Over 50s may be told to shield?

I can’t remember the last time I had my temperature checked by a dr.

in fact other than blood tests or vaccines, I can’t think of any time I’ve done anything other than have a conversation.

 

The only time I (usually) visit a doctor is for an annual assessment of my medication. It would make perfect sense to do this remotely. It would be better for both the GP practice and myself.

I've had spinal surgery. I've had my face smashed in with a baseball bat breaking both my cheek bones, my jaw on either side and leaving my nose with protruding bone fragments. My appendix ruptured leaving me with septicemia, peritonitis, organ shut down and 3 years out of my life. I have been part of a household that suffered a bacterial meningitis infection leaving one of us in ICU for two weeks and the rest of us, and all our families, frightened out of our minds (we survived because the doctor had lost two patients from it before). I suffer Reiter's syndrome. I am bipolar and have primarily obsessive obsessive compulsive disorder. Please don't try to argue this is OK. It fkucing isn't. I could be your dead son.

 

But excess deaths means that covid is killing people who haven't been tested right? Can't possibly be that we have sacrificed thousands by denying them treatment

 

I don’t think anyone thinks closing down the NHS is either a good thing or necessary. It’s a fücking disgrace. Lockdown doesn’t require shutting down necessary medical care. It just doesn’t. Critical care patients, including Covid, should have been priority, but only while the hospitals were absolutely unable to provide other services. I still haven’t seen the data on how much hospital care has been abandoned. I do know multiple people that have had hospital care during the lockdown. I also know people that have had things like mammograms cancelled.

For remote appointments, I’m advocating it specifically for initial GP appointments, not hospital. GP appointments should be remote for an initial consultation, then in person if required following that. I would be willing to put money on that change equating to people getting physically seen by a GP sooner. With phone appointments, the doctors will be able to get through more initial consultations in a day. Those that need to see a doctor in person will be able to more quickly, due to less crowded waiting rooms.

In theory.

 

I dont think it will. In a lot of cases it will be phone call plus actually physical appointment instead of just the physical appointment. Gps already triage by phone in my surgery.

 

I've never had a phone appointment or even heard of them happening before Covid. It will stop the people that go to the doctors for any old ache or pain from having to go in, the doctor can just give them some pain pills and they're away.
Same with a lot of other ailments. Basically anything with no external symptoms.

 

I am extremely lucky, I hardly ever visit the doctors. In fact as an adult I think it's 3 times.
Every time it's been more than a conversation, it's been a blood test once, a rather lovely stool sample once and a good old fashioned feel around and use of stethoscope once.

Maybe my infrequency in going and my lack of just popping in for a chat are related. I try not to waste a doctor's time

 

At your age (ish) I was once asked who my GP was and when I gave his name, my sister (within earshot) shouted 'he's been retired 7 years!!'.

Between 30 and 50 I probably visited the Dr about 4 times. Nowadays I have a nodding relationship with both my GP and another practice GP I see instead. Some aspects of getting older aren't so positive. But other than a weeks rest after surgery I haven't had a day off work 'sick' in about 15 years.

I don't understand why people are reading this as 'there's no need for a F2F service'; typical internet overreaction. The simple truth is that most of us don't need a F2F appointment most of the time, and of course that service should be available when required (no one is saying it shouldn't).

 

Absolutely true on your last point I feel. I’m not necessarily saying that these people are wasting the doctors time, but there are people that will go to the doctor for very minor things. Obviously if it’s enough for them to feel they need a doctor, that’s fine, but a doctor can diagnose a neck pain or back pain over the phone and prescribe pain killers.

 

Our GP surgery have been doing them for years. It can be really frustrating. I once had a ear infection and had to wait all day for a phone appointment so the doctor could hear my symptoms and "invite me in" if they needed to. Despite me pointing out to the receptionist that surely the first thing the doc would want to so is look inside me ear.
I can see the benefits from a logistic point of view but really don't think it has a massive upside for the patient. Yes it may save you a little time but I don't think it's a good substitute for actually seeing a doctor, who may then pick up on things you haven't noticed.
Like most things it needs the right balance.

 

Seems like a doctors dream this not having to come face to face with the great unwashed.

 

It seems to me highly dangerous that obvious things will be missed. A sore throat could be a minor thing or far more serious. Doctors can ask questions to narrow things down, but without being actually been able to see you, test blood pressure, temperature it is largely guesswork. The NHS 111 line was a great idea, but it is no substitute for seeing a doctor, or other medical professional.

 

Spent 5 years working for NHS Direct (the precursor to 111), and it was a great service. Ring if you have a worry, and they point you onwards to a doctor or even arrange an ambulance if it is more urgent. It does seem strange that in this day and age you are restricted to the next available appointment at your own GP. You could have a GP for ongoing treatment of long-term illness, but you should be able to attend any doctor in the area if it is more urgent depending on who has free appointment slots.

 

I agree it does make perfect sense that. It makes sense that resources are spread out.

 

It makes sense but shouldn't be the norm to not see your doctor. My local surgery always has a sign up telling you the number of missed appointments in the previous month. The argument for people who don't go to a doctors appointment being fined or even banned from that surgery again so they have to try and get in at another is big. Phone consultations would cut down on this.

If you've a rash then talking to your doctor over the phone and telling them what it looks like makes sense because they can tell you to pick up some cream. If you're a single parent with a couple of kids it's easier to chat to your doctor on Zoom then go to a surgery dragging on a couple of children. From what you ring up about the GP will know quickly if they need to see you in person.

 

The plan (if it ever was a plan) has been dropped.