There are many things in life which seem, or in some cases are, impossible.
Sneezing with your eyes open. Sticking your entire fist in your mouth. Writing the number ‘6’ while moving your foot clockwise. Understanding the opposite sex.
Well this week’s column is going to add to that list, as it appears to me that getting a same-day appointment with a GP in certain parts of Fife is becoming as easy as licking your own elbow.
I’m not blaming hard working GPs, receptionists and counter staff who are rushed off their feet from the minute they step inside their place of work to the moment they leave.
But what we’ve got is a situation, in Fife in particular, which is far from healthy for all concerned and repeated talk from the Scottish Government about increasing the number of GPs across Scotland really needs to be followed up with tangible action.
It’s little wonder that surgeries across the Kingdom seem to have receptionists with a policy of protecting doctors from having to see patients.
I know that’s not the case, but when you phone for an appointment on any given day and are then told the next available one is three weeks away, there’s something far wrong.
Short of exaggerating symptoms on the phone, it seems as if you need to answer umpteen questions in a satisfactory manner before you are even considered for being seen that day.
However, the latest available figures suggest the problem is only going to get worse as the number of registered patients has increased by nearly 11,000 since 2008, while the number of GPs has fallen from 286 to 280.
Full patient lists and fewer doctors doing more work is merely making the siutation less sustainable and it’s bound to be having an effect on patient care.
I’ve been in situations where I know my illness isn’t an emergency, yet I still need to see a professional about it. You end up swithering about visiting the minor injuries unit at A&E, although we’ve all been told not to go there unless its urgent.
We all appreciate the reasons behind that but everyone going to a GP hoping for a quick diagnosis and cure should expect better than being pencilled-in to a slot almost a month away.
I know from speaking to others that I’m not alone when I say this, but contacting a GP in order to get an appointment can be a very uncomfortable experience. You are seeking help, yet you end up being made to feel like a burden.
Therefore you get people who probably think ‘it’s fine, I can deal with this for now’, but you just wonder how many of those people end up getting worse – particularly those with mental health concerns.
The system seems to be creaking as it is, but the promise of more GPs to help shore the whole shebang up simply cannot be an empty one this time around.
