It was with trepidation and excitement that we awaited the first episode of GPs: Behind Closed Doors on Channel 5. Would it be a highly edited version that showed a Practice Managers slight annoyance at the umpteenth cancelled appointment at the end of a long day? Would it show us as we generally are, low on time and limited on budget?

Would it see GPs cutting conversations short when they know how the patient’s sentence will end, for example:

Patient: I have a cough I think…
Doctor: Antibiotics won’t cure your cough
Patient: I hardly smoke at all only…
Doctor: Regardless of how much it is you can still benefit from stopping altogether
Patient: I’ve no idea why I’m overweight as I hardly eat and only drink one…
Doctor: Wine has a lot of calories, consider limiting your intake

It’s the classic situation of seeing a patient through a GPs eyes. Almost before they sit down we have listed the areas in which they could help themselves.

Quit smoking, exercise more, cut down on junk foods, limit drinking, stimulate the brain and stay away from the virtual world.

In reality though many patients do expect an instant cure, as Dr Parker said, “we really don’t have a magic wand…self-care is all you need.”

As we watched the first episode from behind a cushion we realised that it wasn’t bad at all. Rather than causing controversy it depicted a series of settings that were honest and quite true to form.

It left the viewer to make up their own mind and we’re sure that many were shouting at the screen, and like us, they bellowed, “You’re wasting his time!” especially when the fifth patient was seen with a minor complaint such as a tickly throat or a blister. We’re pretty glad it gave patients a look behind the scenes, to expose just what we deal with on a daily basis and why we so look forward to Friday evenings.

It also managed to strike a balance between the totally exasperating and the patients that wait too long to see their GP, such as the upsetting scene of the lady with dementia and others that take their time over providing samples due to fear.

The doctors of St John’s surgery are also the epitome of what a doctor should be. Patient, empathetic, calm, firm, sensitive, knowledgeable, reassuring and insightful. They couldn’t have picked a better team to highlight the red tape we fight against every day for our patients, some of whom refuse to help themselves.

Although it gave a balanced view we did think something was missing. For a surgery that sees over a thousand patients a week, we missed:

• The constant ringing of the phone, pinging of the email or noises from the patients playing Bejewelled Blitz in the waiting room
• The endless cold cups of coffee and tea that are made in a hurry but left to go stale
• The patient that believes there’s a conspiracy and there are free appointments, the receptionist is just a little blind, incapable or simply doesn’t like the patient
• The children that scream because they feel ill/ have immunisations/ simply don’t like the doctor

Above all the general chaos, organised but noisy, frantic and relentless with a magical way of making those hands on the clock prove there are just not enough hours in a day!

[Guest Practice Manager Post]

The programme is currently showing on Channel 5 on Tuesday nights. If you would like to catch up then you can on the Channel 5 on demand website here:
http://www.channel5.com/shows/gps-behind-closed-doors/episodes/

You can also follow one of the GPs featured on the show on Twitter. His name is Dr Chris Ferdinand @DrFerdy. Or search for #GPsBehindClosedDoors for the latest comments.

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