I have NO words! I watched the Panorama programme the other night.
I’m speechless – in an “I don’t know what to be speechless about first” kind of way!
I don’t recognise the type of service that this programme was talking about. Yes, we face daily challenges in terms of availability. Yes, sometimes we don’t have as many GPs as we’d like. We’ve always worked to an “x patients per FTE GP” model, and even have a spreadsheet (with conditional formatting and everything) so we know when we’re pushing the boundaries of good patient care.
I’m really worried that our patients will think that what that programme portrayed is reflective of the thousands of practices across the UK. The narrative seems to be, “patients can’t get an appointment” and “it’s not face to face”.
The damage done to the concept of the multidisciplinary team is staggering. We’ve spent years now working towards a more multidisciplinary approach, and convincing patients to see one of our well-qualified and well-supported team members when they’re not a GP is now going to be a real challenge. We’re working towards the idea that patients will see the most appropriate person for their needs – ARRS roles, anyone? It’s enough of a challenge recruiting, but this constant narrative of “GP practices are rubbish” is just nonsense.
I work with an incredible team of professionals. I see on a day-to-day basis what amazing individuals they are. So, when it comes to my own health, do I want to see a GP if my problem would be better dealt with by someone else? NO, I don’t!
I’m busy, so why would I want a gatekeeping appointment before seeing the person who’s the most appropriate professional to deal with my issue? Of course, the challenge is how we get this message across to the patients we see in our surgeries every day.
Yes, we are still open – always have been.
Yes, we are seeing patients face to face – always have been.
Yes, it is difficult to get an appointment sometimes, but more appointments are being delivered than ever before.
Yes, we do offer appointments with staff who are not GPs. A GP isn’t the most appropriate person for everything in the surgery. Wound-dressing? A member of the nursing team would be perfect for this.
I think we need to stop giving the message that we’re GP practices. We’re Primary Care Teams. The GP deals with some things, but there are other well-qualified, well-supported members of staff within our teams.
I need to stop watching TV. Clearly, it’s making me cross.
June 17, 2022 at 6:53 am
I have to say that I didn’t view this programme in the same way. I didn’t think it was attacking the concept of a “Primary Care team” and using different types of healthcare professionals where appropriate. It was exposing a poorly run, under resourced and profit orientated organization for what it was. Too many practices are like, or close to, this model. They need exposing and improving.
June 17, 2022 at 9:35 am
I agree – it wasn’t intended as a criticism of general practice per se but of a particular organisation with what looked to be unsafe working practices. I welcomed it.
June 17, 2022 at 10:17 am
Malcolm does have a valid point here. The programme should not however have emphasised this as a GP practice but rather as a commercial (dare I say “privatised”?) set-up. Conversely there are GP practices on the `traditional` model who are pretty badly organised and useless too. I have for a long time thought the 1948 model was no longer fit for purpose but also that conglomerate medicine was not the answer either. Will networks be the saviour? – perhaps. Will CICs be better? – again perhaps. If anyone has the certain and foolproof answer take one step forward……
June 17, 2022 at 7:27 am
well said, I must admit I had to turn over after 15 minutes
June 17, 2022 at 7:31 am
Could not agree more!! Hugely frustrating that such negativity towards General Practice is so commonplace and seemingly perfectly acceptable!
We’re on our knees but we stick with it and work hard to make improvements to our services and the quality of care we give our patients.
Sadly it will never be enough for some and the media just keep battering us.
Disappointing
June 17, 2022 at 7:48 am
“I think we need to stop giving the message that we’re GP practices. We’re Primary Care Teams. The GP deals with some things, but there are other well-qualified, well-supported members of staff within our teams” – Spot on
June 17, 2022 at 7:50 am
another nail in the GP practice/primary care coffin…how much more can we take?
read the article by BBC journalist and share with our management team: speechless and cross- our physician associate commented on it too was not a happy bunny
perhaps when everything becomes privatise, when patients have to start to pay for their treatment even to see a GP, only then perhaps will then understand how good that had it
June 17, 2022 at 9:10 am
I fully agree with your comments. Telephone calls suit a lot of our patients in fact some get huffed about coming in for a Face to Face!!!
We have already seen negative comments by patents about PA’s who haven’t even seen ours. Thankfully we have had good feedback form those who have but they are drowned out by the misinformation this programmed caused for the 3 and half minutes PA we discussed.
I wasn’t sure in the end who Panorama were having a pop at. I initially thought it was the management of the company because it was American but not how the patients have viewed it.
June 17, 2022 at 10:46 am
The NHS is poorly run and under resourced. The general public need to know and understand what is going on with the NHS.
GP locums being paid more than the GP partners can earn is not sustainable and yet it is allowed to continue. Where in any other industry are you self employed, and yet your pension gets paid on top of your hourly rate.
The whole system is broken and it relies on the remaining staff to try and carry on.
I think we need a ‘rail strike’ to make people sit up and take notice
June 17, 2022 at 2:19 pm
” I asked why we wouldn’t just have more doctors” – has she not watched the news for the last 5 years?
June 17, 2022 at 3:58 pm
So the response on this post which I have read is a balanced view of an experienced PM and a cry for help ( which I totally understand).
You may be PM’s new to the job (welcome to the world of PM) or an older, totally disillusioned PM;s who just want to take their pension and get out, which is a really sad loss to the profession.
Having been forced to retire from a job I loved for personal reasons (my husband has dementia and cannot no longer be left alone) I a consultancy role within the PCN, I viewed this TV programme with interest and and open a ‘virtual’ consultancy role with the PCN.
At the end of it, I totally believe that this programme exposed the ethics of private companies who hold AMPS contracts and in no way reflect nGMS contract holders – but guess the question is would the public know the difference?
Think about what we, as PM’s are doing to educate our patients – they moan about us, we moan about them; something needs to change if we are all going to work together to keep General Practice working and as PM’s that is our (sorry, your job).
It is not about us/you, it is about the patients, try and get your PCN/CCG (Soon to be ICB) on board; and engaged with local mentor services which can help you – sorry not sure where you are located but if you want to contact me personally I will try and find out.
Local HealthWatch are not the enemies as many PM’s see them, but a valuable asset to help promote the positives of a surgery.
So sorry, but you sound very stressed and at the end of the day, and after a long hard week, the question still remains do we do we still do the job because we are all part of the ‘caring profession’ and we are to care here for each other; our staff, our patients and ourselves. or to just pick up the pay packet?
Remember why you applied for the job! It’s a very old saying, ‘be careful for what you wish for, you may just get it”
Hope it works out for you and happy to be a mentor if it helps.
June 20, 2022 at 11:44 am
I didn’t take it as knocking GP practice at all – it made it quite clear Operose are a US company. I think it was the best argument against marketing us to America as we have leaders who seem to think they would do a better job of it.
It has upset our PA but it was very clear that this was all about raking it in via ARRS without providing a preceptorship year, supervision and support and not having enough doctors it was about £££££££££££ and nothing else
How on earth have they got away with it till now? The public were up in arms about a private provider coming in and they were overruled. And it goes without saying they’d have high CQC approval!