Pat talks about her recent experiences of GP services 

Hi, Pat. Hi. So my question is, could you tell us about your recent experiences at the GP surgery, please? Yeah, well, starting from the beginning, which is ringing up for an appointment, I have to say, is not very good, because, um, first of all, you tend to have to, you know, hang on. Hang on for quite a while now

It didn't used to be too bad. Uh, going back. Well, pre-covid, um and it used to tell you where you were in the queue, you know, so the music would start playing because you rang it on

Um and it'd say If it said like you are 35 in the queue, you'd think, Oh, well, I better ring back. Or if it said you are eight in the queue, you'd think, Well, that's not too bad. Um, but now it doesn't tell you that

So you just get this music playing and it can be playing for Well, I'd say an average was 20 minutes, but and then OK, I know be quite busy, et cetera, but when you get through when you do eventually get through it, it's like they'll say, like, um oh, I'm sorry. Um, we've not updated, you know, You say, can I make an appointment to see whoever the nurse or one of the doctors or then they'll say, Oh, well, we've not got the appointments for those just yet. Um uh, the the the system will be updated, Um, in two days or on Monday

So can you ring back then? Well, you know, you know, 20 minutes half an hour, so I don't find that very, you know, very helpful. And it's a case of Well, you know, second, leave it. That kind of does annoy me

I must say, um, you know, so that is the first thing. Then if you do ask to see a doctor and they say if they do agree that they're well, all right, you can see a doctor. Well, you can speak to a doctor

They'll ask you what's wrong and then Well, yeah, you can speak to a doctor or you can speak to the nurse. It's like up to the receptionist who you speak to, and and, you know, whether it be a doctor, whether you can go and and have a face to face appointment or whether they'll just ring you. You know, um, so that I don't find, you know, very, very helpful

Um, I think said all that. I have seen a doctor, Um, since only since covid, um when they just started to to see them Because I did have some pain in my leg after I had my operation. So I did see, you know, see a doctor, but more or less, because I kind of said, Well, I'd like to see you

You know, you did tell me on the phone. Oh, well, it's probably this And can you bend your knee this bar and, you know, But I said, Well, I'd like you to examine me. I You know, I had to ask

I had to ask for that. Um, so that was, you know, a bit, um, you know, a bit. Well, in the end, like I say, I did see the doctor

So? So that wasn't too bad. He actually referred me to a physiotherapist, which I had to wait quite a while to get the, you know, to get that appointment. But at least I got the appointment

Um, you know, But generally speaking, I find it's all this like They don't seem to have enough staff, you know, And and also they don't seem to be a lot of communication between the staff and the like. For instance, this morning my husband has just rang. He's not feeling too, too good with his

He's got a cough and the economy, and he quite often he gets a chest infection. So we didn't want, you know, he wanted to catch it in the first, you know, the first stages. So So he rang up the doctor

They said they rang up the surgery and they said, Well, the system was down, So could we make an appointment online? Well, fortunately, I could make an appointment online, So I did, and they sent me a text and said, Right, somebody will ring you back which I I have to say that they did ring today. They said within 48 hours, but they did ring today. I said what was wrong with him, you know, and he suffers from C O P

D. So you know he would need, um, you know, he doesn't want it to get any worse, and it's been going on for a few days anyway. The person who rang back? Um, she she was, um I think she's spoken to him before because it's to do with his breathing, and she was quite helpful

I must say, and she said, Right, I'll I'll do this sometimes because he can't hear very well on the phone to speak to me. You see? So she said, Right, I'll, um, I'll do a prescription for it and be available at the chemist. So at quarter past one, I mean, this was at, what? About 10 30 10? It'll be available for you, right? Quarter past one

We goes to pick it up, and they said, Oh, can you come back at two o'clock after two o'clock? Because it's not ready, you know? So And that's not the first time that's happened either. You know, So this there doesn't seem to be a lot of communication, really, between the doctors and the receptionists and and even the pharmacist, you know, So so that I find, you know, I do find that it's a bit a bit annoying, really. You know, to say the least, you know, um, having said that, I mean, you know, to to be on the positive side when I have seen the doctors

Uh, you know, they they've been, you know, quite quite helpful as a rule, Um, especially since they have been used on, I mean, in the past. I seem to have to, uh, you know, before I had my knees done, um, I had to kind of beg. For what? Can I have something done? And it was not yet

Not yet. This was way before covid this this, You know, I'm going back a good few years. Um, but, uh, since you know, since I've had my knees done, if I've been friends, then it's not been too bad

My husband's not had the same, uh, positive reactions a lot because he likes to see he does like to see a certain doctor. And I know he can't always because the doctor he likes to see everybody wants to see, you know, he he is the one that everybody wants to see. So sometimes, you know, maybe you can't see him

Um, but, um, you know, it's very even if you say right. Well, well, I'll wait, you know. Oh, well, then you'll have to ring back

You know, they they won't even say like, Oh, well, well, all right then. But it's three weeks away, You know, they say, Oh, but you'll have to ring back. You've always got to ring back, you know, and that it's things like that that are a bit annoying

Really? Um, I heard that. I mean, that's really interesting how all of that stuff feel really just really interesting and and and and and great that you can talk about it, so sort of clearly, um, for people, when How do you feel in the surgery, when you do get to go in? How What? What's your experience of sort of actually being there and how? How, how you feel and and particularly sort of post covid, I suppose. Yeah, well, it it depended what I was going with

Really? I mean, um, you know what? What? The complaint was I I was I was feeling especially before I had my first knee operation, because I'd been quite a few times. And, you know, I've been told all the time. Oh, no, You can't have it done yet

You can't have it done yet. I feel I'm a waste of my time here, and then I'd see different doctors sometimes because I just see who was available. And I think to myself, you know, I'm a waste of my time here because they're going to tell me the same thing

So I wouldn't feel very, very confident, you know, in in that respect, I mean, one once when I went I mean, I I'd had an injection in in mini a couple of times, and the first time first, couple of times I had it done. It wasn't too bad. But then it seemed to, um, kind of wear off a bit

Uh, you know, it didn't It wasn't such a lasting pain relief, really. And then I can remember going once, and this is when the other knee started as well. And I I was in pain with both

I felt quite upset on this day, actually, because I felt I was quite I was quite in pain with both of them, and I said, I I just feel like I want something, you know, doing and and can I can I have like, an injection in both of them, really? Just to see me at least out of pain for a bit and did this, Doctor who said, Oh, I can't do them both. Uh uh. I've only got 10 minutes and we're at the other surgery because the work between two surgeries, we're at the other surgery, and I've only got so many injections here, But, I mean, if it is, if his attitude would have been well, I'll tell you what I can do once a day

But then, you know, if you come back next week or as soon as you've got an appointment, I will do you another one. You know, if you have put it like that, but it was I've only got 10 minutes. Well, while you're making up your mind, I'll just go and wash my hands

You know, now that that day I was that I found that quite upsetting that day, you know? So But fortunately, since then, I you know, I mean, that seems to be saying everything negative, but, you know, there has been times when it's been, you know, OK, but in the experience of that, whether it's just our surgery, I don't know. But from talking to people, it seems to be pretty widespread. But there must be, you know, You know, I said, I mean, when I was everything I was well looked after, you know, everything was was fine

Um, you know, And so, you know, no complaints there. I must say, you know, and I think I was lucky to because, of course, me, uh, the second operation was post was cancelled at first, which was understandable because it was in the middle of Covid. So I knew that was going to be cancelled

Um, and then I got it, like, six months after which I did think I was lucky because Covid was still, you know, still in its still going. But I still got the operation six months after, So I did think that was a positive. You know, I think I I think I was lucky there to get it, because I know some people have been waiting, you know, a long time, you know, But like I say before covid

And if we're talking about before covid, You know most of my experiences wasn't that good, I would say. And what about the relationship between, like, the phone calls, appointments or the phone appointments and the in person? Do you? What's your sort of take on that. If there's any positive or negative sort of things around that more recently

Yeah, well, personally, I I just think a phone call with the things I I've rang about. I don't think that is is very good, you know, because, um it's perhaps all right if you, you know, if you just feel like you're coming down with a fever or something. But to me, I, you know, I felt that no, I should be seeing seeing the doctor

I mean, Well, the first time, when I I had a a phone phone conversation, he he did actually send me to the hospital because for an x-ray, you know, um uh, that was, um Yeah, that that would be before covid. Oh, no, no, no. It was sorry

It was yeah, And he sent me to the hospital for an x-ray. But it you know, um, but that was I thought, Well, is that to save him seeing me, or do you know what I mean? It it didn't seem to me. I would have preferred to see him first

You know, um you know, I mean, I'm sure there's a certain where you know you might. You know, you you might be OK with a telephone conversation. But generally speaking, I think have more confidence by seeing the doctor and, you know, and and showing him You know what's wrong, you know? Well, no, I can't be this play or, you know, things like that

Really? That makes sense. Thank you, Pat. Is it before we log clock off it? Is there anything else you'd like to say that you haven't had a chance to say? Um I don't, um The only other

The only other thing was, um, like, for instance, I I saw the nurse, Um, not so long ago, Um, and they couldn't get me an appointment when I wanted to. And it was for basically a repeat thing. It was the h RT which, um which normally I'd have to see the the doctor once and then six months later, the nurse and alternate it like that, You see? So So the last time I said, All right, I'm supposed to see the doctor, but the doctor because of covid so I could see the nurse

But there was no nurse. I couldn't make an appointment for for a couple of months, and by that time I would have run out. So she said, Oh, well, there's a local

Come. Can you come in the evening? So I said, Yeah, I'll go in the evening. I went in the evening, so this so this nurse or doctor was very nice

You know, he even gave me blood tests while I was there and which I lived up for. But I said, Oh, while I'm here, I might as well have you know, she was She was very nice. She said Right, Um, you can get your prescription tomorrow

Brilliant for Supposed to be for six months. I, um the next day when I rang up, I did I get I got a text and they said, Um oh, we'll just give you one month because you've got to see your own doctor. But why did they send me then? You know, and I I spoke to the receptionist at the time, and I said, Why did why did they get sent there? Because somebody else could have had that appointment

You know, See the news I should have seen in the first place. It seemed pointless, you know, does not mean, not a lot of communication going on that. Thanks, Pat

Thanks for today. I'm gonna I'm gonna press stop now. Thank you so much

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