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  • Doctors' surgeries

    These days now that I am close to middle age, the thought of having to see the doctor makes me feel as if there is something seriously wrong with myself, and whether it is anything serious - perhaps I feel as I am closer to the unknown, especially with some the feelings that I have been having lately, but turning the clock back 30 years one would feel as I had nothing to lose. As a bachelor I do worry about these things, hence the anxiety and depression that I have.

    For example, a morning off school, probably a Monday, and the parents have booked an appointment to see the GP because of something that had happened to me at school, or just something that happened over the weekend needed some official NHS bloke in a white coat and stethoscope to give me an examination. Back in 198-whatever this seemed such an agreeable alternative to going to school, and the fact that the doctor cared about my illness (not unlike some at school) was a bonus.

    So, me and the mother walk the five minute journey down the hill to the practice that I was registered at for over 30 years. As you do, we present ourselves to the receptionist and are invited to sit down. Now, doctors' waiting rooms as you know are known for a number of things:

    A) People with coughs, diseases and things a lot worse than oneself (in which case I would be in the right place in order to get something done about it if I did catch it from someone else). No one has their hand stuck in a teapot - that was the comedic parody that we don't see in real life.

    B) The posters on the wall, mostly for the NHS helplines; "have you had a tetanus injection in the last ten years?"; details of anti-natal clinics, quitting smoking, eating healthily and all that.

    C) About 20 different magazines on the coffee table, mostly those that one cannot get in any newsagent such as Readers' Digest and The People's Friend. The odd copy of Woman's Own and My Weekly is also on there, and rules state that doctors' surgery magazines must be at least two years old and be read by at least 100 people already. Try not to go for Take a Break as the crossword puzzles had already been completed a long while ago, (probably by the woman who originally donated them - well, it would either be them or Oxfam).

    D) The tropical fish in a huge tank which is supposed to calm fidgeting patients who are restless and cannot wait for their name to be called, ironically perhaps. The tank has some electrical machine providing bubbles and the fish are very tropical and colourful unlike any domestic pet fish at home.

    E) A play corner where youngsters can use Lego, Stickle Bricks or whatever toys there are over there. Typical Toy Library stuff on there, aimed at the under fives of course.

    F) Er…

    G) That's it (cf Private Eye magazine).

    After around 25 minutes of waiting and almost getting board, the GP announces Yours Truly's name to the whole of the practice and invites me and mother into the examination room. Indeed, this may seem embarrassing in itself - however, after a 2015 visit to my GP surgery close to where I live now, I got my name in red LED lights scrolling across as if I was to the star of the show, in front of anyone who can see it - which I feel rather uncomfortable with, and I am certain that other patients would feel the same as well.

    So, we enter the doctor's room - (he doesn't wear a while coat as he is modern), but he had everything that he needs to see what is wrong with me. He invites me to sit on his couch so that he can examine me - I feel anxious about this as I almost feel as if I am just two steps away from hospital. Looking at my GP medical notes which I got under the Data Protection Act 1998 back in 2008, I recall a 1987 visit which was caused in a nutshell by stress at school, and one a year later when he made a referral to a consultant at the local hospital (which I mentioned on the Hospital thread). I also recall a 1991 visit when someone had kicked me in a place where I wouldn't like to be kicked, and also a 1993 visit when I pushed down the stairs at school going from one lesson to another, so I was a semi-regular person down there.

    After the examination, the GP makes out a future appointment, perhaps in a month's time, and also a prescription, which happened to be anything from Benylin for a chesty cough to a laxative from the pharmacist next door due to my "colonic overloading" back in 1987. Then we go back home again, being thankful that it is over until next time - I seldom went back to school on the same day afterwards. Indeed, I always trusted a doctor over a teacher, and it is a pity that Harold Shipman seemed to give GPs such a negative stereotype when he was doing his business of doing the opposite of making people well at his practice.

    On the whole, I think that the NHS is a British institution which has protected so many people from illness and disease, and it is one of the best organisations which is still going strong.

    But what are your memories of seeing the GP at the local surgery? I know that we have talked about in the past about hospitals and doctors there, but what about the local GP and coming in after one has had ill health or had been "in the wars" due to what had happened at school? It happened to me, so I am certain that it happened to most other people. The school nurse was hardly in school and so that was a waste of time sometimes. One of my local GPs even visited my school because he was so concerned about bullying and that I was getting bruises which I was unable to explain. Do you remember seeing being absent from school in order to see the doctor, and finding missing school rather agreeable? I know that I would rather be protected than punched. I even try and make a day of it.

    Going to see the local GP wasn't that bad when you were around 10 years of age - was it?
    I've everything I need to keep me satisfied
    There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
    I'm having so much fun
    My lucky number's one
    Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

  • #2
    Re: Doctors' surgeries

    I’ve got a funny story ..
    There was a small local surgery near my grandmothers house .. my mum took me there a few times when I was a youngster .. i recall biting down on two glass thermometers breaking them both .. I remember the doc saying “ we will forget about that , then “


    Anyways .... a few years later when I was about 14 and just starting with acne / spots I decided to go there myself after school as they were affecting my confidence.

    Sooooo I walked in and sat down in the little waiting room but noticed some people all sat around watching the TV ...

    Unbeknown to me the surgery had moved and the property had been bought and used as a family home !!

    I had walked on off the street into someone’s front room as they all watched telly


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Doctors' surgeries

      You're lucky the instrument was not a mercury thermometer, otherwise you would have been poisoned.

      My mother use to take me to the doctors for the simplest ailment. I think it was because she fancied the doctor. I noticed she would blush.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Doctors' surgeries

        I used to make jokes about my mother fancying doctors as well - ironically, one of her friends had the initials GP which I made jokes of straight away.
        I've everything I need to keep me satisfied
        There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
        I'm having so much fun
        My lucky number's one
        Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Doctors' surgeries

          Without the risk of sounding racist, in my neck of the woods it's almost a case of find a GP who isn't Indian.

          The (white) British GP is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. They were around back in the 1990s but are a rare sight nowadays.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Doctors' surgeries

            I well remember going to the Doctor's Surgery in the 1970s. It was a relatively small building. Once you booked in with the receptionist, you took a seat in the waiting room next to it. Up on the wall, almost next to the ceiling, was a small rectangular box with the names of the doctors on there. Next to their names, was a small orange light that would light up with the sound of a buzzer when the doctor was ready to see a patient. At the booked time, you would enter the doctor's room when the light/buzzer sounded.

            This worked well for many years, until appointments started to run late. It ended up with a big row, outside the surgery, between two mothers. After tis incident, the receptionist would then call the name of the patient who needed to see their doctor.

            The first doctor I remember was Indian. I was a little afraid of him at first, but soon got over that. He was actually very nice. I occasionally seen a woman Indian doctor. She worked part time, then, to cover for other doctors and sometimes emergency appointments. The first time I had an appointment with her, I was twelve, I will admit her beauty almost knocked me over.
            Who cared about rules when you were young?

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Doctors' surgeries

              Originally posted by Arran View Post
              Without the risk of sounding racist, in my neck of the woods it's almost a case of find a GP who isn't Indian.

              The (white) British GP is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. They were around back in the 1990s but are a rare sight nowadays.
              Just like white taxi drivers


              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Doctors' surgeries

                Originally posted by Zincubus View Post
                Just like white taxi drivers


                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                They are still around, just not so numerous, a while back I had to give directions from one from Bury who was trying to find somewhere in Stockport.

                All the doctors I've dealt with in recent times have been white.
                The Trickster On The Roof

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Doctors' surgeries

                  Back in the 60s and probably as late as the turn of the 80s, our doctor's surgery did not have appointments, but patients were seen on a first come, first served basis. Until the surgery moved in the early to mid 70s, I am not sure that there was even a receptionist. I can remember having to take note of who was in the waiting room upon arrival so I knew when it was my turn. I think there was a cut-off time at which the door would be locked and the doctor would then only see who was already in the waiting room.

                  On an associated note, whenever my mother would take me when I had a bad cough, the doctor would write a prescription for medicine and the chemist would actually mix it rather than handing out a factory-produced bottle from one of the pharmaceutical companies.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Doctors' surgeries

                    I was registered at the same GP surgery for 40 years before I moved a couple of years ago. What I remember is that it was originally very large with two waiting areas served by a central reception block full of receptionists. We only ever went into one of the waiting areas to see one of our ‘set’ of doctors. The ‘other side’, with its different doctors I’d never seen seemed mysterious to my young eyes as a consequence. The receptionists would call out your name to go through.

                    over the years it got halved with fewer doctors and one of the waiting rooms blocked off and converted into an office. Reception staff reduced from about 10 to 1 and complete switch in the majority of male GPs in the early years to female GPS in the final years.
                    1976 Vintage

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                    • #11
                      Re: Doctors' surgeries

                      My earliest memories of doctors were when the doctor would visit the family home with her gladstone bag in hand, as a soft *** 5 year old i would be in bed (bottom bunk) and the glass thermometor would be presented and "popped" into my mouth. after 30 seconds it was removed and examined..."Hmm, stay in bed and eat chicken soup" was the usual advice," take two asprin every four hours and you will be right as rain"....and usually you were.
                      Ejector seat?...your jokin!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Doctors' surgeries

                        Thinking about the direct link between doctors and coronavirus, does anyone think that now we have experienced the depth of coronavirus and its impact that it might change our perceptive of seeing the doctor a bit more now?
                        I've everything I need to keep me satisfied
                        There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
                        I'm having so much fun
                        My lucky number's one
                        Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Doctors' surgeries

                          Been to pick up my repeat prescription today,no one is allowed in the surgery unless you have an appointment,just go to the chemist next door only 2 allowed in at one time.Give your name the pharmacist goes get your supplies it's much better this way,before you had queue in doctor for your prescription,take it next door hand it to the assistant wait 10 to 15 for it.They should have had that routine a long time ago

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Doctors' surgeries

                            Is a doctor allowed to prescribe medication to be collected at a specified chemist shop?
                            My doctor sends the prescription to the Pharmacy opposite to the Practice.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Doctors' surgeries

                              It's not that easy to see a doctor anymore.I did manage to see one about a month ago,but it was made that difficult I don't think I will bother again for some time until things ease off a bit.Just means like so many other people I will have to suffer with a much more serious problem for a bit/lot longer then necessary.

                              It's OK saying the doctors are still here for us treating other things outside Corvid, but it's not till you need to talk to one face to face you realize just how difficult that has been make and to somebody who suffers from anxiety and depression as well it's now almost impossible at the best of times.Hard enough just to make contact at times when things were normal.

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