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"GP was dismissive and abrupt"

About: General practices in Greater Glasgow & Clyde

(as a service user),

I phoned my GP regarding a rash I have developed in my armpit, a suspected lump and pain in both my breast and armpit that I have been experiencing over the week. In general, I struggle with phoning the GP practice anyway because of how unwelcoming the receptionists have often been. This time I thought it would be serious enough to ask for a telephone appointment, and I was asked to submit a photograph of the rash I have (I did not of my breast but of my armpit only as I felt too uncomfortable doing both). I received a phonecall from a GP (not the usual person I see) saying this was just folliculitis and nothing to worry about, just a cream was prescribed.

I am worried still about the risk of something more sinister -  and am shocked and surprised that despite my probing of a suspected lump and pain in my breast that this apparently is just a spread of folliculitis. I often feel at my GP that I am dismissed because I am a young female, and often it has taken more than one call to be taken seriously about symptoms that often cause me severe anxiety. Surely an examination of some description to rule out something more sinister was also warranted, given I suspect a lump?

I would change practice however there are few in my area, and I fall outwith the catchments for the closest ones - which I find is most inconvenient. There is also no way to find out on the NHS website if a practice is taking new patients, or if I am able to register there - essentially one has to ring round all the ones that are brought up in search to determine if you can register there or not. 

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Responses

Response from Rachel Pyle, Patient Experience Project Manager, Patient Experience Team, NHSGGC 4 years ago
Rachel Pyle
Patient Experience Project Manager, Patient Experience Team,
NHSGGC
Submitted on 03/09/2020 at 13:15
Published on Care Opinion at 13:15


picture of Rachel Pyle

Hello Ms Dismissed,

I am very sorry to read of your recent experience with your GP Practice. You have raised a number of concerns which I hope I can assist you with:

In relation to your concerns about your appointment with your GP, this would need to be raised with the practice manager directly. If you could email me your details (your name, date of birth and CHI number if you have it) and the name of the practice you attend, I can share this with them to take forward. You can reach me at: PatientExperience@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

With regards to registering at another practice I have included some information here, which I hope will be helpful:

Practices agree a defined catchment area and are only obliged to take on patients within this area. However, practices within your catchment area must take on new patients unless there is a justifiable reason why they cannot. At the moment, we only have very few practices with a closed list, so the majority of practices are still taking on new patients.

Information on catchment area must be published in a practice's information leaflet or on their website. Unfortunately, this means it can be difficult to find an overview of this information without looking at each separate practice, which we appreciate can be time consuming. However, this is something that is being looked into at a national level.

Best wishes,

Rachel

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