my gp is great

[basher]

i think my GP is great and so does 90% of his patient population as demonstated by his yearly patient satisfaction feedback forms.

[craigwalsh]

Hi, Basher ---

Welcome to the forum. Nice to meet you here --- and even nicer to read a compliment about a GP.

I'm ready to move to your neighbourhood so I can also register with your GP.

I know there are good GPs and good people within the NHS.

What's your GP's name?

[paul]

Hi Basher,
I am glad you are happy with your GP and have a satisfaction survey to prove how good he is. Interestingly Dr Shipman was also well liked by his patients and if, satisfaction surveys had been available, I am sure he would have scored highly- I suppose that must have made him a good doctor. It's also interesting that 90% of your doctor's patients were satisfied. In a practice of say 2000 patients that means there are 400 patients who are unhappy with him. I would be watching my back if I were him!
I don't mean to be cynical but it just goes to show what a farce GPs are having to go through to please their paymasters. The government has calculated that GPs will do anything for money and has made them jump through one hoop after another and is now planning to use GPs to cull local hospitals by paying incentives to refer to the private sector. It will be interesting to see if this is a step too far.

[zippyRN]

Hi Basher,
I am glad you are happy with your GP and have a satisfaction survey to prove how good he is. Interestingly Dr Shipman was also well liked by his patients and if, satisfaction surveys had been available, I am sure he would have scored highly- I suppose that must have made him a good doctor. It's also interesting that 90% of your doctor's patients were satisfied. In a practice of say 2000 patients that means there are 400 patients who are unhappy with him. I would be watching my back if I were him!
I don't mean to be cynical but it just goes to show what a farce GPs are having to go through to please their paymasters. The government has calculated that GPs will do anything for money and has made them jump through one hoop after another and is now planning to use GPs to cull local hospitals by paying incentives to refer to the private sector. It will be interesting to see if this is a step too far.


paul your sums don't add up

unhappy is a very wide church and as can be seen from some ofthe posters here, evne if they recieved safe, appropraite and effective treatment they will be unhappy because they weren#'t allowed to waste thousand sof pounds on unnecessary tests etc that they belivev the a a 'consumer right' to

[Mike]

Isn't the bottom line that we should trust our GP's (leaving aside the Shipman issue)?
I can't trust a man or woman with my health if I think they are over paid instruments of the state (and very misguided - voting like turkeys for their own demise, just like dentists did) and who really could not care less about me so long as they can get off work at 6.30 p.m. or whatever, not be there when needed (at weekends) nor do domiliciary visits.
My experience with hospital doctors on the other hand is astonishing. Child cardiac care : first class, committed caring, the works.

[reform]

I'm pleased for you.

The problem with customer satisfaction surveys is that you can't survey the dead and dying to see if they were satisfied with their diagnosis (if they got one) and treatment (if they received any).

Sorry to be cynical but my lifelong experience shows that any trust of the NHS in all its forms is misguided or you have accidently hit lucky.

If your doctor is one of the rare breed where they truly care about patient welfare then they must be going through absolute hell on a daily basis if they have to refer their patients to any other part of the NHS.

[zippyRN]

Isn't the bottom line that we should trust our GP's (leaving aside the Shipman issue)?
I can't trust a man or woman with my health if I think they are over paid instruments of the state (and very misguided - voting like turkeys for their own demise, just like dentists did)


harldy votign for their own demise


and who really could not care less about me so long as they can get off work at 6.30 p.m.


having perhaps been at the surgery since 0630 as patient demands mean there is little or no down time duringthe working day to undertake the support and adminstrative tasks that areeseential to running a GP pracice like reading correspondance from colleagues, doing repeat prescriptions and medication reivew...


or whatever, not be there when needed (at weekends)



there is across the Uk a 24/7/365 primary care service for urgent and emergency primary care , there are also extended opening hours in many practicesn plus other primary care services (e.g. walk in centre) and of course the occupational health provision from employers


nor do domiliciary visits.


domicililar visits are unfortunately

- extremely expensive in terms of staff time - taking as a conservation estmate somewhere between 4 and 10 times longer that consultations in health care premises

- provide less useful results than being able to undertake the same or simliar tests and investigations in suitable premises - it's odd that peopel freely accept that mechanical equipment may be better assessed by taking it to specialliy equipped premises ...

- never, despite recived wisdom., been a right under NHS GP services

this is aside fro mthe increased risks to providers that domicillary vists pose..