We have this with our surgery, they use an online booking system which is open from 6am-10am, if it is actually working. You have to try and find the thing that is wrong with you and give a description. You get all that done and it then loses your information so you have to do it all again. Great system if you have Internet access, however if you want to book a medication review they can book that in no trouble(taking up a slot for emergencies?) In the year's from the pandemic I have not seen a GP, only practice nurses and hospital staff. I have walked past the surgery in the morning and the car park has been almost empty. It is quicker for us to drive to Corby Urgent Care centre to see someone if we are ill.
NHS=Negligent Health Service
- Thread starter 1664kronenbourg
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We have this with our surgery, they use an online booking system which is open from 6am-10am, if it is actually working. You have to try and find the thing that is wrong with you and give a description. You get all that done and it then loses your information so you have to do it all again. Great system if you have Internet access, however if you want to book a medication review they can book that in no trouble(taking up a slot for emergencies?) In the year's from the pandemic I have not seen a GP, only practice nurses and hospital staff. I have walked past the surgery in the morning and the car park has been almost empty. It is quicker for us to drive to Corby Urgent Care centre to see someone if we are ill.
Its all so exasperating. If i'm ill, i really think it isnt unreasonable to be able to get an appointment within the week. Over two weeks is just stupid, unless it is a routine appointment/check up etc.
Every time, they just repeat the same **** and say "oh just call at 8am for an emergency appointment", but i know i will attempt that and they will say there is nothing left, as that happens every single time, even if i call 1 second after 8am. the whole thing is broken.
What is the solution?
If GPs have no extra space - poor local planning
If GPs cannot recruit - reduction in number of GPs (NHS England is relying on foreign recruitment)
If GPs have had real world drop in income
Who is to blame for this ? Feels like you are angry at the wrong people.
The "safe" suggested population to GP ratio use to be 1500.
Most practices are running at 2300-2500.
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Who have i said I am angry at/who is to blame?
I know full well what the problem is. It is poor local planning and an inability to fund and expand the GP surgery. The town has had loads of new houses/developments and it is clear that the surgery is not big enough to cater for everyone.
Soldato
Went to my GP yesterday morning (0937 appointment which was weirdly specific) because I've had this niggling cough since Christmas. Not chesty or anything, just irritating. He did the usual. listening with his stethoscope and running my obs and deemed it to be nothing more than a postnasal drip but said he'd arrange for me to have a chest x-ray just to cover bases. Popped home to grab my 'access all areas' ID and trotted up to work for the x-ray. Got there at about 1100, it wasn't that busy but I decided to avoid the outpatients at hub X-ray and so beeped myself into A&E. Was dead, I was scanned and done by 1125. It was only a plain chest, but still.
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There’s got to be some perks to the job! Hope it clears soon.
Man of Honour
I went X-Ray around Dec 22nd and all I got is "You're not really supposed to come here".
Tomorrow at 8am I'll go for Blood Tests and I always get the same "You really shouldn't come here".
Soldato
Which X-ray did you go to? Let me guess, it was hub and it was the receptionist that told you that. When it comes to blood tests, if the GP has sent me with the form I just go grab one of the nurses or Drs I know. Then I can run the bloods up to the speci. reception in the path. lab myself.
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Man of Honour
When I go to get stuff from Pathology I tell people in the lift it's a super secret floor we can't talk about
At one time it just said Floor 2 in the lift and when I pressed the button I'd sometimes get asked what it was.
Soldato
Always makes me laugh when I get funny looks from people as I enter the code into the keypad before hitting the Floor 2 button. More than a few times I've seen them have a crafty look at the info. panel and then look away all confused because Floor 2 isn't listed.When I go to get stuff from Pathology I tell people in the lift it's a super secret floor we can't talk about
At one time it just said Floor 2 in the lift and when I pressed the button I'd sometimes get asked what it was.
Soldato
My GP practice opens their phone line at 8am to see a GP or practice nurse. Never had an issue getting an appt with them as ring them bang on 8am and sometimes I have been the 1st one. They have only last week increased their queues from 25 to 45. Only tell you your exact position in the queue once you are 30 or under. Dad told me about this as last week he needed to see someone about his chesty cough which wasn't going away. Think the pre recorded message between 31-45 is "there are over 30 patients in front of you" then once you are 30 and fewer "you are caller number..."
Before the pandemic. Had to queue outside the surgery for the doors to open at 8am. I used to get down there for 7:30am and was usually less than 4 others in front. iPod on with reading Kindle Paperwhite killed the time.
Before the pandemic. Had to queue outside the surgery for the doors to open at 8am. I used to get down there for 7:30am and was usually less than 4 others in front. iPod on with reading Kindle Paperwhite killed the time.
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Consultants voted extremely narrowly (51%) to reject the governments pay offer. But no further strikes called, they're planning to negotiate it looks like.
Makes sunak et al look rather stupid for going on and on about how they've achieved settlements with every group except JDs.
Makes sunak et al look rather stupid for going on and on about how they've achieved settlements with every group except JDs.
tbf the new contract craps on new consultants with the removal of CEAs that the older consultants had access to
Totally agree. Very much a divide and conquer strategy from HMG to try and get the oldies to push it through Brexit style at the expense of the younger consultants.
Anecdotally though, the younger ones are much more likely/able to just pack up and move abroad.
Ireland starting salaries are 2x the NHS now at 250k euros a year, Australia still comfortably 3-5x.
Caporegime
Yeah it's junk. Was a straight no from me. Problem is the vote was so close the Gov won't give much, esp with no IA planned.
I don't know why such a poor deal was put to a vote, it was designed to split old vs new cons and it did that beautifully.
Looking for a job overseas now, Aus/NZ or Canada.
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I feel like if not for the changes to SPA time as well it might have gotten through.
With such a narrow vote though it seems unlikely the govt will offer anything more.
Caporegime
SPA changes seemed to make little sense. The Trust wanted to get their claws into additional SPA time for BS like training PAs but who has additional SPA time in this day and age?
Soldato
At my GP surgery it is best to go down when it opens to get an appointment for that day, it's possible to call but I'm quite sure the phones aren't answered until the queue goes down.
Been there twice in the last week about my eye and swelling, first time told to take antihistamines and eye drops which didn't work. Then told to take antibiotic eye drops as it appears to be an infection. It's funny seeing the different approaches between GP's and which ones I feel that I can trust.
Been there twice in the last week about my eye and swelling, first time told to take antihistamines and eye drops which didn't work. Then told to take antibiotic eye drops as it appears to be an infection. It's funny seeing the different approaches between GP's and which ones I feel that I can trust.
Don't forget in instances like that sometimes you can call up a specialist hospital and see if they do walk ins. I've done that for an eye infection before as the national eye hospital is only about 50mins away.
Sometimes it's worth a punt as there's only so much GPs can know (and goggle when they don't).
Sometimes it's worth a punt as there's only so much GPs can know (and goggle when they don't).
Soldato
Thanks for the reply. The second Dr I saw said that if it gets worse, or the antibiotic eye drops do not work to go to the local one. They have their own A&E dept.