is this the wrong time to change doctors

spatchco

my wife and myself have been with the one practice 40 years plus but we seem to be getting poor response when we try to get an appointment we are both 70 plus i havent been to the practice in a year but my wife has been very unwell since last 6 months when we try to get an appointment in the last 3-4 weeks we have been told only through phone conference we make the appointment only for no one to bother contacting us,the surgery response is doctor was ringing but no answer we were both in the house waiting should mention that the practice has new management since the start of c19 i think we are getting in the way maybe we should just [wont say the word]am getting fed up with being fobbed off at this stage

Graces7

So sorry about this. Where I live we are very short of GPs; I am managing on emergency care now. I thought they had to respond?

Hoping someone here can advise?

But a different practice might be better for you indeed. This is not good. NB I am the same age group as you and we need care.

Wesser

Nearly every practice is doing phone consultations so check what the system is in any new practice before you join.

Also make sure your current practice vas the correct phone number for you and phone turned up loud.

banie01

As wesser has said, phone consultation is the norm at present.

I know in my own GP's practice the process is a call to reception, an appointment for a call back from a GP, then dependent upon how the phone consultation goes either an appointment to attend or close out the issue.

Perhaps a call to the practice manager, and ask for an overview of how the new process is supposed to work?
Explain that you have had a couple of phone consultations, that have not been reassuring or closed out to your satisfaction and you just want to ensure you are clear on how the process is supposed to work.

Changing away from a practice you and your wife have a long history at may be quite jarring, if not for you? Perhaps for her?

The practice really should be handling this better, you are part of a vulnerable cohort and honestly an effort should be made to ensure that all contact with you ends with a simple question.
Is there anything else I can help you with or clarify for you.

Give the practice an opportunity to get their act together, but do what is best for you and your wife's health.

spatchco

thanks for the replys banie01 i have followed all the procedures so i will have to try and contact the practice manager may be nobody bothers to complain

Pretzill

I feel large practices have very poor service even prior to Covid - The practice near me rings out to a message saying "they are busy etc...ring back" To be honest I don't know how people who are critically in need of GP care get an appointment or whether many turn up at A&E instead putting further pressure on our health service.

At the height of the pandemic here we were being told not to ignore our health (any illness that wasn't covid related) but I think more people are putting things on the long finger because GP practices are so crowded/under pressure or have too many patients to offer a service people can be confident in.

A phone consultation can be very helpful if symptoms aren't too bad and helped with prescription but being
left out of the service is very bad. What about further tests, follow-ups, etc.

I think much of our health care problems could be eased by good primary health care - many GP's don't seem to agree.

spatchco

Pretzill i could not agreed with you more in our practice when we ring we are told we will ring you back in half an hour why they cant take the call i dont know and it has happened that we never get a call back at times i despare i get the impression that if you need to get an urgent appointment then go to the ER
thanks

Wesser

Maybe because they are extremely busy and cant cope with their workload?

Pretzill

Wesser wrote: »

Maybe because they are extremely busy and cant cope with their workload?

True but that's also a sign of a fault in the system - people wouldn't bring their car for an MOT to a garage if that garage didn't answer the phone - they'd go elsewhere but for some reason when dealing with people's health we are forced to accept poor service.

Wesser

Yes.... the fault being years of chronic underfunding and resourcing by the HSE......

Graces7

Wesser wrote: »

Yes.... the fault being years of chronic underfunding and resourcing by the HSE......

Nah. Does not excuse bad practice management or bad manners. It really doesn't. And there have always been " dragon receptionists". I was once told in the UK decades ago " Don't bother the dr on a SUNDAY!" in a medical emergency.

spatchco

well last Monday i handed in a letter addressed to the Practice Manager telling her how i felt about our treatment, well am still waiting for an acknowledgement or sorry but dont think i should hold my breath

Graces7

spatchco wrote: »

well last Monday i handed in a letter addressed to the Practice Manager telling her how i felt about our treatment, well am still waiting for an acknowledgement or sorry but dont think i should hold my breath

There is the option of making a formal complaint. OR maybe better, have a word the Patients Association here online.

Dempo1

Sorry to hear of your experiences OP, it's an extremely difficult time regarding GP services and indeed General Hospitals. I've been with my own GP practice 20years and like yourself extremely difficult to get an appointment other than phone consultation, I come at this from having an auto immune illness requiring 3 monthly blood tests.

My concern is actually changing GP, for a host of reasons, not withstanding them having knowledge of both your medical histories & actually finding another practice to take you on. Few if any GP"s are taking new patients and this was even before the Covid-19 crisis.

I had an recent issue and actually wrote to my GP, she was delighted with the note, it clearly outlined an issue I had re meds & additional issue. She called me within a day, had detailed phone consultation and she fitted me in for a 5 minute slot to check on the additional issue I had, so as to determine course of action.

It might just be worth trying a letter, express your concerns etc. Good luck and hope your concerns addressed.

Graces7

Dempo1 wrote: »

Sorry to hear of your experiences OP, it's an extremely difficult time regarding GP services and indeed General Hospitals. I've been with my own GP practice 20years and like yourself extremely difficult to get an appointment other than phone consultation, I come at this from having an auto immune illness requiring 3 monthly blood tests.

My concern is actually changing GP, for a host of reasons, not withstanding them having knowledge of both your medical histories & actually finding another practice to take you on. Few if any GP"s are taking new patients and this was even before the Covid-19 crisis.

I had an recent issue and actually wrote to my GP, she was delighted with the note, it clearly outlined an issue I had re meds & additional issue. She called me within a day, had detailed phone consultation and she fitted me in for a 5 minute slot to check on the additional issue I had, so as to determine course of action.

It might just be worth trying a letter, express your concerns etc. Good luck and hope your concerns addressed.

Great idea and one I have used. Address it to the dr and mark the envelope clearly PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL and put that in the letterhead also.

I have moved so often in my 20 years in Ireland and have had very mixed experiences. Especially as drs here by and large either ignore or do not believe in ME . it got too much hassle so now I settle for what prescription meds I need and emergency cover.

Do what you need to to get what you need! We are the "customers"/consumers.