on their knees and god help if you need emergency help, called 111 as wife really I’ll with struggling to breath, told us an ambulance would come, that took a couple of hours, took her to hospital and in A & E AND 4 hours later in a room with a chair and she was shoved in there for 48 hours, it’s unbelievable, I think within the next few years the nhs will be wound up and it will all be switched to private health care, the sooner all these nhs staff going on strike all the time should be sacked, 48 hours waiting for a bed is the sort of care you’d expect in some 3rd world country

My wife went through this 5 times last year. On one occasion we phone 999 for an ambulance to be told an hour. In the meantime a nurse from the local surgery arrived and also phoned and stressed the urgency of an ambulance as wife was dying.

Took another 2 hours before ambulance arrived and then on arrival at hospital OH was left in ambulance for nearly 6 hours before being admitted to A&E. She was then put in the section "Not to resuscitate" without being checked by a doctor. Eventually a doctor saw her about 4 hours later and was surprised she was still alive. Only then did things really move along with the urgency required.

This in totaly contrast to when I was treated for the big C in 2021 when Covid was rampart. I had excellent treatment all round.

 

[Dustydog]

Sorry to hear all these poor service stories. Very stressful for those involved.
Last year , six months apart, I had both knees replaced at a private hospital in Bath at the NHS expense.All above board and agreed with my GP. Only 8 weeks from initial consultation to surgery. The local NHS hospital said they had a two year waiting list!
My concern is the NHS may possibly be winding down as HMG have other ideas??
It is obvious the NHS has some serious management structural issues . But why can no one solve them?
Our local GP surgery runs a very proactive Patient Liaison Scheme which helps deliver a first class service. It is so wrong that the service levels across the whole NHS vary depending where you live

 

[Jcloughie]

My wife went through this 5 times last year. On one occasion we phone 999 for an ambulance to be told an hour. In the meantime a nurse from the local surgery arrived and also phoned and stressed the urgency of an ambulance as wife was dying.

Took another 2 hours before ambulance arrived and then on arrival at hospital OH was left in ambulance for nearly 6 hours before being admitted to A&E. She was then put in the section "Not to resuscitate" without being checked by a doctor. Eventually a doctor saw her about 4 hours later and was surprised she was still alive. Only then did things really move along with the urgency required.

This in totaly contrast to when I was treated for the big C in 2021 when Covid was rampart. I had excellent treatment all round.

It is shocking.

Pre covid I got infections due to a poorly done procedure in A&E. I was seen by a GP in my surgery ewhho thought I had a cold! An hour later, after some insistance, I saw a nurse practitionair who had the balls to countermand this and she had the first responder come to my home at mid day. She thought sepsis. Took some blood and urine. That evening I had two more first responders and their driver with me from about 7pm through to 3am. I had the rigors (which is frightening). They had intrevenious drips hanging off the light fitting.

They had not only called for an ambulance but kept calling and I was ‘red flaged’. They were telling the call handler that they could not leave me, but had other people to go to. At 3am I was taken to A&E. I was put on a ward 12 hours later for 6 days.

There was some incompetence. But mainly my experience was down to many well meaning people being over stretched in the extreme.

If my origional condition had been handled properly, so much of peoples time would have been saved as well as a great deal of suffering.

I support the NHS but it it breaking apart at many levels.

John

 

[Buckman]

Sorry to hear all these poor service stories. Very stressful for those involved.
Last year , six months apart, I had both knees replaced at a private hospital in Bath at the NHS expense.All above board and agreed with my GP. Only 8 weeks from initial consultation to surgery. The local NHS hospital said they had a two year waiting list!
My concern is the NHS may possibly be winding down as HMG have other ideas??
It is obvious the NHS has some serious management structural issues . But why can no one solve them?
Our local GP surgery runs a very proactive Patient Liaison Scheme which helps deliver a first class service. It is so wrong that the service levels across the whole NHS vary depending where you live

IMHO the NHS is now top heavy with people in management probably being paid inflated salaries so they can make up silly rules and regulations as they go along.

For example in a town not far from us they have a perfectly good hospital build within the past few decades so quite a modern hospital. To save costs the trust decided to close most of the hospital and it was only used for some consultations. No over night stays or A&E.

It is almost 20 miles to the main hospital and people were dying on the way to hospital due to long delays etc. The trust have reopened it for some minor surgery etc but it is still not a fully fledged hospital however maybe in the near future? Money seemed to be more important than the lives of people.

 

[Beachball]

Negotiating the system in place with our own surgery can be an experience and test your patience, repeat prescriptions can be a mine field when you require injections which need to be given daily, it is separate to oral medication and more often than not requires a verbal followup to make sure it available, Also every three months I have to have an injection completed at the surgery by a nurse, this can be an interesting experience making the appointment within a three week window only, Understanding how stretched the whole system is, enables you empathise as having spent a number of decades working for the NHS, but if you are a person whose experience has been negligible this could be a scarey prospect......hoping the future is a positive one both for those using the service and the professional working within it.

 

[otherclive]

Same here Hutch. The few times we have phoned the receptionist triages you. Photos can be taken and sent on a special link. You get a call from a doctor the same day , usually within an hour. Any medication needed is emailed to a Pharmacy, even one away from home if you are on holiday. They will see you same day if necessary or you can wait a few days and see a specific doctor.
Ours is a doctor “owned” practice. Sisters in Birmingham is owned by a company in Manchester where money seems the objective. Her service is shocking.

And now the best. They are talking about non qualified non degree educated persons training on the job! We all played doctors and nurses when we were young but this takes us in a different direction😵‍💫😵‍💫

The Government also are planning to draft Speciality and Specialist doctors from hospitals to work in general practice. There are 63000 employed in the NHS. They are being referred to as SAS doctors and in the event of a home visit I wonder if they will abseil from the roof and kick in the bedroom window 😱

 

[Dustydog]

It’s not all doom and gloom.
Three weekly visits to my dentist in Cirencester she said yesterday her professional protocols say she must refer me to Oncology at Gloucester Royal Hospital. Unbelievably following a call yesterday afternoon I was seen today by a Consultant. No worries , just a bit of minor surgery, two stitches and all,sorted . Back for that in two weeks. Now that really is a fantastic NHS performance 👏👏👏👏. And all clear👍👍👍

 

[ProfJohnL]

The Government also are planning to draft Speciality and Specialist doctors from hospitals to work in general practice. There are 63000 employed in the NHS. They are being referred to as SAS doctors and in the event of a home visit I wonder if they will abseil from the roof and kick in the bedroom window 😱

No it will be done by drones.....