Today's visit to the doctors.

Like so many patients today. I had been waiting about a month for this appointment. In the meantime my daughter Amand had managed to get me an emergency appointment with another doctor, as my psoriosis was really giving me hell. This new doc. It was his first day as a GP. I think he will be a good one.
Back to today. My GP is short and not wishing to insult him etc, but. He looks as though he has no neck. Anyway. In the past the consultation has often run overtime. He once told me what the government considered a reasonable time for each patient. 4-7 minutes. Just imagin it. OK strip off and get up on the bed. An hour later. Sorry doc. I can't
cope with these zips and buttons. Never mind. Make another appointment and come back in four weeks......Joke.

The doc once laughed when I mentioned I'd been a traffic cop. We ended up talking shop on science matters. Later he said. I like it. I really enjoy it when you come in. No, not because you are ill, but we chat away. So today.

Door to the waiting area opens. Michael Allen.! I get up and go forward. Next the doc has his arm around my shoulders. Good to see you my friend, come in. I could sense the atmosphere. Hey whose that? My medical business was completed. Then a brief general chat. He to me. I have missed you coming in., and our chats. Sadly most patients it's woe is me. You somehow cheer things up. I do enjoy your company. Finally a very strong hand shake ad grip to each others shoulder. Take care. All the best my friend.
This I find most comforting. At the moment GP's are going through it.

 

What annoys me is the bleating you get from some sections of the medical profession about the huge workload of the average GP. How they are having to see hundreds more patients than a few years ago.
This is true, but they get paid "per head."
That's why some of the "partners" at our "health centre" can afford to only work part-time as they have private work elsewhere. They can do this by employing one or two juniors to partly fill the gap they leave, but you still have to wait a long time to see a particular doctor you've been seeing for years.

 

There is a shortage of GPs, but what I cant work out is how the NHS would manage to pay them all if there was the amount that they say we need.
The NHS is strapped for cash, but having been in hospital lately I dont think it is overworked.
I was in a ward of 6 beds, only three were in use, the day I left only two were in use, we were out numbered 3 to one by the staff.

I was looked after very well, but if that was going on in the real world they would say that they were over staffed, in any other profession.

I think A&E is a different proposition, but my view is the NHS does need to sort itself out to some extent.
You could throw money at it and it would absorb it with very little noticeable difference to the individual.
BTW, I waited 10 months, for something that the NHS states it treats in 18 weeks.

 

Some excellent comments. Nice post Mike
My nephew is a paramedic and his experience is that the NHS is in a mess, under staffed, under financed and immensely pressurised
I think we need to learn that hospitals are there for emergency or urgent or serious cases and we should use minor injury units a whole lot more.
Touch wood, I haven’t had much personal experience as a patient but I do watch my fitness levels, food intake, don’t smoke and drink only now and then.