Here at the Waverley Web, we have had the absolute privilege of hearing from a member of the valiant 111 teams that have been answering many millions of calls during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The message we received certainly pulled our, sometimes not too COVID-vigilant team up by their bootlaces!
He said that during a recent shift he experienced such overwhelming exhaustion at the aggressive and sometimes abusive treatment he received from callers, that he was forced to step outside into the open air to recover enough to carry on. We have also heard from nurses who are reaching levels of exhaustion never experienced in their long careers.
We understand that in the Waverley area patients are becoming increasingly frustrated at being unable to receive GP appointments. Sitting on telephones for ages, and listening to a variety of messages, and then the line cuts out or they get a continually engaged tone. Some just have to be seen by the GP’s – yes actually seen in person, to be examined appropriately and discuss their issues Face-to-Face. The more well-off among the local population are, quite frankly, giving up and in desperation are schlepping off to private doctors.
So here’s what we have to do to prevent overburdening the NHS.
Please remember until tomorrow Wednesday, 2 December, national lockdown restrictions are still in place. Waverley will then move into Tier 2 (High Alert) from tomorrow Wednesday, 2 December, under the government’s local restriction tier system.
Find out what you need to know about national lockdown restrictions in England here http://orlo.uk/lIB70
Find out what you can and cannot do under Tier 2 (High Alert) restrictions herehttp://orlo.uk/2LAyr
I totally agree that our GPs (in general) need to follow the fine example set by their colleagues in NHS Hospitals, and do more to help. Getting a face-to-face appointment is almost impossible in our local GP practice. They have set up a barrier of phone appointments and “Ask my GP” online system. This system is great if you just want some advice and should be retained after the pandemic.
Probably what riles me most is that everyone of the nine GPs in our medical practice is part time, working two or three days a week. While we have seen many retired nurses and doctors come out from retirement to come to the “rescue” the same cannot be said for our GPs who continue to work in a bubble of isolation.
We are hearing this from patients right across the borough of Waverley – and beyond.
GP’s need, in most cases, to actually see a patient, look them in the face, feel a limb or a lump – assess their mental health, and their concerns. Has COVID put an end to face-face appointments, if so many more thousands of people will die and serious conditions will go undiscovered until it is too late.
GP’s cannot remain in the bubble they have surrounded themselves for much longer – perhaps we should all be writing to our MP’s. Jeremy Hunt and Angela Richardson. Bombard them with e-mails. On todays post you will see the response you will get from the Hon Angela!