Just when you thought it was hard enough to see a GP....

[anglo]

My GP complains about working from 0800 to 1900. Never complains about her £125,00 pa.

£2.40 a week is not much, I'm surprised she didn't complain

 

[kandak01]

Except that the ONS statistics show that doctors are less likely to commit suicide than many other professions. Cherry-picking individual cases won't alter the official national statistics, and none of the studies you linked to has reliable hard data to back them up.

Indeed, the first article admits that the figures used are 'estimates' and are, in any case, 'old'. The studies referenced by the second article says that the data are contradictory but show a decrease over time. The third also states that the numbers it uses are 'estimates'.

Now using estimates and contradictory data is fine so long as it is acknowledged (and this is), but it its veracity is superseded when you have the official numbers.

All good points, and tbh it's not a topic I have a great knowledge of.

My own experience (people I knew) is of 5 successful medical suicides, 1 nurse suicide, and 2 attempted medical suicides. 2 of the docs, and the nurse, were military medics.

As before, this thread is about access to GP services, and however interesting, medical suicide rates contribute very little to that.

Can we stop discussing that?
Happy to talk about various health care models, T&C, and other things that are far more relevant.

 

[The-hippie]

I can't find the posts RE MH & patients being passed backwards & forwards between them.
This isn't a dig by any stretch at either (other than the shit kunt MH nurse I spoke to earlier).

Long story short, civvy with Bipolar diagnosed by a clinical psychologist & two psychiatrists about seven years ago, asked to go in voluntarily five times, asked to be sectioned once but discharged [because I'm not enough of a priority].

Self presented last December with suicidal ideation (was going to poison myself with Yew berries) & previous determined attempts.

Spoken to a ******* witch of a MH nurse this afternoon & long story short was told I was being discharged again & to speak to my (good) GP to be referred back into MH because today I'm stable & I've got support from a mate who's an army medic with MH training.

It seems to be a never ending cycle of **** the loony back to the GP to be referred back to MH to be referred back again ad infinitum unless (can't turn italics off) you present dead or at A&E & wait 12-18 hours to see someone.

Again this isn't a dig at the NHS.

 

[7gunner]

£2.40 a week is not much, I'm surprised she didn't complain

 

[7gunner]

Thanks for that.

 

[The-hippie]

Been to my GP this afternoon for a repeat prescription. Asked about internet access to order online.
The receptionist disappeared off, I thought to verify my ID.
She came back with this shit. There were four people behind me one of whom I know who only wanted a repeat for his daughter.

Why didn't she just say "look at Well or Co-op"? instead of wasting time having to go in the back ?!?

 

[Werewolf]

The Edinburgh Evening News published a list of the 10 Medial Practices in the city with the worst patient satisfaction ratings.

My surgery, which basically refuses to actually see patients outside of Zoom calls, came 8th. Which didn't surprise me in the least.

 

[kandak01]

The Edinburgh Evening News published a list of the 10 Medial Practices in the city with the worst patient satisfaction ratings.

My surgery, which basically refuses to actually see patients outside of Zoom calls, came 8th. Which didn't surprise me in the least.

Printing such stuff is unlikely to be helpful to anyone, and basing care quality on patient reviews is a terrible methodology.

it's just easy clickbait lazy journalism.

 

[Glasgow_Jock]

Indeed.

I was sat outside my local GPs for about 45min recently waiting for my mum to come out of her appointment and I saw dozens of folk coming in and out during that period. Took my old man for an in person appointment last week too, had a really nice locum GP spend 30min with him getting him sorted.

YMMV.

 

[Werewolf]

Printing such stuff is unlikely to be helpful to anyone, and basing care quality on patient reviews is a terrible methodology.

it's just easy clickbait lazy journalism.

Disagree. If doctors aren't treating patients in the most efficient manner, they deserve to be held to account. Phone and Zoom calls simply aren't as good as actually being examined by a doctor on nurse in the flesh, so to speak.

 

[dingerr]

I‘ve had phonecalls with GPs who don’t even recognise I’m disabled.

 

[kandak01]

Disagree. If doctors aren't treating patients in the most efficient manner, they deserve to be held to account. Phone and Zoom calls simply aren't as good as actually being examined by a doctor on nurse in the flesh, so to speak.

Patient feedback is effectively unregulated and unverifiable, one side of a story that can't be confirmed or rebutted.

I agree feedback can be useful, but it often isn't, and simply acts as a vent for the dissatisfied.

Agree ftf is often better than zoom, but not always. it depends a bit on what the expected outcome of the consultation is.

As with all this stuff, it's a bit more complicated than people often try to make it appear

 

[Excognito]

If had phonecalls with GPs who don’t even recognise I’m disabled.

That's very anti-ableist of them.

 

[Werewolf]

Patient feedback is effectively unregulated and unverifiable, one side of a story that can't be confirmed or rebutted.

I agree feedback can be useful, but it often isn't, and simply acts as a vent for the dissatisfied.

Agree ftf is often better than zoom, but not always. it depends a bit on what the expected outcome of the consultation is.

As with all this stuff, it's a bit more complicated than people often try to make it appear

A phone consultation certainly wasn't good enough in my case. In April, I felt pain in my right hamstring and along the outside of my knee while jogging. I knocked the run on the head and went home. The next day I was still limping badly and phoned the practice. No face to face appointments at this time, but they would arrange the practice nurse to call me back later that day.

After a five minute conversation, the nurse diagnosed me with an IT Band strain. Rest it for a month or so, use Ibuprofen for pain relief and it should heal itself.

Three months later and my right knee is still causing me problems. So I paid £60 for an appointment with a physiotherapist at a sport's injury clinic. That bought me a half-hour assessment in which the physio examined my leg and asked me to move it through various ranges and directions.

Turned out it wasn't an IT Band strain at all. It was an imbalance in my right hamstring. Just resting it would only do so much good. I needed to strengthen it by performing various exercises, which the physio demonstrated. She also emailed me a video of my rehab program.

So, three months and sixty quid after an incorrect diagnosis, I'm finally starting to fix the problem. Perhaps if my practice had been willing to see me in person. I might have saved the time and the money,

 

[Sadurian]

So, three months and sixty quid after an incorrect diagnosis, I'm finally starting to fix the problem. Perhaps if my practice had been willing to see me in person. I might have saved the time and the money,

You might have, but would they?

 

[Sadurian]

If had phonecalls with GPs who don’t even recognise I’m disabled.

My mate at work got assessed as not requiring PiP because he was not sufficiently immobile. This was over a telephone by a Crapita minion.

Meanwhile, the nerves to his legs are still retraining after three tumours were removed from his spine, and the tumour-caused twisting to his ankles and knees is still not fixed. The Consultants and surgeons obviously know nothing about his case, because they believed him to be severely mobility-impaired. Just as well a Crapita admin bloke can sort all that bollocks out at the end of a telephone.

He has since won his Tribunal appeal, you'll be pleased to hear, and now is entitled to PiP.

 

[TheHatsRevenge]

Up here, kicks off about 40k-ish, then it increments up to about 65k + or -.
About the same as some train drivers.
Eventually long termers will nudge the 95k mark + or -.
Back in the day, my GP Dad got £1.00 per capita of patient list P/a.
The big bonuses were in the 10 bob per emigrator jabs.
Mind you, in '65 I think our new Beetle cost about £850 or summat.

Interestingly...or not, I earned about £60k a years working as an Inst. Tech, on a Petrochemical Facility on Teesside, so about average for anyone with qualifications and vocational training...

 

[TheHatsRevenge]

Were are all these Saturday appointment slots supposed to come from?

It either means less slots during the week or expecting GPs (and their supporting staff) to work a 6 day week.

Or somehow magicking up a load of new GPs from somewhere

Shift patterns, 9 day fortnight working patterns, there are lots of ways of running a service where you provide 7 day a week service, just not all staff at work at the same time. Rotating the staffing creates flexibility...

 

[lastwalt]

A phone consultation certainly wasn't good enough in my case. In April, I felt pain in my right hamstring and along the outside of my knee while jogging. I knocked the run on the head and went home. The next day I was still limping badly and phoned the practice. No face to face appointments at this time, but they would arrange the practice nurse to call me back later that day.

After a five minute conversation, the nurse diagnosed me with an IT Band strain. Rest it for a month or so, use Ibuprofen for pain relief and it should heal itself.

Three months later and my right knee is still causing me problems. So I paid £60 for an appointment with a physiotherapist at a sport's injury clinic. That bought me a half-hour assessment in which the physio examined my leg and asked me to move it through various ranges and directions.

Turned out it wasn't an IT Band strain at all. It was an imbalance in my right hamstring. Just resting it would only do so much good. I needed to strengthen it by performing various exercises, which the physio demonstrated. She also emailed me a video of my rehab program.

So, three months and sixty quid after an incorrect diagnosis, I'm finally starting to fix the problem. Perhaps if my practice had been willing to see me in person. I might have saved the time and the money,

In my experience, the chances of a GP or Nurse Practitioner accurately diagnosing an IT band strain from a face-to-face appointment are about as high as a consulting an African witch doctor. Unless you are very, very lucky and happen to have a GP or Nurse Practitioner who is a runner.

 

[Werewolf]

In my experience, the chances of a GP or Nurse Practitioner accurately diagnosing an IT band strain from a face-to-face appointment are about as high as a consulting an African witch doctor. Unless you are very, very lucky and happen to have a GP or Nurse Practitioner who is a runner.

Ironically, one of the doctors in the practice is a racing snake who runs half marathons. In the past, he was able to help me with training injuries. Unfortunately, he hasn't been available for appointments in two years and counting.