I have had a very frustrating day as I have tried to speak to various GPs and other NHS-type people today. I don't think I can have done better than a 50% success rate. I am sick to death of out-of-office replies. Everyone else is mad busy trying to do the work of their missing colleagues. Presumably in 2 weeks time they will swap over and we will be stuck with the usual summer of non-activity for another month yet. The patients will be seen but most other health related activities will drop off alarmingly.
This coincides with the usual early August alarm bells as all the junior doctors shuffle around from one hospital to the next. The Junior Doctor has been recording some of the pain. In fact, my experience has been that the first few days aren't too bad, as new staff usually get some kind of induction and so the more senior colleagues or staff grades may well be covering the bleeps. This can be good news for the GP as I have ended up getting a consultant opinion instantly. It is the second week when it all gets a bit tougher.
GP bloggers aren't immune either - I noted the anonymous comment on one of Dr Andrew Brown's postings. I will look forward to normal service being resumed after the NHS takes its holidays.
2 comments:
As that anonymous poster I confess to an insider's view on this. I am a small administrative cog in a small (3.5 FTE)GP practice. I'ts my job to find the locums. With one full time post vacant (now filled but he can't start immediately) 2 full timers going on holiday (not at the same time, just back to back) and the part timer off on planned sick leave for all of September I'm struggling. Are you available for locum work at all in the next two months?
I am sure it must be an unholy nightmare for anyone trying to find locums this time of year. I only dabble with locum work myself nowadays. Best of luck!
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