‘We’re not battle-axes’, say GP receptionists
Primary care staff in Bristol say they have never seen pressure like this before – and winter hasn’t even started yet….
Part of the problem, say GPs, is that general medicine is increasingly complex. A decade ago patients with arthritis, for example, would be on painkillers. Now many are on advanced disease-modifying drugs and need their blood monitored. Phone appointments are often – though not always – faster to process, leaving time for the more difficult face-to-face cases later in the day.