Lots of phone calls and relief when face-to-face with a doctor

Hi. Hi. Do you want me to press? Got it. Oh, is that what he's asking you to? Yeah, yeah, yeah, Yeah

OK, Brilliant. So could you tell me about a recent, uh, GP services experience? Right? The most frustrating thing is getting an appointment in the first place. Uh, you have to be on the phone at eight o'clock

And what I found, I do. I I have a mobile phone and call. I have my landline and a call as well

And then I'm constantly redialing on both because it is hell to get through. Um, sometimes you might get through to the, um, the automated, uh, service where you have to press two etcetera, and then you might get in the queue, and then it disappears completely. That's why you have to have a backup

Um, and then a few times, I finally got through to the receptionist to find out that all the appoints had gone. So you can't even speak to someone. But when I have spoken to someone for quite a while, it was always the practise nurse

Uh, not a doctor. Which a lot of the time. Yeah, that that's ok

Recently, I had a problem. And I did actually speak to a doctor, which I was amazed, because I can't remember how long it was since I've spoken to a doctor. Um, and, uh, she put me on some antibiotics, and it it was actually a locum doctor

And my problem hadn't cleared When I finally managed to get through to somebody again, and I actually got through to a doctor again, again, Very surprising. She said what I needed to come in and do was come in for an examination, which, if that had happened in the first place, if I hadn't had to have a locum doctor, you know, uh, it would have been sorted there and then, but, um I mean, once I got to see her and you know she'd sent me to hospital as well, everything was fine. You know, that was great

But the frustrating thing is trying to get through in the first place. And then, of course, it's always a telephone appointment first, which I suppose that does assist, uh, the doctors. Uh, but there are times when it is so much easier face to face, and I do tend to I have nothing serious wrong with me

But there are so many little things. You think you know, If I saw a doctor, you know, I might just say, Oh, whilst I'm here and they do say sometimes the the bits that people say as they go out the door. Oh, whilst I'm here, they're actually the most important bits

That can be the serious problem, but the one that initially come for So, uh, I know it's difficult for them and they haven't got the staff that they need. And I think that is where they really need to to get money pumped in and try and get more people there. Just so that these what ifs don't what whilst them here don't get missed

Yeah. I mean, and And this in terms of the sort of time that you're spending trying to get through. And, yeah, and and then maybe some of the other points

What? What's the kind of impact on you Hazel on your on your life? Well, it's it's totally frustrating. And you know what? But if I follow, um, I wake up late and I've missed that eight o'clock, you know? You know, I've got minutes to 88 o'clock to try and ring up. Yeah, if you if you miss it just by a few minutes and you're way back in the queue

And after 10 minutes of constantly ringing, you still haven't got an appointment. OK, you can go to a walk in clinic, but, uh, sometimes you just want to see your, well, your own doctor your own surgery not have to drive and wait ages to see somebody else who's totally stressed out because they've got the numerous people know it's just frustrating more than anything. Uh, in the times that you have had sort of phone conversations, how have you found that? Like when I actually got to see a doctor recently, that was so nice

It's such a relief to be able to sit in front of a doctor. Uh, explain. I mean, I have got one little thing wrong with me at the moment, which I've never even spoke to the doctor about which keep thinking I must do at some point

You know, uh, but you don't want to bother them, you know, until something starts getting a bit serious. You think you know they've got enough to do so you just they don't bother them. And you said you you saw the doctor

It was so nice. What was that? What did the doctor do to or what did the surgery and how how that positive experience come about. What did they do to make it so positive for you? Um, made you feel like you're, um you're more important

I suppose if you're you're actually seeing them rather than just a phone call, you know, it's somebody who's not important. Just get the information, get rid of them and get on with the job, you know? Um, yeah. Oh, yeah

See, see, actually, see someone on it. It's as if, uh, the cam or Yeah, how about when you've been to the surgery? How how safe do you feel when you're there? Oh, fine. Yeah

Yeah, uh, safer than, uh, pre pandemic, cause, uh, pre pandemic. It was always jam packed. Yeah

So there's lots of people there, but now there might be a in my my section of, uh, this practise. So there might be, uh, perhaps a couple more people waiting. That's all you know

And it's big and airy, so yeah, I feel very safe. So that's an actual improvement since the pandemic, Do you think? Yeah. Yeah

Has there been anything else that you feel that's improved on a positive? Yeah, I I suppose these say these telephone calls because it could be something really simple. That can be, uh, just sorted over the phone. So I mean, I I do want to do anything I can to help them as well

And this is helping them, you know, if it's something that Oh, yeah, I'll just do a prescription. But as I say, actually seeing somebody face to face, you know, the doctor can also spot things in the person that's in front of them. That that person might not have realised is, um, a clue to what's wrong? Uh, but, um yeah, so GP surgery is Yeah, a lot safer, but, um, the worst bit is trying to get those appointments

Brilliant. Thanks so much. That's really, really interesting

And really Well, well, well. Thank you for the time. I'm going to press stop now, ok? Ok, thanks

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