Covid-19 discussion thread

[Pamplemousse]

Well, his blood oxygen figure has improved but the aches and pains have returned. His GP practice has been utterly useless in offering any help or advice - as in, none.

[Lencoboy]

Well, his blood oxygen figure has improved but the aches and pains have returned. His GP practice has been utterly useless in offering any help or advice - as in, none.

Well as I've already said umpteen times before, our local GP practice didn't even seem in the slightest bit interested during the initial onset of the pandemic during the first half of Feb 2020 when both me and my dad suspected possible Covid, when we had extreme flu-like illnesses that lasted well over a fortnight.

In fact, even pre-pandemic they already had a habit of doing as little as possible, forever chopping and changing and fobbing off us patients.

And I'm not even going to politicise the issue as they have had an increasing sense of can't be bothered-ness and playing austere for well over 25 years now, under both Tory and Labour govts.

[fishman65]

In all honesty I think GPs are now 'referrers'. Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there existed doctors who would visit your house if you were ill. They had good knowledge of your medical background and those in your household. Now I think Doc Martin is the only GP who still does home visits?

[pulisa]

And he still has time to catch serial killers in his off duty hours....

[Lencoboy]

In all honesty I think GPs are now 'referrers'. Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there existed doctors who would visit your house if you were ill. They had good knowledge of your medical background and those in your household. Now I think Doc Martin is the only GP who still does home visits?

It does also seem like the average Joe Public increasingly think they're doctors, teachers, politicians, etc nowadays.

The 'know-it-all'/delusion of grandeur syndrome!

[Lencoboy]

I've noticed Dr JC doesn't appear to be doing videos virtually everyday on YouTube lately.

Instead, it only seems to be every 2-3 days on average ATM, though that probably might not be such a bad thing if he generally has significantly less to report on all things Covid of late.

[Catkins]

I fondly remember ringing up for an appointment in the morning, getting an appointment with your regular GP that afternoon, they then take the time to listen to you, give you a thorough going over and you leave thinking what a good doctor they are. I can't remember when I last saw a gp in person, I've seen the nurse twice last year, but that's it. Not even with all he trouble with my mental health this year, all over the phone.

I have passed many GP's in the corridors at work, but have just said hello, maybe I should ambush them!

[Lencoboy]

I fondly remember ringing up for an appointment in the morning, getting an appointment with your regular GP that afternoon, they then take the time to listen to you, give you a thorough going over and you leave thinking what a good doctor they are. I can't remember when I last saw a gp in person, I've seen the nurse twice last year, but that's it. Not even with all he trouble with my mental health this year, all over the phone.

I have passed many GP's in the corridors at work, but have just said hello, maybe I should ambush them!

Has this pandemic made them more lazy then?

(Not having digs at all GPs BTW).

[Catkins]

I don't know if it's made them lazy as such, I think it's made them use short cuts. But to the detriment of patient care.

[dorabella]

I can remember the days when a local GP surgery had open walk-in appointments between 5-7pm in the evening - like shuffling musical chairs outside the consulting rooms - as soon as a patient went into the rooms and vacated a chair everyone moved up one. The doctors - really nice no-nonsense types - were always willing to put themselves out for the sake of their patients - resulting in far fewer people haunting the surgery on a daily basis. You did feel supported and cared about. Those doctors around in the 60s and 70s would be horrified to see what the NHS and GP practices have become.

Now you cannot get an appointment for love nor money - but the GPs still get paid full salaries for less and less of a service - which has been quietly 'referred' to the poor A&E units as people get desperate. Whole GP service needs thorough reform and shake-up along with the NHS generally. Substantial wage cuts for poor service might do the trick...