GP surgery opens in a supermarket

[Mary]

MANCHESTER - Patients who cannot make it to a GP surgery during the day will be able to visit an out-of-hours doctor in Sainsbury's under a new pilot project.

 

The supermarket giant opened a surgery at one of its Manchester stores on Monday, allowing local residents to combine a shopping trip with a late doctor's appointment.

 

A local GP came to the company with a proposal to do evening consultations at the supermarket two days a week for a six-month trial period. Sainsbury's provides the consulting room.

 

Patients at several local practices that have signed up to the scheme will be able to book appointments over the Internet.

 

"Particularly in the evening, it's more convenient," said a Sainsbury's spokeswoman. "There's parking, it is well lit particularly in winter and we have a pharmacy on site."

 

Both the firm and health officials would look closely at the pilot before any expansion, she said.

[observer]

Oh good! Guess you can have your liver checked out when you buy your booze or a chest X-ray when you buy your ciggies?!

[Paul Kennedy]

Takes the one stop shopping concept one stage further.

[KeithR]

Originally posted by observer:

Oh good! Guess you can have your liver checked out when you buy your booze or a chest X-ray when you buy your ciggies?!

Or a check for IBS when you buy a 12 pack plus 6 free toilet rolls.

[little fella]

The concept is quite good if you only have a minor complaint. The drop in centre's are very good. but most people as they get older develop complaints that require regular treatment or observation.

I know that some GP are not much good and the people at those practices would maybe better off with this scheme, but I know we have a very good practice and the patient ~ doctor relationship is quite important within the practice.

When I go to the doctor he knows about me and my conditions if I went to another doctor even at the hospital they haven?t a clue about me and I cannot remember to tell him/her all the things that may or maybe not important to the treatment that they want to give me.

I think that the best treatment comes from this doctor patient relationship. It does not matter what or where the building is. Something our PCT does not understand.

[Paul Kennedy]

You make a good point, but doctors do retire...and a disproportionate large batch are due to retire over the next 5 to 10 years...indeed there are many GPs in their late 40s early 50s who are planning to retire early, so plans have to be made for the future and for the sake of our children/grandchildren.

 

One of the reasons that they are trying to have electronic records is to solve the problem that you have highlighted.

[little fella]

There are huge problems with the electronic system and although they have got a system working in most surgeries the national one is no where near, so many attempts and ? m?s over budget they just keep throwing money at the problem with little hope of success but they have spent too much to abandon it.

I know quite a few doctors and they are just waiting for the day that they can retire or get out early, I do not know one who wants or intends to stay past 50. I also know two doctors (husband and wife) who are in training at the moment and already have their plan to go to New Zealand in 2011.

I just wish that they would scrap the NHS and go onto an insurance scheme or at least give the people the option of opting out. The NHS has failed in its concept of care from cradle to grave. It has turned itself into an admin top heavy, wasteful machine that is money and target driven rather than the care needed or given. In the last five years the heath service has got substantially worse by the invention of the PCT?s. What a sorry state we are in.

In reality it is a good job that the GP?s are dedicated to patient care, they could quite easily have gone the same way as the dentists and say sod you I will go private. They may still do that and work like they do in Spain from private clinic?s.