Staff at UK GP surgeries facing abuse and ‘tsunami of demand’

[Northerner]

NHS staff at GP surgeries are facing unprecedented abuse and aggression from patients, while stressed doctors are increasingly suffering from mental illness, because of an appointments system “in meltdown”, family doctors’ leaders have revealed.

The scale of the deep crisis in GP surgeries was revealed in an emergency summit of more than 60 NHS doctors, dentists and administrative staff in Salford, which the Guardian attended, triggered by a recent rise in verbal abuse.

Patients are short-tempered and not happy waiting for anything … They want letters. The latest one was a request to speak to a GP because he needs a letter to confirm anxieties that cause him a problem in long queues – because he wants to take his son to [Southport amusement park] Pleasureland and does not want to queue.” Jan Crowshaw, GP manager

It comes after a recent poll by the body representing GP surgery staff across the UK found that 75% of them face abuse every day, including assaults, threats, racism and sexism.

Staff at UK GP surgeries facing abuse and ‘tsunami of demand’

Exclusive: emergency summit reveals deep crisis with serious impact on mental heath of doctors, dentists and staff

www.theguardian.com

It's a shame people aren't more angry at a decade of underfunding and stopped voting in the people responsible instead of the people just trying to do their job

 

[Ditto]

Salford though innit? They might not be getting abused in the posher bits darn sarf.

 

[Ljc]

Salford though innit? They might not be getting abused in the posher bits darn sarthey are

Sadly they are.
One practice I was under had to put security screens in to protect the reception staff.

 

[Ditto]

Good grief, there's no hope for us then, people are becoming feral!

 

[Northerner]

Good grief, there's no hope for us then, people are becoming feral!

That's maybe part of the problem - people are suffering mental health issues from the pandemic and are taking it out on the staff Probably taking it out on supermarket staff and bus drivers too

 

[nonethewiser]

We all know frustrations of trying to get thru & book gp appointments, but to resort to abuse is step to far.

Anyone with ounce of sense will know pressure surgeries are under in these trying times, those who think verbally abusing person on other end of phone are in the main just knuccleheads if they think that is solution, pure & simple.

 

[grovesy]

I have to say since the pandemic I have been getting through on the phone alot quick to my surgery than before.

 

[Robin]

While I would never resort to abuse or violence, I sometimes wonder if medical professionals have ever tried phoning their
own surgeries. I came back in from the garden during lockdown to a message on the answerphone to ring a specific HCP at the surgery. I duly rang, listened to the lengthy recorded messages about not bothering them during the pandemic, queued for my call to be answered, asked to be put through, and was redirected through to the extension which was unanswered and eventually cut me off. I then had to dial back in, listen to all the messages again, wait in the queue to be answered, and repeat my request. Before I had time to say, could I leave a message for her, I was just clicked straight through to the extension again. Luckily this time the extension was answered, but if it hadn’t, it would just have dropped off again and I’d have been back to square one.

 

[trophywench]

They've actually added a bit to our surgery phone answering system where as long as you're not ringing on a landline with a call monitoring system - which ours has to reduce the nuisance calls - and it's certainly done that - so we have to ring on our mobiles, you can press '1' and it'll call you back when you get near the front of the queue - and that works a treat, same as it does on the CCG prescription ordering service. Just have to take your phone with you to the loo or wherever you happen to go so you don't miss the callback!

(and you know it's gonna ring when you're wiping your bum or washing your hands ...... )

 

[pm133]

Good grief, there's no hope for us then, people are becoming feral!

I see it the other way. It seems to me that humans have always been feral and that a thin veneer of civilisation keeps a lid on all of it.

Allow people to hide behind a tinted car windscreen or become anonymous on the internet and you see their true character. You also see it when you allow people to have a little bit of power. You see this with the Mini Hitler syndrome which I think we've all seen everywhere in our lives. You saw it with the pandemic and the toilet roll situation. People jumping queues, deliberately coughing on each other and a million other aggressive acts. Then you see them when they've had a few drinks.... Try asking your neighbour to turn down the sub-woofers on their stereo or TV and see how that goes (been there, didn't end well) or to trim their Leylandii tree which has exceeded 2 metres and is now blocking out light into one entire side of your house. I could continue but I think there's a word count limit on posts 🙂.

This sounds doom and gloomy but I don't mean it to be. There's no point really. People are what people are. For me, it's just a useful thing to bear in mind. When I become king, the thing I'm looking forward to isn't the money or the beautiful wife. It's being able to live where I have no neighbours. At all. 🙂

 

[mikeyB]

What a wonderfully misanthropic piece of thought, @pm133 . It’s a good job we’re not all of the same opinion, but it’s as valid a view as any. 🙂

But what happened to Scottish neighbourliness?

 

[pm133]

What a wonderfully misanthropic piece of thought, @pm133 . It’s a good job we’re not all of the same opinion, but it’s as valid a view as any. 🙂

But what happened to Scottish neighbourliness?

I think Homer Simpson's quote sums it up well for me.
"I like the idea of humanity. It's just people I can't stand."

Society is great and it's a good thing for everyone that it works as well as it does. Without society, I'd be dead right now as there would be no insulin.

I'm happy to appreciate all of this from a very large distance though. Alone. In peace and quiet. Bliss!

 

[Pumper_Sue]

My previous GP practice has put a notice on their website which basically says " it's our weekend off so sod you lot we have switched of the email system until Tuesday Morning as last bank holiday we were inundated with with requests"

No idea what they thought that would achieve besides an avalanche of requests on Tuesday morning plus the complaints.