Woman discusses compassionate care, access and continuity in Wigan (TW Suicidal Ideation)

mhm. OK, can you tell me a little bit about your experiences of using GP services recently? Uh, yeah. So, like with covid and everything, it's been completely different to how I've experienced it in the past. Um, I find it quite difficult to get into the GP at the moment, like even just contacting them on the phone

Or, um, obviously I work as a support worker, So I need to be ringing for my clients a lot. Booking appointments, medication and and stuff. Um, despite whichever GP in the area that I seem to be contacting regarding my clients or myself, it just seems really difficult to get any appointments or any clear answers to which way we need to be ordering medication and stuff like that

We've been told that we have to email, and then it goes to Well, you can just phone up, and then it's just constantly contradict to information. Um, for myself, it's been really difficult to even get hold of my GP because we have to do the my GP app. But it's constantly, um, full to capacity

So, um, it's almost impossible sometimes to get medication. Um, I've got quite a few clients as well that rely and depend on their medication. And it's been really difficult to get consistency with that, Um, so it's not been the best experience lately, but I am putting that down into the covid situation, which I'm sure is obviously difficult for them as well, so I can understand it

But it it does make life difficult, especially when you're relying on medication, Of course, so just thinking about yourself a little bit when you are ringing, and I imagine that you work shifts as well. So, like the times you can go are limited. How does it feel when you you are struggling to have that communication? It's frustrating because you can you can be told to go on the my GP app

But then when you do, you'll set, for example, I'll have a day off and I'll, I'll set my alarm to get up at, like, half seven in the morning just so I can actually get online in time because they open at eight and sometimes they can be shut by like half eight, and you've not even got the opportunity to put a request in. I'd I'd think that it was more acceptable if there was more room for, um request, even if they only view that at a later date, because then at least you've got your request in. But, um, you can't even leave a message or whatever

So then you you're kind of forced to ring, which they said that they don't really want phone calls because of you know how busy they are and stuff which I understand. But then when you ring, they just send you back to the my GP app or, um, they've got this GP Alliance hub. I think it's called where You can Ring, but it's it's just not convenient, especially when you're, you know, like you say

I work shifts and I work 15 hour shifts sometimes. And you know, I'm on the go constantly. It's just not convenient

This is just my personal experience, and I've heard it a lot as well, from my friends. And, you know, um, if it's just difficult, it's frustrating. Yeah, Can I just ask you a little bit about when you say you put a request in? What does that mean? It's basically you'll go on to my GP app

It's, um, like you just you just write basically about what you want, what you're looking for, and then you can send it in, and then the GP will obviously read it and then get back to you. But sometimes, um, they don't get back to you the same day. Even if they've said that they will, just because of obviously they're probably busy or whatever

But if that's full to capacity, then you can't even put that request in so you can't you. The website is literally on a lockdown. Basically

So So you've got to book appointments on the same day for the same day. Do you or can you forward book? You can't forward book at the moment. No, you They tell you that you have to book the appointment on the same day? Um, and it's all right

But if you put the request in, then you will. You are likely to get somebody ringing you or maybe sending a message on my GP. But I phoned a lot of the time as well

When I've done that, if I've asked for them to phone me or not phone me because I'm in work, then they'll phone me. Um So then I'm missing the phone call because I'm in work instead of putting the message on my GP app, which I request sometimes because I'm in work and our work shifts and I can't use my phone during that time. Yeah, sounds really difficult

So when you navigate all of that and finally manage to get an appointment, what's the service like when you go in or on the phone a lot of the time Now they are pushing to, um, do phone appointments or whatever, Which for for what? I'm experienced at the minute. Um, basically, I'm on antidepressants, and that's fine because I can speak over the phone and it's actually more comfortable for me personally. Um, the experience isn't too bad, but I have had bad experiences

I remember going into the GP after months of building up the courage to actually speak to the GP about what I was going through. And I remember telling her that, um, I felt really depressed. Um, I, you know, I was feeling to the almost suicidal to the point of when I see buses coming past, I want to throw myself into it

And she was quite negative about that, and it really did. Um, you know, I lost faith in the G e p. And then I didn't want to go again after that because she was saying that because I had insight to how I felt that she wasn't She wasn't worried about me

And she sent me on on my way with a phone number that I had to ring up. And I thought that was quite negative. I didn't feel like she actually helped

No, that sounds really difficult. Um, so, yeah, you weren't really given what you expected or would have needed. And overall, um, like, you'll go to the reception

If you do go in and they're not the friendliest, they're not the most approachable. I I can just set on myself, but I've had probably quite bad experience with GPS. So, um, I am waiting for a, um, a sleep clinic referral, and I put that in months and months and months ago

I think it's got to be about four months. No, maybe even more than that. Maybe six months

And I've still not heard nothing back from that. So But I do think Covid's having a massive effect. Overall and yeah, making a backlog of things that aren't being resolved

So So you you've mentioned, um, that you've had some negative experiences? Does that have an impact on how frequently you access the GP? Then it does. Because sometimes I just like, don't want to bother, because I feel like it's too much rigmarole. And there's been times where I've been running out

Obviously, I work shift work, and you know, I'm not as organised as some people would be, um, with ordering the medication because I work the shift work and I find it difficult because I might run out of medication. And then before I know it, I'm having to, like, you know, ring 111 or whatever. But sometimes that's even difficult to get, you know, your emergency medication

And it has a knock on overall effect with my mental health, because I rely on that medication now because I can feel it when I don't take it. So, yeah, it's It does make you reluctant to want to go to the GP. Well, thank you for your honesty, Um, and and sharing that insight

Is there anything else that you'd like to add? Um I think not really. I just think that I can I can be patient and I understand the whole situation. Um, and it's been a lot more of a negative experience since covid, which I understand it's not putting the blame on anyone specifically, Um however, I do think that it could definitely be improve the service overall, whether that be, you know, hiring more staff as a general, you know, a rule or whatever, but they always seem really busy and not able to meet their work

Their work needs, you know. Oh, thank you very much for sharing that you're welcome.