Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I am on the frontline. I am the reality of the NHS on a typical day. I am what patients all over the country are experiencing when they ring their GPs. I am what Jeremy Hunt chooses not to wait for, preferring to go to A&E. I am the GP on-call today.
When I arrive before the surgery opens, all the appointments saved for today have gone. Booked already by my colleagues who needed to follow up a patient. By the reception staff who have been instructed to do so by a consultant letter, or a district nurse. Or a patient who insisted it was urgent. There are 10 appointments left for today. There are 10,000 patients. My three colleagues are here all day, but one can't help with the home visits. They have a meeting about commissioning services in the local area. A brilliant idea from the government. But there is no time or money allocated for them to attend this meeting. So that means there are just three of us.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/dr-zoe-norris/nhs-frontline-the-reality_b_6279784.html
When I arrive before the surgery opens, all the appointments saved for today have gone. Booked already by my colleagues who needed to follow up a patient. By the reception staff who have been instructed to do so by a consultant letter, or a district nurse. Or a patient who insisted it was urgent. There are 10 appointments left for today. There are 10,000 patients. My three colleagues are here all day, but one can't help with the home visits. They have a meeting about commissioning services in the local area. A brilliant idea from the government. But there is no time or money allocated for them to attend this meeting. So that means there are just three of us.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/dr-zoe-norris/nhs-frontline-the-reality_b_6279784.html