'What are patients going to do when faced with a five-week wait?'

Glasgow Times

3 days ago

As almost every Glaswegian knows, this refers to the race you have to take part in if you want an appointment at your local doctor, hitting the phones right on 8am – often waiting for quite some time and redialling repeatedly – in the faint hope of getting through.
But there's another timestamp which is becoming increasingly synonymous with securing an appointment – the five-week wait.
Constituents have told me repeatedly, from all over the city, that they often have to wait this length of time to see a GP, even if the appointment itself is crucial in accessing new medication.
I've discovered myself that this is the case, both in my own experience in the north of Glasgow trying to get an appointment, and indeed for my 81-year-old mother.
Back in October, when my mother's health was deteriorating, we were told it would be five weeks before a doctor would see her.
Then, over this summer, on a separate issue, we were told exactly the same thing: five weeks until someone will be available.
So it's not a short-term blip; this seems to now be the accepted waiting time for a doctor appointment.
I know there are myriad reasons for the challenges GP clinics are facing, from an ageing and expanding population to the pressures of a retirement boom among the GP ranks.
And of course, Scotland is not alone in facing a range of difficulties when it comes to the health service.
But these particular failings don't just put patients in danger; they place an unnecessary strain on the rest of the NHS.
What does the Scottish Government think many of these patients are going to do when faced with a five-week wait?
Sit quietly at home and wait for the day of the appointment?
In reality, they will seek alternatives, often at accident and emergency - a department already under significant pressure and struggling to come even close to hitting targets – or somewhere else in the healthcare system.
And if they don't do that, their condition might actually become worse, making them harder and more difficult to treat as a consequence.
Another unplanned impact on the NHS.
The Scottish Government has come up with a range of excuses over the years as to why it's struggling to sort out primary care.
But the fact is, the SNP has been in sole charge of health in Scotland for more than 18 years.
GPs have been flagging up fears over resources and workforce throughout that time.
But some patients are beginning to ask if there's more that the GP practices themselves could be doing.
Across the board, the service patients receive can be shocking, from vague instructions via frustrating phone lines to outright confusion about test results, prescriptions, and appointments.
Why is it GP practices with several doctors need five weeks before they can see someone, and yet when you go into these places, they are like a ghost town?
Yes, the Scottish Government must take ultimate responsibility for all this.
However, for genuine improvement, the GP network itself is going to have to get on board with some solutions too.