GPC met health minister over NHS England’s ‘appalling slur’

[Northerner]

Exclusive The BMA’s GP Committee has met with a health minister, as well as the NHS chief, over NHS England’s claim last month that GP practices are not open to patients, Pulse has learned.

GPC chair Dr Richard Vautrey told Pulse he met with Jo Churchill and NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stephens over the recent controversy, which he called an ‘appalling slur’.

It comes as the CQC today published its annual report, saying GPs should make sure not to give the ‘inadvertent’ message that their practice is closed.

NHS England landed itself in hot water with GPs last month after it issued a press release to national newspapers suggesting GPs were not offering face-to-face appointments where necessary.

However, the ongoing advice from NHS England is that practices should remotely triage all patients whilst the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

Dr Vautrey told Pulse that he recently had meetings with both primary care minister Ms Churchill, and Sir Simon, to discuss the issue ‘in detail’.

https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/coronavirus/gpc-met-health-minister-over-nhs-englands-appalling-slur/

 

[martindt1606]

Annual Diabetic check last week, 4 months late, and only agreed at reception because i had a small but painful skin split on the back of my foot. GP open???? No a telephone call not even zoom so that they could have a look......Got some cream and foots ok. Oh and no blood / urine test of course.

 

[grovesy]

How could you have your check if your surgery closed and no phone?

 

[martindt1606]

How could you have your check if your surgery closed and no phone?

sorry: surgery closed to patients and "no a telephone call" was supposed to say it was a telephone call which is not a communication channel that is acceptable for an annual diabetes check where the list of checks specified as a minimum requirement dictates face to face and physical contact......

 

[mikeydt1]

doesn't just apply to surgeries, around here since covid began outpatients has been shut to patients and all they are offering is phone appointments no good for anyone. other services which should be f2f are reverting to phone appointments only!

 

[grovesy]

sorry: surgery closed to patients and "no a telephone call" was supposed to say it was a telephone call which is not a communication channel that is acceptable for an annual diabetes check where the list of checks specified as a minimum requirement dictates face to face and physical contact......

I would not call a telephone call a Diabetic Check either. I rang my surgery in July to try and book both an Asthma Check and Diabetes check was told by the receptionist, both would be by phone so declined them, I rang few weeks later this time I agreed to them via phone, first thing the Nurse said was we can't do the Diabetic Check over the phone gave me an appointment for the following week for bloods and check with her, followed by a phone appointment with results the week after that. When I went to the surgery I had to ring to get in what was a staff entrance and there was only one other person in the extremely spaced out waiting room about 1/4 of normal chairs. I had my normal check including feet check.
I have been in to my surgery or should say surgeries 3 times over the time of pandemic, one to drop a specimen off that I was surprised was still going to be done, I had to ring door bell to hand it into the the receptionist, and rang for result, a week later. Second time was for the above Diabetic check. Third was for Flu vaccine given very specific time, advise not arrive more than 5 mins before and path to entrance was marked for social distance and queue was manned and only let in one at time, directed to a station for nurse to give vaccine, and directed out via side door.
As with everything NHS places seem to be doing different things.

 

[mikeyB]

Indeed, @grovesy, my surgery is open for appointments, but only bookable if you ring first thing. Telephone appointments are easy to arrange. It really depends on where you are, and what the surgery is prepared to do. Flu vaccine arrangements are the same as yours.

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

I've been very lucky in my GP surgery in that my nurse tried very hard to get me to come in for a check but I declined.
My blood sugars are nearly always between 5.4 and 5.9 now - even after meals and sometimes go up to 6.9 if I have a truly 'naughty' meal with some fruit involvement but no higher and they have been like that for a few months. My blood pressure is stable and normal and I'm very, very slowly getting slimmer - no idea what my weight is as I haven't had a scales in the house for over ten years.

Which makes me even crosser that other people are not getting the opportunity to be properly looked after. Our surgery has just changed all the doors for automatic ones so nobody has to touch anything to get in and around the building. I know this because my nurse was at pains to try and convince me everything was very safe so I would come in. She talked to me on the phone instead at my request.