GP's

[Charl91]

Are they all incompetent?

Why is it that the only good doctors I ever get are the ones that work in hospitals? (And even then, it's only the foreign doctors who are any good!). From my experience, the rest are bloody useless and seem to be there with the sole purpose of trying to keep you away from the Doctors/Hospital as long as possible, regardless of whether they've solved your problem or not. It's like they're constantly stalling for time.

[StanSP]

Bloody foreigners! Taking our jobs and being good at them!!

[davieG]

My main concern is that they seem to ready to hand out prescriptions, I'm a bit paranoid about taking medicines because I've had a bad reaction to some, mostly when I go to the Dr. it's to get reassurance that it's not something serious. If it'll clear up on it's own in time then tell me don't offer me pills.

[Charl91]

Bloody foreigners! Taking our jobs and being good at them!!

Foreign doctors are one of the reasons I'm grateful for immigration. Our healthcare system would be even shitter without them!

[The Doctor]

Nice generalisation there...

I've seen my GP a lot the past 6 months and he's been nothing but helpful.

[Charl91]

My main concern is that they seem to ready to hand out prescriptions, I'm a bit paranoid about taking medicines because I've had a bad reaction to some, mostly when I go to the Dr. it's to get reassurance that it's not something serious. If it'll clear up on it's own in time then tell me don't offer me pills.

My worry, and something I've experienced alot, is that they are happy to offer prescriptions (the "come back in a month" kind) simply as a way of getting you out of their hair. Quite often I'll have been given a prescription for one thing or another for a month, to come back after a month when it obviously isn't working, only for them to say "try taking it for another month". Repeat ad nauseum.

[FrankieADZ]

I had a decent GP until he went loopy or something. Now the one I've got is useless, but then again I've got a few things up with me so I tend to deal with Doctors not GPs.

A part of me can forgive GPs nowadays as they must have to deal with a lot of hypochondriac's and such.

Also have to remember there a kinda jack of all trades and master of none if you get me, well I always tell myself that.

[Guest MattP]

Had the same GP since I was a kid and he's superb, I'll be gutted when he retires.

[Jace]

Foreign workers have always been a scapegoat in this country for lazy English people

[Charl91]

Nice generalisation there...

I've seen my GP a lot the past 6 months and he's been nothing but helpful.

It possibly is; this is just from my personal experience. Stoke isn't particularly famous for it's great healthcare though.

Couple of examples (though I have plenty). I had a hernia last Christmas. I kept going into the doctors, only to be repeatedly told it was groin strain, and to rest it. Went in again after it had been rested (and got worse), again told it was groin strain and to keep resting it - in fact, when I suggested it was a hernia, they just laughed. It was only after I insisted I went to the hospital that he referred me, where it was diagnosed within the hour.

Year before, my girlfriend broke her knee playing Hockey. They put it in a cast, but did it wrong (we were told my a different doctor later) which meant that it never healed properly and made it worse, even though it should have been relatively simple. We then went to multiple GP's, each who gave a different explanation as to what was wrong with it, and each referring her to do the same physio, even after it was apparent after the first time she did it that it wasn't going to work. Now she will have to have surgery, and will probably have arthirits in that knee at least 10 years early. Either way, she's never been able to do any sports again.

[Vacamion]

Unless your leg is actually hanging off, my GP has a one week waiting time. You have to anticipate just how ill you will be in 6 days' time.

The thinking must be that you either snuff it or get better and cancel.

So far, so alive...

[Jon the Hat]

Clearly there are some who are competent, but I have yet to come across them. We get around it by self diagnosis and demanding referrals, sometimes with the private health insurance leverage. It helps if you know the consultant you want to see.

Half the time getting in to see the GP is almost impossible. For example, this year by wife got a DVT (blood clot) in her leg. At the third time of asking A&E diagnosed it, then told us to go back and see the GP for follow up and referral to the specialist (at the same hospital) as A&E dont refer. You would think a potentially life threatening DVT would be something the GP would want to be involved in, but no, I clearly gave too much info to the receptionist, who unilaterally decided we only needed the referral. So we wait a week, and the specialist tells us that the GP should have prescribed compression stockings immediately. Back to GP, who sends us off to see a specialist nurse at another surgery - wait time another week. Finally armed with a prescription, Boots then take 3 weeks to get the stockings. So something which she should have had on day 1 took over 4 weeks to get. The result is probably permanent vein damage. Useless ****ers at every turn.

The only good news is that everything is now managed via the hospital.

[Jon the Hat]

Unless your leg is actually hanging off, my GP has a one week waiting time. You have to anticipate just how ill you will be in 6 days' time.

The thinking must be that you either snuff it or get better and cancel.

So far, so alive...

My GP used to do urgent appointments. These are now called on the day appointments, which are available between 8.30am and 8.30:25 approximately when they are all gone. Nothing in between these and 10 day away appointments. So you need to see them, you have to wait until the following day and hope at 8.30am. Unbelievable. I ****ing hate them and their stupid system with a passion.

I have found you get better service from the night and weekend cover doctors, who all seem very good, and no doubt very well paid.

[The People's Hero]

Getting a referral out of our GP is like trying to get blood from a stone.

[James.]

Makes me feel pretty lucky that through work I have free access to private GP's offering same day or at most next day appointments. That said I rarely see the same GP twice and as such have seen some very good ones and some poor ones in the same medical centre. I guess it's like most professions in that sense, it's just the consequences of a poor GP are potentially profoundly more serious.

I do sometimes get the impression that they are pretty relaxed when it comes to prescriptions. When I suffered from sleep problems at the start of last year they freely dished out sleeping pills which anyone who knows anything about sleep issues will understand rarely treat the root cause of the problem.

[The People's Hero]

Makes me feel pretty lucky that through work I have free access to private GP's offering same day or at most next day appointments. That said I rarely see the same GP twice and as such have seen some very good ones and some poor ones in the same medical centre. I guess it's like most professions in that sense, it's just the consequences of a poor GP are potentially profoundly more serious.

I do sometimes get the impression that they are pretty relaxed when it comes to prescriptions. When I suffered from sleep problems at the start of last year they freely dished out sleeping pills which anyone who knows anything about sleep issues will understand rarely treat the root cause of the problem.

But it does get you out of their consulting room at that particular time...

[Bobcat]

I had to change GP because my original one just kept brushing me off. "oh it's probably this, here's a prescription, bye". a year of this later, switched doctors and it turned out to be something pretty serious. GPs are lazy with their big salaries.

[Captain...]

Very difficult to get a GP's appointment, only open during office hours, and I actually don't want to take time off work to see the doctor, there is probably some stat about it costing the country billions in sick pay, not even open 9-5, normally just mornings and they don't seem to accept advance appointments, they will only see you on the day if it is an emergency.

So I needed someone to check out my ribs as they giving me some gyp, and the GP being impossible to see I went to the hospital to a walk in centre, they said they couldn't really do anything, I asked which department could help me, they said I would have to see my GP, but that is impossible, I don't see why they can't have GPs at the hospital, in the end I went to A&E, I was genuinely worried I had broken or fractured something as the pain was getting worse and I couldn't take deep breaths without pain. The receptionist basically told me they wouldn't do anything for rib injuries, but if I was having "chest pain" in a sort of conspirational whisper, you would be seen quickly as they were not busy, "what about breathing difficulties?", "yeah that will probably do, but I'll put you down for chest pain too."

So my suspected broken rib became chest pain and breathing difficulties, I didn't realise I would get hooked up to heart monitors and all of that shit, I didn't even get asked what the problem was, apparently that is the immediate response to chest pains, anyway, after a couple of tests being done by the nurse, I finally see a doctor, who says nothing seems wrong with the tests, gives me a poke and a prod, sends me off for an x-ray, comes back with nothing broken and he suspects muscular damage around the ribs/chest, no heavy lifting and take some paracetamol or stronger pain killers.

I felt a little guilty about lying to A&E, but I was seriously concerned about my ribs and didn't want to do any further damage, and it just seemed the only way to actually see anyone, if GPs were more accessible, then I think it would cut down on the amount of people going to A&E.

[Webbo]

I signed on at Syston Health centre 10 years ago but I've never actually seen a GP there. I don't think I've seen a doctor because I was ill for 15-20 years.

[Alexikokopops]

My GP used to do urgent appointments. These are now called on the day appointments, which are available between 8.30am and 8.30:25 approximately when they are all gone. Nothing in between these and 10 day away appointments. So you need to see them, you have to wait until the following day and hope at 8.30am. Unbelievable. I ****ing hate them and their stupid system with a passion.

I have found you get better service from the night and weekend cover doctors, who all seem very good, and no doubt very well paid.

I had the same issue. I've only needed to see my GP once since I went to Uni about 9 years ago. I tried getting an appointment but it was such a ball ache (for the reasons you say) and so went into the walk in centre about 10 minutes walk from work, was seen in half an hour, and got prescribed the antibiotics I needed for a chest infection. For most of the time since I went to Uni I haven't even been registered with a doctor, which I'm sure isn't that sensible.

[Captain...]

I had the same issue. I've only needed to see my GP once since I went to Uni about 9 years ago. I tried getting an appointment but it was such a ball ache (for the reasons you say) and so went into the walk in centre about 10 minutes walk from work, was seen in half an hour, and got prescribed the antibiotics I needed for a chest infection. For most of the time since I went to Uni I haven't even been registered with a doctor, which I'm sure isn't that sensible.

I would always go to the walk in centre or minor injuries unit whenever I had any problems when I was at Uni (Sheffield), you just turned waited a bit, got patched up and sent on your way, perfect, normally went early in the morning after waking up in pain from football injuries that I was too manly to notice during the game or in the pub after, broken toe and broken wrist being 2 such injuries.

I actually saw an advert for a website giving you advice on where to go if it isn't an emergency, but I can't remember the name of it, something shit like notalwaysaande.com

edit: Found it: http://www.notalwaysaande.co.uk/

But it is only for London people.

[pSinatra]

I don't understand why it's taking so long to see a GP? Isn't there some sort of policy that states your GP should see you within 24 hrs? I can't remember ever having to wait to see my doctor & the same day if I ring early enough.

[The People's Hero]

I don't understand why it's taking so long to see a GP? Isn't there some sort of policy that states your GP should see you within 24 hrs? I can't remember ever having to wait to see my doctor & the same day if I ring early enough.

Ours is an absolute nightmare, there is some ridiculous system where the phonelines open at 8.30am and its a rush to call to make an appointment. You are then asked if its an 'emergency' (quite why you'd ring your doctor and not go to A&E and spend ages and ages trying to make an appointment if it was an emergency I don't know).

The mistake people make there is answer 'no' and you get the answer to turn up at 10. They tell everyone to turn up at 10. Non-emergency is all 9-10, everyone else has to turn up at 10 and will be seen (you hope) between 10 and 3, after 3 I suppose is routine stuff which is pre-booked in.

This is the only way. Many times have I sat for an hour or two waiting to see a doctor, just to end up walking out. You're more likely to get more ill sitting with a bunch of tetchy ill people than you are to get better anyway.

I thought my doctors' surgery was just rubbish but it sounds like I'm not alone.

[Leicfox]

Through being quite ill over the last 18 months I've had to visit my GP's surgery quite frequently and as I'd not been to the doctors prior to falling ill for over 13yrs, the service now to what it was has gone down hill badly.

I've had to speak to the practise manager on numerous occasions over the last 18 months which I could do without if they did their jobs properly.

[pSinatra]

Ours is an absolute nightmare, there is some ridiculous system where the phonelines open at 8.30am and its a rush to call to make an appointment. You are then asked if its an 'emergency' (quite why you'd ring your doctor and not go to A&E and spend ages and ages trying to make an appointment if it was an emergency I don't know).

The mistake people make there is answer 'no' and you get the answer to turn up at 10. They tell everyone to turn up at 10. Non-emergency is all 9-10, everyone else has to turn up at 10 and will be seen (you hope) between 10 and 3, after 3 I suppose is routine stuff which is pre-booked in.

This is the only way. Many times have I sat for an hour or two waiting to see a doctor, just to end up walking out. You're more likely to get more ill sitting with a bunch of tetchy ill people than you are to get better anyway.

I thought my doctors' surgery was just rubbish but it sounds like I'm not alone.

Doctor's receptionists have got to be among my least favourite people........they can drop the attitude!! They will always ask me what it is concerning & I always tell them that is between me & my doctor. I tend to go into the surgery & avoid the telephone lottery. I'm not going to discuss my condition with a receptionist & anyone standing within ear-shot.

The problem I always seem to have is trying to make an appointment in advance - because of their policy of wanting to see me the same day. I'm not dying & it's not urgent, so can I make an appointment in a couple of days at a time that will suit me? "We can't make appointments days in advance. If you want an appointment on Friday, you will have to ring on Friday". It's a crazy situation.

I think there is a clash between what you want, what the doctor can do & what guidelines/targets are being enforced by the government