My wife has been told our surgery are no longer allowing patients even talk to a doctor, and that we have to go to a pharmacist first, and if the pharmacist thinks we need to see a doctor they will refer us for a doctor phone call, it's utterly ridiculous.She booked me for bloods on tues then a proper health check and another reading the week after , that and the other thing appointments sorted in days , i know people have probs with their surgeries and hospitals but my trust rocks
That is madness , cant see the rationale at all, havent seen a gp for a while but nurse practioners and nurses are a way in mine quite easilyMy wife has been told our surgery are no longer allowing patients even talk to a doctor, and that we have to go to a pharmacist first, and if the pharmacist thinks we need to see a doctor they will refer us for a doctor phone call, it's utterly ridiculous.
She suspects her medication for something is at the wrong dose, and wanted it checked, but they won't let hereven talk to a doctor on the phone, and she's having to wait a week just talk to the pharmacist (and that is also on the phone).That is madness , cant see the rationale at all, havent seen a gp for a while but nurse practioners and nurses are a way in mine quite easily
Cant she just walk into the chemist and ask to speak to the pharmacist ? something is terribly wrong with your services, i walked into mine and said can you check my bp please as it is reading really high from my usual low ones , he did, wrote it down and said take this next door , you need to be seen by them today , in in three hours, i must be blessed to live where i doShe suspects her medication for something is at the wrong dose, and wanted it checked, but they won't let hereven talk to a doctor on the phone, and she's having to wait a week just talk to the pharmacist (and that is also on the phone).
Apparently not, I assume that's because everyone is now visiting the various pharmacies in the town, and they don't have the appointments either.Cant she just walk into the chemist and ask to speak to the pharmacist ? something is terribly wrong with your services
That is really frustrating , there is a gp shortage across my town , my own had to retire after nearly dying of covid and nobody wants the partnerships any more , just want to be a locums without the hassle , but of course they are in short supplyApparently not, I assume that's because everyone is now visiting the various pharmacies in the town, and they don't have the appointments either.
Our services are broken, started during covid, initially it was understandable that you couldn't just go into the surgery, but in the last 18 months it's become impossible. I don't think our surgery actually has any doctors left, and if you phone them you can be in a queue for 2 hours.
Luckily I don't really have any reason to use them, other than one repeat prescription, (currently got covid though, but symptoms are relatively mild thankfully) but my wife has various things she needs regular checks on for medication, and small adjustments can have significant impacts, and she generally knows if something is wrong herself, but to change it, it needs to be checked properly.
I believe they call it “white coat syndrome”.
An alternative is to buy a monitor - not expensive- and supply your own readings to your GP practice. Saves time and energy all round.
I came across the white coat thing last month.
Had a mild concern, went to A&E (as advised to) and they said "your BP is a bit high".
It transpired that "a bit high" was actually "dangerously high", about 195/140, and WCS got it up to 206. Apparently 180 is the point where they advise against discharging patients.
Pretty much got ordered to the GP who looked at my almost completely blank medical history and wondered why no-one had noticed.
Better now, 4 weeks on, but still higher than the GP likes.
Yeah, once you start on them,you are stuck with them for life.I've been on medication for nearly 2 yrs. I've change my lifestyle completely and I'm feeling great. My BP dropped from 15/10 to 11/7 and the highest record was 13/8. Now I'm 48 I wonder if I should keep on with the medication because each time I take it I feel very bad and this affect my mood and my performance at work. I've seen the doctor and he insisted that I continue with the meds.
Not necessarily.Yeah, once you start on them,you are stuck with them for life.