General Chat

Shame you don’t, Names; luck of the draw, I think.

I am aiming high and keeping my fingers crossed. :-)

Joy, my mum died aged over 90 and wasn’t on anything.

I don’t take after her :-\

I am like you Sheila. When I had bronchitis last year and visited the doctor, she asked what tablets I was taking.

'None', was my reply.

'No, what are you taking regularly?' she asked.

'Nothing', I responded.

She looked a bit nonplussed and I got the impression she may have thought I was losing it (I am over 80), so she looked through my medical records - then seemed to be surprised when she realised I was not taking anything on a regular basis.

I think she thought that everyone over a certain age must be on tablets of some sort.

I have to add that if I needed anything, I'd be there like a shot.

Sheila, The list of new builds I mention are all in and around Churchdown and Innsworth. So all in our doctor's area. All around other areas of Gloucester are large new estates and I think all surgeries are struggling. The main roadworks problems have been to do with the new cycle path as it stretches though Lonlevens and Churchdown right through to Arle Court Cheltenham. (and beyond I believe.) So far we seem to have avoided Gloucester airport being taken over for housing but I am not holding my breath. But there are other roadworks caused by some of the new estates as the united utilities put in essential connections. and these people and highways never seem to communicate so there are often two or three closures or disruptions close together.

I consider myself very lucky that, at present, I have no serious health problems and am not on any medication. Our surgery seems to be pretty good. I had numbness in one finger and wanted to check it out, the surgery put me down for a routine non-urgent appointment (about 2-3 weeks). It turned out to be a foreign body in there! However she checked me out for other hand problems at the same time. I really feel for people who have major issues and are not great with IT and phone appointments. The prescription system seems to be a shambles in some areas, too.

There are plans to build about 600 houses around the town where our surgery is but they have earmarked funding for the 2 doctor's surgeries there.

Ann G, I've heard about all the building around Gloucester, I'm visiting the area soon and am dreading the roadworks, new roads? I can't believe they are not providing extra facilities...

Sometimes the GP surgery's way of working leaves a lot to be desired.

I phoned for an appointment and outlined the fact that I would like someone to check a mark on my face.
The receptionist booked a telephone appointment.
Not one to usually make a fuss, I questioned what was the use of that.
"Well that's the way we do it" I was told.
Later that week, when the telephone appointment came round, I was told that I'd need to come in to get checked face to face.
What a waste of time and an unneccessary delay.

Here’s the list from our GP practice.

11 doctors (one is about to retire and at least two are part-time)
1 nurse practitioner
1 community nurse practitioner
2 practice nurses
2 nurse associates
2 health care assistants
1 pharmacist
1 pharmacy technician
1 social prescribing link worker
2 care co-ordinators
1 reception team leader
5 receptionists (not all full-time)
2 data administrators
2 medical secretaries
1 business manager
1 operations manager.

Phew - until I checked I had no idea there were so many occupations at the practice.

How on earth did the docs of my childhood cope?

Need to lie down now. :-S

In my area besides when Covid struck, our doctors realised they could get away with being part time and having phone appointments (rarely heard of before Covid); our local population has increased enormousley. At least four huge new estates built in two adjoining 'villages' with no extra provision for doctors or schools. One of those estates is around 1000 houses./flats. So that is most probably why nobody can get an appointment inside of three weeks.
But also I have an appointment with Dermatology clinic Glos royal hospital, for March 2026 for lesions that will only get worse and take twice as long to deal with then.

I can’t make up my mind whether it’s the booking system used by doctors nowadays or whether our population has increased to stretching point.

As far as opticians are concerned, once I retired I changed opticians to one within walking distance of my home but the cost of specs from them was immense so I took the prescription to our Specsavers who fulfilled it admirably - two for one so I got ordinary specs and sunglasses. I have stayed with them for tests and purchases.

The government has come up with the idea that opticians will be able to prescribe for a few eye related things.
The wait for an appointment at our village opticians is as bad as the doctors. I don’t know if opticians will have to have emergency appointments, but at least our doctors are very good if it is an emergency.

It was never like this pre-Covid :-|

Don’t know what you are complaining about ;-). OH has to wait 4 ( following a triage call)

Dear Brian

Hello

I hope you and your family are okay.

If you are worried in any way, please go to the nearest walk in centre
or Accident and Emergency.

In many areas, getting a GP appointment is similar to winning the lottery.

Take very good care
Best wishes
EOS

Oh no (s)he won't.
The offer of an appointment that I was given this morning is in THREE WEEKS all but a day !!
:-(