truthseeker
Registered User
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Just reminded of this from another thread here about GPs.
Im not happy with the service from my GPs practice. I like the GP on a personal level, but over a few years, and increasingly in the past 2 years I have become unhappy with aspects of the service. The reason I hadnt changed GP in the past was mostly because Ive had the same GP for 20 odd years and it seemed like a lot of hassle to change. A recent nasty experience with the practice has persuaded me that I should change.
But Id like peoples opinions, perhaps Im being unreasonable in my expectations?
There are 2 GPs in the practice, Im not confident of one of them due to more than one misdiagnosis, therefore I always only use the other, meaning I can really only see a GP half of the time.
One GP costs a tenner more than the other for no reason I can see. Unfortunately its the one I prefer who is more expensive!
One GP refuses to accept medical card holders or indeed to sign up to any scheme (like combined care for pregnant women) at all - in other words, private patients only, at a tenner a pop more than the other GP. I just feel, for a caring profession, that this is a bit money grabbery and it doesnt sit well with me.
There is absolutely no service offered outside of a straightforward appointment, ie, if you phone afterwards with a query about your appointment, with a query about instructions given, with an update such as your condition has worsened - the receptionists will not entertain you at all. To the point of rudeness actually. They behave as though they are the gatekeepers to Valhalla. I know that this is coming from their employers so they are not directly to blame, but I object to paying for a 20 minute appointment at 10am and then having a simple question at 1pm and an absolute refusal for it to be dealt with. I have on occasion had to pay for a second appointment to ask a question regarding the first!! The only way to speak to or get a message to the doctor is to pay for an appointment. If you leave a message you never ever get a call back.
One GP refuses to computerise the system, meaning you can never have a receipt re-issued which is annoying if you lose one.
Sometimes they dont write things in the notes and if, god forbid, you end up back because of some issue to do with an earlier appointment and you happen not to see the same person (a locum covers holidays for example), there is confusion because nothing was written up.
If you have to make a return visit with the same complaint in a matter of days, you are charged full whack again.
The locum GP (and the locum receptionist for that matter) always behave in a totally different way and offer help beyond what is normally available leading me to believe that the practice is actually not helpful compared to others - of course, Ive no experience of other practices so dont really know!
So I suppose the question here is this - is the above a normal way for most GP practices to behave?
Im not happy with the service from my GPs practice. I like the GP on a personal level, but over a few years, and increasingly in the past 2 years I have become unhappy with aspects of the service. The reason I hadnt changed GP in the past was mostly because Ive had the same GP for 20 odd years and it seemed like a lot of hassle to change. A recent nasty experience with the practice has persuaded me that I should change.
But Id like peoples opinions, perhaps Im being unreasonable in my expectations?
There are 2 GPs in the practice, Im not confident of one of them due to more than one misdiagnosis, therefore I always only use the other, meaning I can really only see a GP half of the time.
One GP costs a tenner more than the other for no reason I can see. Unfortunately its the one I prefer who is more expensive!
One GP refuses to accept medical card holders or indeed to sign up to any scheme (like combined care for pregnant women) at all - in other words, private patients only, at a tenner a pop more than the other GP. I just feel, for a caring profession, that this is a bit money grabbery and it doesnt sit well with me.
There is absolutely no service offered outside of a straightforward appointment, ie, if you phone afterwards with a query about your appointment, with a query about instructions given, with an update such as your condition has worsened - the receptionists will not entertain you at all. To the point of rudeness actually. They behave as though they are the gatekeepers to Valhalla. I know that this is coming from their employers so they are not directly to blame, but I object to paying for a 20 minute appointment at 10am and then having a simple question at 1pm and an absolute refusal for it to be dealt with. I have on occasion had to pay for a second appointment to ask a question regarding the first!! The only way to speak to or get a message to the doctor is to pay for an appointment. If you leave a message you never ever get a call back.
One GP refuses to computerise the system, meaning you can never have a receipt re-issued which is annoying if you lose one.
Sometimes they dont write things in the notes and if, god forbid, you end up back because of some issue to do with an earlier appointment and you happen not to see the same person (a locum covers holidays for example), there is confusion because nothing was written up.
If you have to make a return visit with the same complaint in a matter of days, you are charged full whack again.
The locum GP (and the locum receptionist for that matter) always behave in a totally different way and offer help beyond what is normally available leading me to believe that the practice is actually not helpful compared to others - of course, Ive no experience of other practices so dont really know!
So I suppose the question here is this - is the above a normal way for most GP practices to behave?