Beetley Pete’s blog on Sunday gave me food for thought. Like Pete, I remember as a child when you turned up at the doctor’s surgery, looked around to see who was before you, and then just waited your turn. The surgery consisted of one doctor and a receptionist. I don’t remember any nurse.
Mum was always marching me to the doctor’s, as none of us knew anything about dairy allergies back in the 1960s. The doctor didn’t either, and he eventually sent me to a psychiatrist to find out why I felt nauseous much of the time. The psychiatrist didn’t have a clue either, and suggested that I might have a kidney infection.
Anyway, that’s all beside the point. When it came to the 1970s and we lived on a big housing estate, the surgery consisted of 2 doctors. You then had to make an appointment (which was relatively easy to obtain), but the doctors, a husband and wife team, were heartily stressed with looking after 4000 extra people and subsequent home visits etc. Within a few years they were both alcoholics and died early.
Our current GP practice consists of 6 doctors, various nurses, a receptionist and a pharmacy. You cannot get an appointment unless you know about 2 or 3 weeks in advance whether you’re going to be ill and can book it up early. I’ve found out that many appointments are blocked so that nobody can book them at all. When you phone at 8am to make an appointment, the world and his wife, aunt and uncle are all trying to get the same appointment and you cannot get through. The only way to speak to the receptionist is to get out of your sick bed and drive 5 miles down to the surgery and wait outside the main door from about 7:45am to be first in the queue. However, many people have the same idea…
It’s marginally better to ask for a nurse appointment if there are no GP appointments. You’re in the surgery already and although the nurse cannot do much as regards prescriptions apart from issuing antibiotics, she can run in and ask one of the doctors if they’re in-between patients. I’ve tried this on a couple of occasions, but you have to run the gamut of the health check with a nurse when you might only want to be referred for an ingrown toenail.
GPs are retiring early and there is definitely a shortfall now. Okay we don’t have to pay, but it was definitely easier back in 1960s to see a doctor when you wanted to than it is now. Most of the time I don’t bother, due to the hassle we have to experience in order to obtain an appointment. I eat lots of oranges and hope for the best.
Russel David said:
Looking great work dear, I really appreciated you on this quality work. Nice post!! These tips may help me in the future.
GPS Tracking in Pakistan
GPS Tracking System in Pakistan
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Stevie Turner said:
You’re welcome.
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dgkaye said:
Oye! The systems are so over taxed with shortages everywhere of doctors. Scary times ahead unless attention is paid to this shyte. x
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Stevie Turner said:
Perhaps Boris will change it. He’s pledged 34 billion pounds for the NHS I think. Let’s see if it gets there!
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dgkaye said:
I will cross my fingers for you! 🙂 x
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franklparker said:
In my small town in Ireland we have a surgery with 3 doctors and a couple of nurses (only one of whom is on duty at any one time). The two receptionsists are usually pretty good and you can get a same day appointment. If you are on a lifetime prescription they are issued for 3 months at a time. The local pharmacy then dispenses them one month at a time. There is also a Health Centre which is the base for part time home carers and “Public Health Nurses” who operate clinics and home visits. The doctors’ surgery recently changed its policy wrt the Vitamin B12 injections I have every 3 months. The surgery nurse used to do it. Now there’s a charge of €20 for that, or I get it done free of charge by the Public Health Nurse.
Unlike the NHS the service is not free for all although those with cronic conditions, children and over 70s have a card which entitles them to free treatment. Actually there is a means test for over 70s but most qualify. Prescriptions are €1.50 per item per month (at today’s exchange rate that’s about £1.30). There are, however long waiting lists for operations and people on trolleys in corridors waiting for beds. Similarly mental health services, especially for children, have long waiting lists. (You would have grown up before you got to see that child psychiatrist, Stevie!)
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Stevie Turner said:
£1.30 for prescriptions? Wow, here in Suffolk it’s £8.50 I think, although they’re free for over 60s.
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Clive said:
What you’re describing is the result of many years of underfunding of the NHS. I fear it will only get worse.
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Stevie Turner said:
Perhaps Boris will surprise us all?
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Clive said:
The only way he would surprise me is by NOT selling the NHS to Numpty Trumpty.
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beetleypete said:
It does seem to depend so much on where you live. When I was still in London, I could sit in a surgery packed with patients waiting for a booked appointment that was running well over time, sometimes up to two hours late. Then the doctor was usually someone I had never seen before, and would deal with me without even looking away from their screen. Our local doctor here in Norfolk is much better organised, and the doctors do seem to actually care about looking after you.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Stevie Turner said:
We can still get home visits here, but I think I heard that these are being phased out?
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beetleypete said:
They still do them from our local surgery every day. (My wife works there) But predominantly for VERY elderly people, or the disabled who cannot get out. No plans to stop them at the moment, at least not here.
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jwebster2 said:
I remember we went in and were given a cardboard disk with a number on, that was our turn in the queue.
Now with appointments, we’re not too bad, if I ring as the place opens (sit on phone with finger on redial) I will almost always get something that day, sometimes with ‘my’ doctor,
Whether this town still has an old fashioned enough attitude or whether GPs still like working in this area I don’t know.
There is a car with a driver they use for home visits, so that the doctor (often a youngish woman) has physical back up if needed
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Stevie Turner said:
Ah yes, that ‘re-dial’ button. I haven’t got the patience and tend to drive there and wait outside for the surgery to open.
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