Is the increasing struggle to see GPs driving patients to the Internet?

What would we do without the internet? You can buy all of your Christmas presents online and even order your weekly food shop to be delivered straight to your door. Moreover, in the present day, many of us choose to ‘Google’ our illness or health problem, its symptoms and relevant treatment(s).

The internet is a blessing in some ways, especially with the news this week that actually being able to see a GP in England is getting more and more difficult to achieve, according to the official patient survey.

The fact so many of us now struggle to actually speak to the receptionist at a doctor’s surgery, let alone arrange a visit to speak to someone about a health problem, could logically drive more people towards the internet.

Here people can undergo online consultations for a wide range of conditions like acne, hair loss, male impotence, etc, and see their medication delivered to their door the very next day. Yes, Medical Specialists™, the UK’s leading one-stop online pharmacy and doctors, can take all of the worry and stress out of trying to see your GP and then onto a pharmacy to go and collect your medications.

A poll comprising of around 900,000 patients discovered that in the last two years, there was a 6% increase in the number of people who reported difficulties getting through to try and arrange an appointment to see a GP, rising from 18% to 24%.

After they did finally manage to get through, 11% of them were not even able to actually book an appointment, the Ipsos MORI poll for NHS England revealed.

However, 75% did claim that they had a good experience of booking their appointment, and 86% said their overall experience was good when they did manage to see a doctor, or in some cases a practice nurse.

Unfortunately though the fact remains that long waits to see a GP about an ailment will become something of the norm.

Only last week the British Medical Association (BMA) said how patients could expect to be waiting longer to see a GP in the future due to funding cuts and a shortage of doctors.

BMA GP leader, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, spoke at the BMA’s annual conference, warning how waits of one or two weeks would “become the norm”.

Although waiting times were not measured for the survey, it does appear to be that a growing number of people are having difficulty with being able to see GP.

Complaints made against doctors are increasing

New figures indicate that the number of complaints being made against doctors by patients, and even by their fellow colleagues, is on the increase.

Data from the General Medical Council (GMC) show that complaints against doctors has actually more than doubled in the space of five years.

Back in 2007 there were just under 4,000 complaints recorded. However, by 2012 this had soared to 8,109.

The figure of 8,109 had increased by 24% on the previous year (2011) and represents a staggering 104% rise from 2007’s data.

It was found that the majority of complaints were made by the doctors’ patients, or friends and family the patient, and between 2007 and 2012 the overall number of complaints emanating from members of the public increased by 87% to 5,014.

Alarmingly though, a significant amount of complaints are being made by doctors’ colleagues and employers, with their fitness to practice being brought to question.

The GMC attempted to defend the figures and put the rise down to patients having a much higher expectation of doctors compared to previous times, and more doctors now willing to voice their concerns about colleagues if they disagree with something.

The report stated: “These patterns should be seen in the context of increasing patient expectations and demand for healthcare – one calculation suggests that there has been a 28 per cent increase since 2001.”

Overall, over half of the total complaints related to poor clinical care, or both poor clinical care and how the doctor communicated with their patient.

Typically it was found that when one doctor would complain about another, their unhappiness was due to a colleague’s criminal conviction or because of a conflict of interest.

In terms of which group were the most frequent complainers from the public, those between the ages 46 and 60 were most likely to complain, and GPs more than other doctors were more commonly the subject of their ire.

Male doctors received twice as many complaints than their female counterparts, with over a fifth of male GPs receiving at least one complaint between 2007 and 2013.

Professor Sir Peter Rubin, chair of the GMC, commented: “Overall the standard of care that patients receive in the UK is good and doctors continue to deserve the trust and respect of the public. The GMC has an important role to play in protecting patients and ensuring that doctors practice to the highest possible standard. Complaints from members of the public, doctors and other professionals are invaluable in helping us to do this. Complaints also give the health service a chance to reflect and improve the care that patients receive. However what our report shows is that some patients don’t know where to go to raise a concern about their treatment and more needs to be done to help them raise issues. Making a complaint about a doctor can be stressful and it is important that concerns are raised with the right organisation so patients are not passed from pillar to post.”

Britain’s raising cancer risk by not reporting symptoms to GP

Let’s face it, none of us like paying a visit to the doctors, especially if it involves discussing something of an embarrassing nature. However, it has now been found in a survey commissioned by Cancer ResearchUKand carried out by YouGov, that a worrying proportion of Brits put their health at risk by putting off visiting their GP.

The online survey of more than 2,000 adults was part of the ‘Spot Cancer Early’ campaign and it was designed to encourage people to see their GP, sooner rather than later if they notice any unusual or any persistent changes to their body. The campaign also aims to increase awareness of the huge improvements in cancer survival rates, since the 1970s. For instance, today in the UK, you are twice as likely to survive cancer than 40 years ago.

Dr Claire Knight, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said, “We want people to know that you are more likely to survive cancer if it’s found at an early stage. It’s important to get to know your body so you’re familiar with what’s normal for you. If you notice any unusual or persistent changes, it’s really important to take the time to visit your doctor to talk about it.”

“People of all ages who notice a change, that’s persisted for a few weeks, should get it checked out by a doctor. More than likely it won’t be anything to worry about and it’ll be a load off your mind. But if it is something serious, spotting it early can make a real difference, because treatment is often simpler and more likely to be effective. A quick visit to your doctor could save your life.”

These statistics from the YouGov survey show the reasons why we wouldn’t report any unusual or persistent change to our bodies:

• Not wanting to waste the doctor’s time 19%
• Thinking that it will go away in its own time 32%
• Being worried about what the doctor might find 20%
• Not having time to visit the GP 14%
• The hassle of getting an appointment with the GP 24%
• Being embarrassed about the change to my body 14%
• None of these 29%
• Don’t know 2%

And these further statistics from the survey demonstrate our attitude towards any changes in our body and where on our list of priorities they would come, by asking the people surveyed, which one of these they would act on soonest:

• A broken washing machine 3%
• A lost/ stolen bank card 61%
• An unusual or persistent change to my body 12%
• Weeds in the garden 1%
• An unwell pet 17%
• A broken mobile phone 2%
• A leaky tap 1%
• None of these 1%
• Don’t know 2%

Cancer is most common in the over 50s, however people of all ages are also at risk, a fact that reinforces the importance of heading to the doctors in the event of spotting anything suspicious. By diagnosing cancer when it is in its infancy, it can, for the most part, be easier to treat, which in turn increases the chances of recovering.

Ann, 77 from Merseyside, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003. She said, “I was diagnosed after my GP referred me for an X-ray following an appointment. I had an operation and now, more than eight years on, I am living a very full and active life doing all the things I enjoy. Catching cancer early is so important. I think if anyone has any signs or symptoms they should see their doctor right away.”

Dr Knight was keen for people to note that any changes in a person’s body, aren’t necessarily synonymous with cancer. In most cases, it probably won’t be all that serious. What is important is for people to get it checked. So in conclusion it is much better to make a wasted trip to the doctor and have peace of mind, rather than allow a treatable cancer develop into full blown cancer, where treatment can no longer help.

Should I visit the Doctor or just Google it?

Due to the introduction of the internet in the 90’s an ever increasing amount of information has been made available to us at the click of a mouse. In fact how many of us have had a question, a problem or haven’t known how to do something, and then uttered that common phrase “I’ll Google it.”

Chances are that you’ll have found what you were looking for, no matter how obscure the question was. One area where there is a wealth of information on the internet is medical conditions and what drugs are available to treat them.

Now it seems that many of us are turning to the internet as a means of self diagnosis by tapping in our symptoms into Google, and then based on the results deciding we have this condition or that condition.

Many people are using this approach as it can save a trip to the doctors, and because it seems that people genuinely trust the information on medical matters found on Google (or Dr Google as it has become known.) In fact in a study conducted by Dr Rachel Moon at the Children’s National Medical Centre in Washington, it was found that 72 percent of adults say they trust most or all of the health information they find on the internet.

However should we be wary about trusting medical advice and diagnosis that we find on the internet? Well according to a survey for the Food Standards Agency a quarter of British women have misdiagnosed themselves on the internet, they have then gone on to buy the wrong medication for their condition.

The survey also found that searching for symptoms online and self medicating, led to one in ten women enduring unpleasant side effects as a result of misdiagnosis. Half of the women surveyed diagnosed themselves online, and then bought medication without even checking with a Pharmacist if it was the right medication for them.

One common problem seems to be people over diagnosing themselves, something that a fifth of the women in the survey did. After searching their symptoms on the internet many women convinced themselves that they had some life threatening disease or cancer, when in fact what they had was relatively routine and harmless. By doing this they had put themselves through unnecessary turmoil and worry.

However of much more importance is those who under diagnose themselves. Some people have convinced themselves that they have something rather routine, when in fact they do have a serious condition that requires immediate treatment.

It seems to be not just the patient’s interpretation of the information that is the problem, but the actual information itself. Dr Rachel Moon and her team used the internet to test the accuracy of information on infant sleep safety. They performed the search using 13 key phrases relating to infant sleep safety, and then analyzed the top 100 search results which included a total of 1,300 websites. According to the analysis just 43.5 percent of the websites provided accurate information, whilst just over 28 percent of the search results provided inaccurate information and about the same number provided irrelevant information.

Many people turn to the internet for medical advice or diagnosis because of the embarrassing nature of their condition, which is understandable but is not worth putting your health at risk for. For that reason it is now possible to have an online consultation with a GP where for some, but not all conditions the Doctor can diagnose and prescribe the correct treatment.

Whilst much of the information on the internet regarding medications and conditions can be useful and correct, the public are advised to consult their GP over any symptoms they may be suffering.

Tesco to sell Viagra in store

Tesco have started a campaign to supply Viagra in-store to men over the age of 40 & up 65 years. Tesco last night confirmed that Viagra would be on sale from September 27 in 300 stores across the UK.

"They will have to complete a questionnaire and we will then carry out a blood pressure test, diabetes screen and cholesterol test."

This comes in line with Boots supplying Viagra in stores as well, so far we haven't heard any good reports about the service with the general public still too embarrassed to pop into their supermarket or local Boots to admit they have erectile dysfunction.

Not only that you have to be within a specific age range and go through a range of medical questions and physical tests before any Viagra is handed out.

Here at www.medical-specialists.co.uk we believe ordering is easy, fast & private with Viagra from as low as £37 per box and next day delivery from our in-house pharmacy and UK GMC registered Doctors who write all prescriptions.

We believe on-line is still the way forward for most men to buy embarrassing treatments such as male impotence medication.