GP Practice Ad Hoc Phonecalls To Me

I am not sure how to tackle a (stressful to me) habit my GP Practice has developed (despite me requesting them not to do so): of a GP just phoning me when they think of it - without giving me prior warning - and when I am not awaiting or expecting a phonecall - and I don't know what they want to discuss when I answer my phone.

The other anxiety-inducing permutation: they book a phonecall to me (without expecting one, I get a text message with no subject context) with the name of one of a variety of GPs with whom I have never had prior contact (I have been been a Patient there for decades, my assigned GP is still in the Practice and I have recently had a text message confirming that person is still my GP).

That means: I don't know why the phonecall has been booked (I had not requested an appointment and no follow-up was outstanding as known to me), why a random GP has been scheduled, how to prepare for the phonecall and I have to then wait until open hours to submit an online admin triage request - saying I think the appointment may have been scheduled in error ...only to then find out a) they expected to schedule a new-to-me GP, in 10 minutes by phone, to follow up with me about a chronic situation (quite ridiculous) - without even telling me in advance what the person would expect me to discuss with them on the phonecall and as I have asked what it is about - they are now going to consult with yet another GP (not mine) and get back to me!

When I look on the NHS app it just says "any GP" with no clue about context.

Both varieties of unexpected phonecall seem to tend to occur around 5 pm or 6 pm (by which time I am trying to recover from my day and sort out the evening meal etc.). Outcome: I lose at least the evening to - by then - being badly stressed and lose all appetite for bothering to cook / eat my meal.

The GP and Practice know about my Autism - I have previously explained to them, in writing, that an unexpected phonecall is my least successful communication mode - but you couldn't tell so from their ongoing behaviour.

Their latest phonecall salvo is particularly crassly timed - as it is two days before a super-important secondary care appointment about which I am particularly anxious (of which they are aware) ... helpful ...not.

It seems to me: they are tick-boxing their commissioning, while disregarding that I am a neurodivergent human ...rather than a robot.

Does everyone's find their GP Practice operates this way now?

Has anyone had any success convincing them not to do this sort of thing (ideas of further strategy or tactics to try?).

I had even requested a referral to our local reasonable adjustments team (only to be informed there was "no need"). Well I did try to do the right thing!

Thank you.

Parents

Robert124 3 months ago

My GP practice keep phoning me to try to persuade me to start taking cholesterol medication.
DormouseAtRest_25 3 months ago in reply to Robert124

I believe that (if you have already had a proper conversation with your own GP about something like that) the rest of the Practice should respect the outcome decided and not keep contacting Patients on the same matter.

Obviously, if subsequent medical tests were to have highlighted a change in someone's body way of working or coping with the issue - then that is what should be explained with a revised medication recommendation.

I battled something similar where my own GP agreed "no" to a medication (and I had considered and researched it and also decided "no") but another GP kept harassing me about it when I spoke to them about something unrelated (plus, they did not know my medical and family history - which my own GP does actually understand ... because they have been my GP for literally decades).

I informed my own GP about the hassle from their colleague and they confirmed - still "no" - and I was still happy with "no" to that medication too. (I also had the conversation about it with a senior Clinician in the General Hospital and they also understood why me and my GP were saying "no" - they didn't recommend that prescription either in my situation.

Partly it is a simply silly waste of resources, partly it is annoying, and partly it puts me off engagement with the GP Practice - particularly when they operate the "any GP" appointment approach (rather than your GP). I understand why they might use that for something serious - but usually it is about something non-critical (fine for me to wait to see my own GP, thanks all the same). I understood and respected the Practice was running flat out - so I don't get why they persist with the "tick-box" quest (...except that perhaps there might be a financial or performance metric involved - well were id thr measurement for "don't unnecessarily stress out your Patient"?). Save the time talking to mr for redeployment talking to another Patient (who does need assistance on that topic!).

I also resent "A. N. Other GP" pushing a prescription for something we have already adjudicated on with my own GP ...when I would have to pay for those prescriptions.

Reply

DormouseAtRest_25 3 months ago in reply to Robert124

I believe that (if you have already had a proper conversation with your own GP about something like that) the rest of the Practice should respect the outcome decided and not keep contacting Patients on the same matter.

Obviously, if subsequent medical tests were to have highlighted a change in someone's body way of working or coping with the issue - then that is what should be explained with a revised medication recommendation.

I battled something similar where my own GP agreed "no" to a medication (and I had considered and researched it and also decided "no") but another GP kept harassing me about it when I spoke to them about something unrelated (plus, they did not know my medical and family history - which my own GP does actually understand ... because they have been my GP for literally decades).

I informed my own GP about the hassle from their colleague and they confirmed - still "no" - and I was still happy with "no" to that medication too. (I also had the conversation about it with a senior Clinician in the General Hospital and they also understood why me and my GP were saying "no" - they didn't recommend that prescription either in my situation.

Partly it is a simply silly waste of resources, partly it is annoying, and partly it puts me off engagement with the GP Practice - particularly when they operate the "any GP" appointment approach (rather than your GP). I understand why they might use that for something serious - but usually it is about something non-critical (fine for me to wait to see my own GP, thanks all the same). I understood and respected the Practice was running flat out - so I don't get why they persist with the "tick-box" quest (...except that perhaps there might be a financial or performance metric involved - well were id thr measurement for "don't unnecessarily stress out your Patient"?). Save the time talking to mr for redeployment talking to another Patient (who does need assistance on that topic!).

I also resent "A. N. Other GP" pushing a prescription for something we have already adjudicated on with my own GP ...when I would have to pay for those prescriptions.

Children

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