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15 September 2023
Issue no. 155
ISSN 2632-3389
The Doctor Won’t See You Now As Somerset faces a crisis in GP recruitment, figures show patients are struggling to get appointments and too often they are too short. There have been some shocking headlines around the provision of GP services in Somerset of late. The trouble with the NHS these days is that there is almost too much data. Getting numbers is easy; understanding what they actually mean a little harder. So, when we received a press release telling us that GPs in the Somerset NHS area (that’s broadly coterminous with Somerset Council) gave more than 500,000 appointments in the past year that lasted five minutes or less, it sounded shocking. It hardly Strode Theatre in Street celebrates its 60th anniversary sounds like enough time to have a proper consultation. this year. More details on p 62 Why is it so disappointing to see such a prevalence of five-minute Photo credit Karl Christmas appointments? Nationally the NHS has been implementing significant practice management changes. There are more nurses on duty at GP surgeries as well as nurse prescribers, occupational therapists and specialist dementia nurses. The role of the receptionist is now not so much to book an appointment with your GP, but to triage you through to someone else who can help. These days GPs tend not to take bloods, for instance, you’ll be triaged to a nurse for that. Indeed some patients we spoke to expressed frustration that, as they saw it, it was almost impossible to see a doctor if you wanted to, as reception staff would triage you elsewhere. (Turn to p28)
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