Doctors Receptionists

[minestrone]

It wont collapse, it will just wander along as it has always done.

It will be interesting to see which NHS works out better, the Scottish one with its completely central control or the English which is pushing management onto the surgeries. The spends will be exactly the same per patient. I expect the English one but will take years to work and it will probably be stopped when labour get in next.

I sell software to a few surgeries, a product that a few other people make and have got most of the market taken, thing is my product is infinitely superior, on every level, it is also designed to work in a network over surgeries and the others only work individually. I tried to get the Scottish NHS to look at it, a manager thought it was great and set up a meeting with some technology people who straight off told me they would never buy it, they never even asked what it was. I'm pitching it down south shortly.

[SueEllen]

It will be interesting to see which NHS works out better, the Scottish one with its completely central control or the English which is pushing management onto the surgeries. The spends will be exactly the same per patient. I expect the English one but will take years to work and it will probably be stopped when labour get in next.

I sell software to a few surgeries, a product that a few other people make and have got most of the market taken, thing is my product is infinitely superior, on every level, it is also designed to work in a network over surgeries and the others only work individually. I tried to get the Scottish NHS to look at it, a manager thought it was great and set up a meeting with some technology people who straight off told me they would never buy it, they never even asked what it was. I'm pitching it down south shortly.

Some GPs will be tulip whether they have the latest and greatest or the antiquated.

Basically they just don't want to spend any money on you if you aren't a patient who needs an immuisation or is in the category of one of the diseases they target, as they don't get extra money for treating you.

[d000hg]

I have an excellent village surgery, receptionists and doctors are known by first names and although I may not have a season ticket they know my voice on the phone. It's rare not to get an appointment if needed the same day, if I'm willing to wait it'll likely be the next day.

An exception likely being registered at a practice in an affluent village but it works.

It's similar where my mum is registered, down in non-affluent Cornwall. But they are pretty chilled down there.

This is an example of NHS-ese , the new language of bullcrap.
Fact is nowadays it is quite rare to form a relationship with one doctor, you're just shuffled from one to another.
That's true of most surgeries in the South - maybe its different up North.

I think it must be - here you won't by default get your GP because they try to give you the earliest free appointment, but you can request it.

[minestrone]

"I'm going on holiday next week and I have a sore throat, can you give me a prescription of lozenges" or "I am taking my grand daughter on holiday and her school are not letting her go, can you write a letter to the headmaster"

There are 2 examples from the last few weeks of why people struggle to get appointments, that and junkies, drunks, the worried well (one of the reasons why most surgeries don't want let patients do online booking), dealing with the benefits agency, folk who want to get signed off for months at a time... yadda yadda

[mudskipper]

So what is an emergency? Anything I'd class as an emergency I'd head down to A&E for.

[VectraMan]

I think they should operate a kind of "no claims bonus". So for the likes of me, being the stereotypical male putting off any health issues and virtually never going to the doctor, if I do try to make an appointment they should get me in straight away.

In reality, on the rare occasions I have to see the doctor, it takes a week to get an appointment (and I'm not exaggerating, last time it was over a week), and then you end up waiting 2 hours whilst all the mothers with babies who coughed slightly differently that morning jump ahead of you.

[rhubarb]

So what is an emergency? Anything I'd class as an emergency I'd head down to A&E for.

Generally I agree with you. If you can walk to the doctors, then there's no need to be there.
In my case, its an issue I've had on and off for over a year, which is completely unpleasant and worrying but certainly not something I can go to A&E for. So I think its a matter of, go in, possibly get the doctors appendage poked in an orifice again, then get referred to have a camera stuck in the same orifice.

So looking forward to tomorrow. sigh.

[sasguru]

If you can walk to the doctors, then there's no need to be there.
.

What a crock of tulip.

[mudskipper]

Generally I agree with you. If you can walk to the doctors, then there's no need to be there.
In my case, its an issue I've had on and off for over a year, which is completely unpleasant and worrying but certainly not something I can go to A&E for. So I think its a matter of, go in, possibly get the doctors appendage poked in an orifice again, then get referred to have a camera stuck in the same orifice.

So looking forward to tomorrow. sigh.

Yep, that's the point. Urgent != emergency. It's urgent if you're worried about it, if it will benefit from immediate treatment, if it's causing you pain, or if it's stopping you working.

Hope all goes OK tomorrow.

[bless 'em all]

I think they should operate a kind of "no claims bonus". So for the likes of me, being the stereotypical male putting off any health issues and virtually never going to the doctor, if I do try to make an appointment they should get me in straight away.

On the one occasion I needed to see the doctor I called from Client Co, explained I needed to see the doc that day and, being 200 miles away, I'd be driving straight there. I was told to call in as soon as I got home.

On arrival I waited a couple of minutes and went through - the doctor told me he was curious to meet me, as I'd been on his list for 7 years but I'd never been to see him before, then he asked me where my medical records were from 1997 to 2004.

He was quite impressed that my visit to him was the first visit to a GP's surgery in 12 years.