Forum Topic

The caring profession?

More and more it would appear that Doctors are doing everything in their power NOT to see patients face to face, has anyone else come to the same conclusion?For instance, the Doctor will give a telephone consultation and diagnosis without bothering to meet the patient face to face. An elderly neighbour was even prescribed antibiotics over the telephone I believe!Nowthere is a new scheme where when a patient rings the surgery hoping to see the Doctor they are asked to visit the surgery and collect a Patient Passport. This may then be taken to any of the local participating Pharmacies where presumably a diagnosis and relevant treatment can be prescribed.However, if your actual ailment is NOT on this list then the patient would then have to buy medicine over the counter, still without examination and diagnosis by a GP, hoping it would solve the problem! The alternative would be to hang on for a few more days before ringing the surgery again begging for an appointment with the Doctor!I have also realised that the patient has to contact the Doctor for results of tests, follow up appointments, recommendations by specialists as to what treatment is required. If the patient does not keep ahead of the game then there is the possibility that relevant treatment will be delayed.Years ago a Doctor would even go as far as to visit a patient at home so we seem to have come a long way from those days.The GP's are highly paid individuals, some no longer even attend their own clinic on a daily basis leaving it even more problematic to see patients face to face. The caring profession....I wonder!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5327d21 Comments

They are paid so well, that unless they are greedy some can afford to work part time.Which in turn means that you may end up seeing more doctors who know less about you.No government so far I believe has dared take on the medical profession and insisted that they work longer hours in the NHS rather than privately.

George Knox ● 5327d

The majority of GPs now are women and many of them work part time not because they're doing private work but because they're working mothers.I've got no problem with a phone consultation if it saves me a walk to the surgery. If it's a recurring problem, then that may be all you need.

Susan Kelly ● 5326d

You have to chase up on results.  Hospitals often don't seem to be able to communicate with the GP and you have to chase them up. Seriously I think it is a way of reducing lists. Don't ever think that it is a case of no news = good news, however tempting it might be.

Philippa Bond ● 5326d

Then there is the case of a heart patient who has a 6 monthly appointment at a hospital, obvious ongoing problems, but who is told that they will be 'discharged' for the simple reason that there are 'newcomers' who need to be seen!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5326d

My GP practice keeps phoning me to make an appointment, for a check-up. Concern after a chest infection or care for the doddery.  Anyway had a full MOT last week at A+E Charing cross.  Mild pneumonia.

Nicola Howard ● 5326d

Susan has a point I believe at my GP's practice all the men are full time and a lot of the women part time probably because they are mothers.  I do not mind part time at all as often means they are more fresh,  as it were,  at work than someone who is there all week.My father was a GP and I remember him routinely going out in the middle of the night to see patients,  Saturday morning surgery,  visiting patients at home (obviously only when required but sure more than these days) and he was known in the community as the family doctor. I do think things have changed dramatically.  However having said that I have usually been happy with Crown Street Surgery.  Although agree with earlier poster the obligation seem to be on the patient to chase results and in my case recently notice the hopsital had faile dto carry out all the GP's requested blood tests which is ridiculous.

Jen Morty ● 5326d

The GP in question is a man actually.

Jean F Fernandez ● 5326d

I left Crown St. because they would not treat pneumonia and pleurisy. Because the infection was allowed to run riot, it entailed many weeks of hospital treatment, anti-biotics, scans and X-rays.  Naz did not like the complaint that I made to the PCT (who believed me) Needless to say, if I was treated  at onset, I would not have been left with lung damage.

Nicola Howard ● 5326d

If you are going to have so many different people involved then you must have good communication and administrative systems in place. I'm not adverse to part-time.  If we have an idea of how the system works then we should be able to understand it better, use it better and be less stressed - and have a lower blood pressure when we do go!It would really also help if the doctors in hospital better knew how their hospital works too.  They work there and the rest of us would probably prefer to only visit and for as short a time as necessary and possible!It would be good to know what to expect eg How long should I wait for a first appointment, follow-up appointment etc and to be told that you should follow-up and chase results, provide a stamped addressed envelope or whatever.Some hospitals are using automated telephone systems for reminder messages now or booking transport etc - only my elderly relations cannot hear the messages properly so cannot follow the instructions. This causes a lot of stress for us all.  The hospital sets appointments up too early for the hospital transport etc causing so much trouble. Making the arrangements and visiting hospital are two major operations in themselves - and that is before any treatment!

Philippa Bond ● 5326d

This website - despite its name - is very useful for an overview:http://www.ageuk.org.uk/health-wellbeing/doctors-hospitals/

Philippa Bond ● 5326d

My GPs do contact me if there's anything amiss in my annual blood test. If I don't hear from them, then I know it's all okay. I was a patient at the health centre in Church Street for years, though, and that was awful: I wouldn't have trusted them to get anything right.

Susan Kelly ● 5326d

I'm happy with Crown Street - especially now their receptionists are much more helpful - and I find the appointments - or non-appointments system reqally works for me.I was recently in a team of volunteers helping them with their patient survey - hundreds of people. And the response was overwhelmingly positive.

Sara Nathan ● 5326d

Susan perhaps then you can understand the frustration with certain surgeries!Crown Street surgery does seem to have a much better reputation than some others I could mention.

Jean F Fernandez ● 5326d

I went to Crown Street once to see the physio and it seemed much nicer than Church St. The problem there was that it was hard to tell who were the more demoralised -- the staff or the patients.

Susan Kelly ● 5326d

Sara,  how did they select which patients to survey?

Jen Morty ● 5326d

You are lucky if you are phoned with results.  That probably used to happen for all of us, just as being sent a letter for a flu injection did too.I don't mind them saving money by not doing this but what I do mind is not being told of a change in policy.  This is something that should not only be done but done so as people cannot drop through the net.  People who work in surgeries and hospitals may well read the notices there but not people who don't!It would be interesting to see in a survey the difference in the different number of times people visit from not at all in lifetime to a large number.

Philippa Bond ● 5323d

They tried to get everyone to do it - you were handed the paper with every contact for months it seemed. I think it was on the website too. Obviously those using the surgery most often, were more likely to respond...you would have thought those with a beef likewise but there were very few of those.And of course there are peak usages - mothers of babies/young children and the elderly were the two peaks I noticed. Which could, I suppose lead to some innovativbe services such as commuter clinics, being undervalued as those users - or potential users - might be the least likely to be aware or be regular.I think every practice is supposed to do this regularly.

Sara Nathan ● 5323d

The NHS has become an out of control monster which is why it's not working as it should.We need to cut down the staffing levels and the services it offers - it should be for necessary treatment only, not IVF and cosmetic surgery.Scrap it and start again (easier said than done I know!).

Sarah Harris ● 5323d

I finally managed to see a Doctor today but left feeling one had to go through hoops to get an appointment!A friend in Scotland said she will not be able to see her GP until 6 March so I guess the service at our clinic is better!When the new service (which I believe is to replace the NHS Helpline) rolls out next year what will be the outcome?I read that that phones will NOT be manned by trained Nurses or Doctors!  How on earth will they be able to diagnose medical conditions?Very worrying!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5322d

Too many uncoordinated bits.I always found it difficult when I was asked whether it was urgent or not.To lift up the phone to make an appointment had always meant that it was something that needed attention now - not next week or the week after.  Maybe there are others who go for the social occasion!I worry about those without access to the internet - who can't look something up or won't discuss something.  The elderly who for years have had a caring service won't understand - don't understand - that they are now expected to fight for attention along with everyone else.  People are being discharged out of hospital without the qualified and knowledgeable back-up necessary for a quick and easy recovery - without proper liaison with the GP or Community Nursing service - or family.Learn to use a mobile phone and text everyone!  Make sure that you've been for eye tests and hearing tests when you need to so that everybody can communicate well.  It makes visiting the doctor or hospital much more successful if you understand what is being said and can read the literature. Don't keep on putting off doing something about it - there will always be some excuse so don't let there be.  Seeing and hearing well improves your memory!You can get a free hearing test here:http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/

Philippa Bond ● 5322d

Handing a paper out with every contact for a few months and having it on the website is NOT trying to get everyone to do it. How many people seriously go onto the website on off chamce there may be a survey?I guess they just wanted a sample to survey,  anyhow I have been in the last few months and was handed zilch!

Jen Morty ● 5321d