It comes as no surprise to any of us that after the peak of the Covid pandemic, the NHS is struggling with the backlog and amount of patients wanting appointments. With in-person appointments frustratingly hard to get, many people may feel disregarded and not listened to when it comes to their health woes.
One GP has taken to Mumsnet, however, to lay the blame on the public, rather than the underfunded service, claiming that people are 'incapable' of 'any self-care or any self-responsibility.' In the harshly worded post, she says that the NHS system is 'broken' and she is 'done'.
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In the anonymous post, she wrote: "Ok so I'm a GP (yes yes I know I could be anybody) and have been for over 20 years.
"But b****y hell our society has become completely and utterly incapable of any kind of self-care or self-responsibility. I have never known anything like the kind of demand we are facing. And I'm sorry most of it is just complete and utter nonsense. Over and over again.
"Genuinely ill and needy people are being lost in the deluge. It's absolutely impossible to offer any kind of decent care. And we are losing doctors, nurses and staff rapidly. And we cannot recruit. It's not about pay It's about absolutely ridiculous workload and risk.
"Yes the system is broken, yes we need more of everything. But every single thing does not need GP hand-holding. It doesn't need 2-page complaints because you didn't get what you wanted when you wanted it. Some days I just think people won't be happy until I go and wipe their a**** for them.
"I'm done. And it's not just me."
People sympathised with the doctor, writing: "I don't blame you for feeling this way."
Another commented: "There are some people who overly use the GP or expect a GP to advise them on basic life skills. I think those people are in the minority, you see more of them in your line of work.
"I see lots of capable people doing their best to get by every day."
Others defended people choosing to see their GP, writing: "I’m rarely at the doctor's, I would have to be in severe pain or be extremely worried about something before I go. However I have friends/family who go to the doctors at the least wee thing and I think, a pharmacist could have helped with that. However, I did go to a pharmacist for a problem I had and they were useless so I can see why people would rather speak to a doctor."
On the thread, someone defended the GP's writing: "Our practice has lost three of five GPs with locums coming in to cover one of those positions. It is not all the GP's fault. Demonising them on top of the pressure they are under doesn't help retention or recruitment."
The GP commented again on the thread with examples of things they had seen, adding: "There are so many examples.
"Beyond numerous coughs/colds/sore ears/vomiting.....often within hours of onset. Literally hours. Can you explain this test (normal for the 100th time)/ hospital letter/medication ad Infinitum.
"Can you "just" write a letter/sign here/say its OK to have a massage/have a tattoo/have piercing/have a hair dye/run a marathon. Sore knee/elbow/arm/ankle....for days. No exercises tried or anything. Quick fixes wanted for everything.
"Meanwhile the strangulated hernia who never complained but I squeezed in is in intensive care because she couldn't get through for two days. The little old man who didn't seem right when I checked his BP and I happened to ask if he was OK is being abused by his wife and broke down in tears because he had never told anyone but didn't want to bother us.
"The poorly controlled diabetics who are waiting weeks for appointments. The dying patient I saw on my way home at 8pm because I didn't get a chance earlier and now needs to wait till tomorrow to get sorted.
"Hundreds and hundreds of calls, emails, letters, demands every day. Yes, the government needs to resource it better but honestly, I don't think it's fixable. Pandora's box is well and truly open."
According to the Spectator : "A recent poll by the British Social Attitudes Survey has shown that public satisfaction with GP services is at its lowest since the surveys began in 1983. NHS spending has trebled since then."
They also wrote: "Last year, a survey of GPs found one in three saying that they would like to quit direct patient care within five years. Why? When the Warwick academics asked GPs what would make them change their minds, one of the most popular responses was having more time to spend with patients, and less being taken up with NHS paperwork."
Do you agree with the GP's concerns? Let us know in the comments.
