Quote:
Originally Posted by svenrico
The procedure you seem to be advocating already exists. You don't just get to see a doctor by ringing up and asking to see one like you might have done at one time. The receptionist may refer you to a nurse or arrange triage, or whatever it is when you speak to somebody on the phone, and if that doesn't work you might then get to see a doctor.
But it had got more difficult to see a doctor even before Covid.
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The GP System is geared up for pandemics/an overwhelmed setup and always has been for as long as I can remember - it doesn't really put care first, just survival. Here, you have to ring between 8.30am and 9.30am and stay on hold for around 30 minutes or more. I think the thinking is, the most ill will ring earliest - but obviously everyone rings at the same time. Usually they'll answer about 9.35am and say 'sorry it's past 9.30am try again tomorrow' so if you're not dead by the next day ,and it's important, you'll call again, if it's minor you'll be too fed up to try. The thing I've always found odd/lacking is the approach to diagnosis; there's no follow up or plan it just seems to be led by the shortsighted triage system 'get them out of the practice ASAP'. When I want to fix something I usually use process of elimination and I'm pretty sure doctors do too to some extent, however when I try a troubleshooting step I check it's worked before settling it as resolved. If you ring a doctor with with a trouble they might go 'hmm it's either constipation or deadly bum cancer, we'll try you with some laxatives first' so you trot off to get laxatives and while there's a chance the doctor was wrong and you've withered and died - if you don't call back they assume you're all fixed.
I suppose with the service being free, if they checked back in with customers a good number would just keep leading the doc on a wild goose chase but I'm not sure it's quite the right balance we have.