GP's and COVID

[Scrotnig]

Moderator note - posts #1-#5 originally in this thread:

Death rate revised down

Why did the government try to exaggerate the deaths? To frighten people into compliance regarding lockdown.

www.railforums.co.uk

I presume by "closed" you mean "not offering face to face GP appointments?"

Many are still completely closed. Mine is. If you phone them, their number diverts to the regional NHS hub.

 

[DB]

Many are still completely closed. Mine is. If you phone them, their number diverts to the regional NHS hub.

So what are the doctors based there actually doing? Clearly they aren't covering elsewhere in the NHS because that's nowhere near the level where that would be required.

 

[Scrotnig]

So what are the doctors based there actually doing? Clearly they aren't covering elsewhere in the NHS because that's nowhere near the level where that would be required.

That is a very good question that nobody seems able to answer.

As best I can determine, they are being paid a substantial sum of taxpayers' money to do absolutely nothing.

 

[johnnychips]

I’ve been told I can’t change doctor from one in Doncaster to one in Sheffield ‘until it’s all sorted out’.

Apologies, just realised this is totally OT. Perhaps a new thread needs making: Your experiences with doctors during the CV situation.

 

[Bantamzen]

Winter routinely causes 30k excess deaths (average 39k over 5 years, defined as compared with previous/following quarter) so max 20k deaths can be attributed to flu
https://fullfact.org/online/Excess-winter-deaths-UK/

I presume by "closed" you mean "not offering face to face GP appointments?"

By "closed" I mean closed, i.e. not open, no-one there.

 

[scotrail158713]

I would be very interested to know what they’re doing. The stuff that my Mum is able to do just now, as a dentist, means I’m not buying the “it’s unsafe to see people in person” reasoning.

 

[westv]

I would be very interested to know what they’re doing. The stuff that my Mum is able to do just now, as a dentist, means I’m not buying the “it’s unsafe to see people in person” reasoning.

As far as I know our local dentist is still only offering a limited range of treatments.

 

[scotrail158713]

As far as I know our local dentist is still only offering a limited range of treatments.

It’s limited - however they are open, and are seeing patients, whilst doing what they can. Unlike what a lot of doctors surgeries seem to be doing.

 

[westv]

It’s limited - however they are open, and are seeing patients, whilst doing what they can. Unlike what a lot of doctors surgeries seem to be doing.

Ah, ok. I have wondered what "limited" means though. Emergencies and patients with pain?

 

[Crossover]

Ah, ok. I have wondered what "limited" means though. Emergencies and patients with pain?

Whilst we’re going a little off piste, I’ll just add to this that our dentist are doing routine check ups and such like now as well as temporary fillings. The buzzword they keep emailing is AGP’s which, from memory, means Aerosol Generating Procedures, and these they’re not doing currently

 

[scotrail158713]

Whilst we’re going a little off piste, I’ll just add to this that our dentist are doing routine check ups and such like now as well as temporary fillings. The buzzword they keep emailing is AGP’s which, from memory, means Aerosol Generating Procedures, and these they’re not doing currently

AGP’s does ring a bell from any conversations I’ve had. I think the situation in Scotland is these can be done in regional emergency centres, with staff in full PPE, whilst non-AGP procedures can be done in local surgeries.
We are drifting a bit OT though

 

[Adam Williams]

YMMV but my GP surgery has been rather unwilling to do any sort of in-person examination for a number of months now. I eventually was able to get a blood test done on the NHS (outside the practice in the car park, which made a change!), but very limited follow-up - had to fight to even get a phone call about the results...

I guess they're probably under a lot of pressure right now.

Personally I got fed up of it, and went private which got me a 30 minute in-person appt the next day, but I shouldn't have had to. It doesn't make much sense to me that a private provider is happy to do in-person physical examinations with safeguards in place (compulsory face coverings, temperature checks on entry, symptom questionnaire and compulsory hygiene measures) and yet NHS GP surgeries are unwilling to - and I am sure some patient outcomes will have suffered as a result because there really are limits to what you can do via the phone.

 

[talldave]

Ah, ok. I have wondered what "limited" means though. Emergencies and patients with pain?

One appointment a day, at tooth hurty....

 

[Yew]

Whilst we’re going a little off piste, I’ll just add to this that our dentist are doing routine check ups and such like now as well as temporary fillings. The buzzword they keep emailing is AGP’s which, from memory, means Aerosol Generating Procedures, and these they’re not doing currently

Stopping legitimate medical procedures because a low risk, of a disease that for the most part does not have serious effects is barbaric.

 

[Jamiescott1]

My partner went to see the hygienist at the dentist last week. Only a limited service was offered due to covid (was not advised of this beforehand, only told when sat in dentist chair) and price increase of £10 (dentist website still states old price).

Have put in a complaint with practice manager about both issues.

 

[scotrail158713]

Stopping legitimate medical procedures because a low risk, of a disease that for the most part does not have serious effects is barbaric.

They’re not stopping it entirely. Local surgeries refer patients to the regional emergency centre if these procedures need to be carried out. The NHS just don’t want/have the funds to supply all surgeries with the necessary PPE to carry out said procedures, so emergency centres take priority.

 

[Seehof]

“See the hygienist”?! My dentist seems to have given up completely. It looks shut and is shut as there are none of the usual latest model BMWs belonging to the dentists parked there! Yet, they are still taking regular Denplan payments off people with no comment or refund/reduction.
As for GPs - one surgery here in York has its doors locked and another has a trestle table across the doorway. You are not allowed in them and the general view now here locally is that it is best to go down to the hospital’s A and E department where you will be seen.

 

[Richard Scott]

As for GPs - one surgery here in York has its doors locked and another has a trestle table across the doorway. You are not allowed in them and the general view now here locally is that it is best to go down to the hospital’s A and E department where you will be seen.

Even some A&E departments are closed as well. What is going on, it's utterly ridiculous?

 

[duncanp]

As for GPs - one surgery here in York has its doors locked and another has a trestle table across the doorway. You are not allowed in them and the general view now here locally is that it is best to go down to the hospital’s A and E department where you will be seen.

I bet that surgery in York is still taking money from the government, and the GPs and staff are still being paid their salaries, despite providing little or no services to their patients.

This is something the government needs to stamp on firmly and quickly.

All GP surgeries should be compelled to offer face to face appointments, and well as phone and video appointments.

Preferably they should also offer walk in clinics along the lines of the French libre consultation model, whereby there is a walk in clinic where the GP will see you without an appointment, provided you arrive at certain specified times.

However none of this will happen, as the useless Matt Hancock won't say boo to a goose.

 

[thejuggler]

My wife wasn't too good a couple of weeks ago. Went to surgery to see the pharmacist for advice.

Within 5 minutes the doctor was on the phone to her, prescription ready 5 minutes later.

 

[adc82140]

The whole GP system needed an overhaul anyway. Sitting in a crowded waiting room was a sure fire way to pick something up if you hadn't already got it. No ability to make a routine appointment for a few weeks time etc etc

 

[Bletchleyite]

Even some A&E departments are closed as well. What is going on, it's utterly ridiculous?

I think there is a perception issue here as they mostly aren't. I had to go to A&E on Friday evening (complications of an existing condition that I was very concerned about) and the full service was offered - very quickly, too! A lot of people are not going, which is good if they were typical waste-of-time visits (or if alcohol related issues are well down), but bad if they needed it.

 

[30907]

I bet that surgery in York is still taking money from the government, and the GPs and staff are still being paid their salaries, despite providing little or no services to their patients.

This is something the government needs to stamp on firmly and quickly.

All GP surgeries should be compelled to offer face to face appointments, and well as phone and video appointments.

Declarations of interest:
1. my wife has just received a GP follow-up call (punctually!) after an X-ray which will probably lead to a physio referral.
2. a close relative is a GP whose workload has been full-on since early May (once people realised Covid wasn't going away soon), and who reckons that phone consultations can take twice as long as face to face, so would far rather be seeing patients in surgery. And video consultations depend on the technology working...
Work is from a different surgery as the group has had to reorganise. The group has reduced income from the NHS because that's how the system works, and is carrying vacancies.

So (1) it is fortunate that I do not gamble, as you would almost certainly lose your bet
(2) face to face appointments should be when medically necessary, not because the patient prefers it.
(3) a high percentage of GP consultations are with people who are in an at-risk category - another reason for keeping (2) to the minimum.

 

[AdamWW]

Declarations of interest:
1. my wife has just received a GP follow-up call (punctually!) after an X-ray which will probably lead to a physio referral.
2. a close relative is a GP whose workload has been full-on since early May (once people realised Covid wasn't going away soon), and who reckons that phone consultations can take twice as long as face to face, so would far rather be seeing patients in surgery. And video consultations depend on the technology working...
Work is from a different surgery as the group has had to reorganise. The group has reduced income from the NHS because that's how the system works, and is carrying vacancies.

So (1) it is fortunate that I do not gamble, as you would almost certainly lose your bet
(2) face to face appointments should be when medically necessary, not because the patient prefers it.
(3) a high percentage of GP consultations are with people who are in an at-risk category - another reason for keeping (2) to the minimum.

If GP's really are taking their salaries to sit round doing nothing, I'm sure the press would be most interested.

 

[37424]

Certainly my GP's are not sitting around doing nothing, yes appointments have moved to mainly Telephone appointments now, but its now easier to get a Telephone appointment than It was to get face to face appointment, after emailing a photo of my issue the doctor decided I needed to see the Practice Nurse in person that day, also the 2 monthly Blood tests I would normally go to hospital for are being done by my GP practice instead.

 

[Richard Scott]

I think there is a perception issue here as they mostly aren't. I had to go to A&E on Friday evening (complications of an existing condition that I was very concerned about) and the full service was offered - very quickly, too! A lot of people are not going, which is good if they were typical waste-of-time visits (or if alcohol related issues are well down), but bad if they needed it.

Well the one in Cheltenham is and have to go to Gloucester which isn't coping. No surprise when trying to serve a population of about quarter big a million so it's not a perception it's a fact.

 

[Darandio]

I'll repeat here what I said a month ago in another thread.

I'd also read elsewhere that there was a possibility that backlogged cases would take precedent over newer cases but that hasn't been the case where my dad is. Three weeks ago my brother visited with his weekly shopping and noticed his face looked somewhat thinner than the previous week. He called to make an appointment at the local surgery and they had him straight in for blood and other tests. Ten days later he was called into hospital to see the consultant to be told he has prostate cancer which has also spread to his bones and he's now on a monthly injection that they say should hopefully give him 4-5 years.

I appreciate others aren't so fortunate in terms of being seen but I just wanted to chuck this story out there to say it isn't the case everywhere, some trusts do seem to still be getting the job done.

 

[duncanp]

2. a close relative is a GP whose workload has been full-on since early May (once people realised Covid wasn't going away soon), and who reckons that phone consultations can take twice as long as face to face, so would far rather be seeing patients in surgery.

I would imagine that one of the reasons a phone consultation takes twice as long as face to face is that the GP cannot see the patient, and they have to spend longer asking various questions.

In a phone consultation the GP is also unable to perform tests such as a check of blood pressure or pulse, which can help in a diagnostic process.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

So what are the doctors based there actually doing? Clearly they aren't covering elsewhere in the NHS because that's nowhere near the level where that would be required.

They are doing telephone consultations (which take longer) and helping out in hospitals and urgent care centres

 

[AdamWW]

I would imagine that one of the reasons a phone consultation takes twice as long as face to face is that the GP cannot see the patient, and they have to spend longer asking various questions.

In a phone consultation the GP is also unable to perform tests such as a check of blood pressure or pulse, which can help in a diagnostic process.

My GPs surgery now asks to you apply for a consulation on-line - you have to answer various questions on a web site before it will let you actually ask to talk to a GP. I can see this sort of thing staying if it actually does more good than harm.