news & politics:discussion

[kaosmark2]

5 hours ago, Barry Fish said:

It was a 20 min conversation where I wanted to work out why I wasn't able to get access for my kids to see the GP - I had complained and they agreed to meet with me.  Wasn't a simple question answer situation.  The receptionists get the brunt of the pain from angry patients and to be frank are fed up with the doctors themselves.  They explain there was only ever two doctors on site and due to the nature of almost all children illnesses online isn't appropriate so we are all being funnelled into these two doctors who also balancing their time trying to see elderly patients as well who for obvious reasons often struggle with online due to the tech or have conditions which often require face to face. 

So I asked about the other 13 doctors at the surgery and she said discounting day to day stuff like annual leave and sickness they are basically all working remotely doing remote online appointments.  I asked them what was the sort of percentage of those online appointments can't be settled online and require referral back into a face to face appointment and she said upwards of 60%.  She said its a joke but the doctors won't come in.  Simple as that.  And they can't be made to come in.  

GPs are a shit show.

Do you think GP receptionists whose exact job it is to deflect people from GP appointments while having no motivation to avoid the blame themselves are going to give an unbiased view of GPs?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, steviewevie said:

Sorted.

 

I’m sure the Tories are quickly trying to work out how they and their mates at Shell can get even richer off this. 

[kaosmark2]

8 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

Obviously I didn't have a meeting with a receptionist after making a complaint.  My meeting was with the practice manager.  The opinion of the receptionist is just extra.  I had no reason not to believe what either said.  Specially considering this was a meeting due to a complaint.  Why are you seeking to make light of this ?

I mean, I agreed with you that GPs in general are those who have the best pay to conditions situ in the NHS, but I don't think you can really say that you had the flexibility and time to go full Karen, ergo the answer you got is meaningful.

[kaosmark2]

5 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

Not sure what you mean - I don't understand your reply

How many people do you think have the luxury of enough time to repeatedly complain that they get a 20 minute conversation with the manager?

[SheffJeff]

Purely anecdotal but my 4 year olds needed to see the GP 3 times in the last 4 weeks and she's been in and out within 3 hours of calling each time...  I know that's not necessarily the norm and we're no doubt lucky but it's a bit unfair to solely look at the surgeries which are struggling and discount the ones who aren't.  I did have to go to 25 pharmacies on Saturday morning though to find somewhere who had the right prescription so this no drug shortage is a load of bullshit.

[SheffJeff]

38 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

No one is discounting some people are getting good service.  Not all GPs are absent like they are at my surgery and at countless surgeries around the country.  Too many are though. 

 

I do get that and I would be equally fucked off with it all if I'd had your experience... I've just been so relieved with the service we've received in the last month I needed to express a positive opinion even if it's not the norm. I think actually one of the only things you and Stevie have in common is the fact you're both good dads and the one thing you could agree on is that not being able to get your child in to see a doctor when necessary is really fucked up... regardless of any political agenda.

Edited December 13, 2022 by SheffJeff
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[Neil]

9 hours ago, steviewevie said:

Sorted.

 

don't get too excited, fusion has been the future for 30 + years.

Edited December 13, 2022 by Neil

[Neil]

7 hours ago, Barry Fish said:

No one is discounting some people are getting good service.  Not all GPs are absent like they are at my surgery and at countless surgeries around the country.  Too many are though. 

i get decent phone service from my gp, but i leave it to the wife to sort out them calling me, cos  theres no easy way to get service.

i'm also disgusted that i've nor seen my gp after serious life-changing illness, they arranged a one year review but i didn't even get to see my gp then.

[steviewevie]

Well...haven't had to our doctors much recently, but I did one time and found it really hard just to contact them...no one answered phone, and answerphone thing would suggest trying the website...which I did and then you have a list of problems that if you click on would direct you to somewhere else. I eventually did get an online appointment which was ok, but it isn't the same. It was pretty bloody shit.

From what I've heard some have moved to a more online thing to cope with the increasing numbers of patients and bring waiting times down. Obviously this was normalised during covid. It is obviously very frustrating for a lot of patients, and I thought something was being done about it, but obviously not enough. We need more GPs. Need more everything it seems. 

[Guest]

I wonder if this will cause any outrage at all.

[steviewevie]

3 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

I wonder if this will cause any outrage at all.

Things can only get worse. Going to be a rough year or two (or three or four etc)

[Neil]

22 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Well...haven't had to our doctors much recently, but I did one time and found it really hard just to contact them...no one answered phone, and answerphone thing would suggest trying the website...which I did and then you have a list of problems that if you click on would direct you to somewhere else. I eventually did get an online appointment which was ok, but it isn't the same. It was pretty bloody shit.

i hate using it but have found that my doc's response via the website, is fast and very good.

[steviewevie]

8 minutes ago, Neil said:

i hate using it but have found that my doc's response via the website, is fast and very good.

yeah...tbf once I had worked it out it was better, but was a bit confusing and I'm extremely intelligent.

[Guest]

46 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Things can only get worse. Going to be a rough year or two (or three or four etc)

No no, things are great with the Tories in charge.

[steviewevie]

polls have definitely been narrowing last few weeks...

[lost]

One good piece of news in the employment data. The over 50's who either were convinced covid was a death sentence over 60 and so didn't need to work any longer or had "long covid" appear to be returning to the workforce.

[Guest]

Good to see Mick Lynch getting grief in the media, how dare he hold our country to ransom. It’s so selfish. 

[steviewevie]

12 minutes ago, lost said:

One good piece of news in the employment data. The over 50's who either were convinced covid was a death sentence over 60 and so didn't need to work any longer or had "long covid" appear to be returning to the workforce.

or just quite liked the idea of not working...but everything suddenly got so bloody expensive...

[steviewevie]

So far govt strategy of blaming unions for everything that is shit is not working...has worked well for them in the past, not so much now. Maybe that will change, who knows. 

[Guest]

It’s a joke isn’t it? Why should these people expect pay rises when everything else is shit? They should just accept what they have and stop moaning. Let the government get on with fixing the country. 

Edited December 13, 2022 by Ozanne

[Guest]

People should just accept being poorer.

[Guest]

The government have done their best but these people are just being too selfish, it’s time to get the army involved and show them who’s boss. 

[fraybentos1]

47 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

The government have done their best but these people are just being too selfish, it’s time to get the army involved and show them who’s boss. 

Posts like these are making the thread unreadable. Why are you doing every single post in a sarcastic tone? Say what you want to say or preferably just shut up

[hodgey123]

48 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

The government have done their best but these people are just being too selfish, it’s time to get the army involved and show them who’s boss. 

Why have you posted the same sarcastic messages 3 times in the space of about 20 minutes? We get it, you think the Tories get an easy ride in the media and get away with a lot. 95% of people here agree with you, so I don't really understand the need to keep up with the sarcastic posts when no one is claiming any different?

[Neil]

Have been wondering how the NHS is going to cope with the nurses on strike and then I thought it probably won't be much different to any other day in our broken health service. 

Support it as you have no idea when you'll need it