I work part time ( a few shifts a month) for the Sheffield West PCT as an out of hours doctor driver/assistant. We are constantly berated about being late to see patients or not meeting targets. It is not a lack of untrained staff etc it is a lack of money. We regularly have to cover the whole of Sheffield out as far as castleton with 1 doctor and driver. Is it any surprise that we can't make targets?
The other problem is the patients themselves, I kid you not that we have people insisting on a visit because they have stubbed their toe or have a hangover. 1 women admitted to going out and having a few glasses of wine followed by a few vodka's, the following day she calls up to say she has a headache and felt sick. She insisted on a visit and this took up time and resources that could have been better utilised. Even I know she had a bloody hangover and would have told her to take 2 paracetamol and a glass of water, go to bed and call back in 4 hours if no better, but no, she insisted she was visited by a doctor, total cost to the tax payer approx £175.00
MAD. and this is not an isolated incident, this type of thing happens EVERY shift. ok rant over ta for listening.
