In the last few weeks there has been a public outcry about the lack of access to GP surgeries for face-to-face appointments. When you have been working as a general practice nurse throughout the pandemic offering face-to-face appointments as needed, screening services and vaccinations, this is simply exasperating.
GPs and general practice nurses have been working tirelessly to meet the health needs of their local population and it is completely unacceptable that they are subjected to stories which are simply untrue, verbal abuse on the phone, property damage and – unbelievably – threats of physical abuse from patients.
Those working in general practice have always been extraordinarily vigilant in protecting their patients from harm, and even more so during the pandemic. Face-to-face appointments have continued as needed and telephone consultations have been increased, with telephone triage ensuring that patients are offered the most appropriate appointment for their needs. Clinicians always have patient safety at the centre of all they do; they do not wish to risk missing a diagnosis by not seeing a patient face-to-face and neither do they wish to bring patients to the practice if it is unnecessary. They make an informed and professional judgement through triage with access to the patient record.
Misinformation in the media
It would be so helpful to have more public messaging with positive stories of general practices being open to face-to-face appointments, and more stories of the benefits of remote access to a consultation with the general practitioner or the general practice nurse. This would counter the misinformation in the national media, which fails to give hard-working clinicians proper recognition for all they do, every day, 24/7. Such messaging would also give confidence to patients that they have every opportunity to be seen as needed.
‘We should be thanking and celebrating, not criticising – general practice nurses are human too and are personally affected by the daily stories in the media and the constant stream of disparaging comments by patients.’
Sadly, if the media says general practice is closed to patients, this is what is believed by the majority of the population and the story spirals out of control. It becomes truly damaging. It is damaging to patients who may become anxious that they will not be seen; it is damaging to the system as people may attend the emergency department (ED) rather than access their GP, leaving hospitals with longer waiting times and potentially placing the EDs under enormous and unnecessary pressure. If people avoid going to the ED or the GP, believing the stories that there is no access at all, their health may suffer.
Support from politicians is needed
It would also be helpful to hear our politicians giving high profile public support to general practice, and the clinicians and support staff who have worked throughout the pandemic to support the health of their populations and have adapted their practice to meet the needs of their patients. This would restore public confidence and ensure people are informed and confident in using their GP services appropriately.
There are huge benefits to the new ways of working in general practice. Last week, Twitter was full of positive stories about the flexibility of telephone consultations, easy access to the GP consultation on the phone to fit around family, caring responsibilities and working hours – and the hope that this would continue long into the future, to become ‘business as usual’.
Clinicians are fatigued – it has been a long 18 months since the start if the pandemic. In that time, general practice nurses have flexed and adapted their working practices to meet the new conditions of infection prevention and control, implemented to keep patients safe. They have maintained face-to-face appointments and have delivered the largest mass vaccination programme in history.
Taking its toll on nurses
We also know it has taken its toll on nurses in general practice. We should be thanking and celebrating, not criticising – general practice nurses are human too and are personally affected by the daily stories in the media and the constant stream of disparaging comments by patients. The QNI TalkToUs support service provides a safe and confidential space to speak to a trained nurse listener about the pressures you are facing and enables nurses to talk through their experiences with a peer.
Please do share this service with your colleagues: https://www.qni.org.uk/help-for-nurses/talktous/