Coffee Posted July 31, 2015 Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 With Warrington having one of the highest patient to Doctor ratios in the country 2188 patient to each Doctor according to this web site http://www.gponline.com/exclusive-huge-variation-gp-patient-ratio-across-england-revealed/article/1327390 According to the BBc news recently there was 4000 patients to each GP in Warrington (but I can't find the source now) How are you all finding seeing the GP? Our Doc is impossible to see, have to ring up at 8 in the morning for that days appointment, if you ring a bit later there are no appointments available, the receptionists tell you to ring 111 or go to casualty Today I went in the GP office t o query a prescription but was told no one could spare a couple of minutes to speak to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 The only way I could get an appointment with ANY doctor at my local surgery was to get registered to go online at 8 in the morning and choose between the only 2 appointments (both with the same doctor) still available. At other times when I've looked there have been none available at all. Phoning up is a complete waste of time. Thank you Labour, yet another fine mess you got us into. The NHS safe in politicians hands? I think not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 At my Doctors, you have to ring to make a telephone appointment to speak to a Doctor to see if your complaint is serious enough to merit a face to face appointment. You have to ring on the day from 8.30am. From this time until at least 9.00am the number is constantly engaged (I wonder if the phone is even manned). When it does answer, most of the time all the telephone appointments have been booked and you are advised to try again the following day. This goes on each day until you become ill enough to merit an emergency slot. It can take weeks to get an appointment and has on occasion taken me over a month. Why don't they employ more doctors? I agree that the NHS is not safe in politician's hands but I don't think that any political party is any better than another concerning this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee Posted August 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Thanks not just my GP then! We must not forget GPS are private businesses funded by the NHS. It amazes me that the Docs surgery I belong to, still takes on new patients despite not coping with the ones they have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Not sure it's all the fault of Politicians. The problem is that patients just wont wait. If it's a real emergency then it should be A+E, or call the doctor out, or visit a walk in centre or insist when you phone up that you want an appointment that day, failing that, ask for an appointment in a few days time or go on 'patient access' and book one online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 At the end of the day, we're talking about supply and demand. Increasing population, with the added factor of infirmity in old age = higher demand. Despite inviting medicos from all over the world to the UK, we're still underprovided in terms of GP - patient ratios; many medics are leaving the UK through over-work, and many med students are now reluctant to become GPs; so inadequate supply. Answer:- train more Doctors & Nurses; preferably from our indigenous population. Keep politicians out of trying to micro-manage the NHS; limit salary levels for Trust Managers, reduce wastage on unused aids and medications; control the price of drugs from the pharmaceutical companies; and start funding elderly care (social services) to reduce strains on the NHS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 O for the good old days when 50 patients turned up mob handed on a Monday morning & were all seen by 12 o'clock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee Posted August 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 O for the good old days when 50 patients turned up mob handed on a Monday morning & were all seen by 12 o'clock. When was this? This happens in Wales, you just go to the Doc and sit for hours. At the end of the day, we're talking about supply and demand. Increasing population, with the added factor of infirmity in old age = higher demand. Despite inviting medicos from all over the world to the UK, we're still underprovided in terms of GP - patient ratios; many medics are leaving the UK through over-work, and many med students are now reluctant to become GPs; so inadequate supply. Answer:- train more Doctors & Nurses; preferably from our indigenous population. Keep politicians out of trying to micro-manage the NHS; limit salary levels for Trust Managers, reduce wastage on unused aids and medications; control the price of drugs from the pharmaceutical companies; and start funding elderly care (social services) to reduce strains on the NHS. But the problem of increasing population, people living longer, ageing population is not unique to the UK, yet other countries can cope. Over work, that is a joke is it not, GPS don't come out at night any more, or weekends, in our surgery they see patients for 22.5 hours per week or less. Try getting a GP to come out to you! Their pay compares well to Doctors pay in other countries and they have an excellent retirement package. As for training of Doctors, it is near impossible to get into med school even for brightest of students. Places are being taken by fee paying students from abroad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 That would be in the last 20 to 30 years...i'm not a frequent visitor to the doctor so i don't really know when that system ended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 That would be in the last 20 to 30 years when that system ended....i'm not a frequent visitor to the doctor so i don't really know for sure Coffee. It is to be hoped there are some potential doctors among all these illegal immigrants . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 I had an appointment scheduled for today at Stockton Heath Medical Centre but couldn't go because i didn't feel too good (yes I know that sounds weird).I tried to ring twice, once first thing and once late morning, simply to say I couldn't goso that they could give my appt to someone else if need be but I just couldn't get through on their phone system so I gave up waiting in loooooong queue each time. It used to be quite good but of late it has been a nightmare.A few weeks ago when my son needed a repeat prescription for an inhailer he rang and finally got through only to be told he would have to request it on line. He had no internet access at work so I tried from home but had no idea what it was we were requesting a repeat of and his records obviously didn't show, he had no idea what it was called either. I tried ringing them to ask but couldn't get through so I gave up and just drove down there. They told me what medication it was but again said it had to be done online and I couldn't request over their counter even though I was stood in the surgery. They eventually said it was ok...but just that once. They certainly don't make it easy do they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Coff: I'm not one to suggest that Doctors should work more than 40 hours per week; but Burnham should have thought of this when he gave them a pay rise for reduced hours; instead of increasing the numbers being trained, first. Having had a home visit by my Doctor today, I must dispute the idea that it doesn't happen. As for fee paying "foreign" med students; that's a matter for Government to stop, and start training home grown staff. It was you who started this topic, by informing us that we have a low ratio of Doctors to patients; which indicates too many patients and not enough Doctors. Two thirds of hospital admissions are due to OAPs, bed blocking, cos we don't have the facilities to care for them (under medical supervision) at home or in a home. It costs more to keep them in a hospital bed, than it would to keep them in a home; but Social Services are being starved of funding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 dizz do you not have a user name and password for the doctors online service? It would have to be the one that is issued to the patient.( mine is different to the one for Mrs Sid) Once you have that you can then go online using that and see what meds are prescribed, order a repeat and specify which chemist you can get the prescription from. you should also be able to make and cancel appointments that way as well. I know my doctors have several methods for getting in touch including a text number if you have to cancel an appointment. Also if you have the counterfoil from the old prescription you can use that to order a repeat as normal by either handing it in to the receptionist or putting it in the box provided for repeat prescriptions at the doctors. I know that my mother rings the chemist to get her prescriptions sorted and they sort it out with the doctors. I need to make anappontment to see the practice nurse, which is about the only thing i cannot do online and will have to call them. Will probably do that after nine when the rush to get appointments dies down and the phone line are not as busy. doctors do make house calls but only when necessary. Recently had to call the doctors about my mother. They did not have an appointment slot available but had a telephone call back by the doctor for a phone consultation. It was decided after that conversation that the doctor would come out to assess my mother's condition and resulted in me having to trek to the chemist for the prescribed nedication. (story of my life at the moment, seem to spend more tiome at the hospital than at home) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Like Sid says it is a good service & you can even book appointments when the docs is shut & don't need to get up at the crack of dawn to listen to a receptionist's sharp intake of breath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Too right it's a good service, and the majority of staff can't be faulted; but it's groaning under the weight of increasing demand and expectation, and unless we set limits on our expectations, it will become a black hole for funding. A recent Panorama prog, showed an initiative in Liverpool, which is attempting a composite approach to elderly care by the NHS and Social Services; this would actually mean taking money out of hospitals and into community care. But for years politicians have tampered with the service, instead of establishing it's strategic mission and boundaries, and then ensuring it's funding (incl Social care), under clinical management. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Thanks Evils & Davy, I've no idea if ours has and online service with usernames/passwords as they've never mentioned that they do but then again we don't go very often so maybe they think it's no use to us.It certainly sounds like it would have been a lot easier though so i will ask next time I'm passing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Think nearly all doctors surgeries have this facility nowadays. great for repeat prescriptions as you dont even have to go out of the house, especially if your nominated chemist delivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Dizzy,just phone the surgery & ask & if they say "yes" ask them to print the paperwork off for however many people you want to sign up then you do the rest from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 No complaints from me these days. Things seem to have got a lot easier in recent years. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee Posted August 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 No complaints from me these days. Things seem to have got a lot easier in recent years. Bill Bill, PM the name of your Docs surgery p-lease Too right it's a good service, and the majority of staff can't be faulted; but it's groaning under the weight of increasing demand and expectation, and unless we set limits on our expectations, it will become a black hole for funding. But we should have a much better health care then we have, the French, German, Swedish, Spanish, Swiss manage to do so why can the UK? In Frence if you need a operation you will get one within a couple of days. Even in Poland if you have high blood pressure they will take you in to hospital, here you just get handed a letter telling you high blood pressure is not an illness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee Posted August 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 interesting link https://gp-patient.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 Good link Coffee. Seems mine has a problem with people getting through on the phone.... glad it's not just me then.Interesting to notw that mine also says that 268 Surveys sent out 102 Surveys sent back 38% Completion rate I wonder who decided which patients would be sent a survey and why they were chosen or was it just a random pick from the hat (well ok database).268 doesn't seem a very big proportion of the thousands they probably have on their books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee Posted August 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 Dizzy, if you follow this link http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/LocationSearch/4 It will tell you how many people they have on their books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 I've got a video call from a GP tomorrow morning at 10:30 about my knackered achilles.... part of the Pru Vitality membership!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted August 9, 2015 Report Share Posted August 9, 2015 Dizzy, if you follow this link http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/LocationSearch/4 It will tell you how many people they have on their books. Blimey I just looked and ours has just over 17000 registered patients. No wonder it's hard to get through or get an appointment these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.