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I was interested to read that GPs' prescribing of antibiotics rose by 4% between 2010 and 2013 and was wondering how much of this might be due to the pressures on GPs' time.
In the past, in the days of seven minute appointments, some GPs used to get patients swiftly out of the consultation room by pretty much prescribing on demand. I can remember patients being bitterly disappointed after seeing me when I worked as a locum GP, some twenty years ago, to find that they had not been given a prescription for an antibiotic when their own doctor always reached for the prescription pad.
I do wonder if we are returning to those days as the consultation time is being eroded by the constant tick boxing demands of QOF, with our current ten minute appointments turning into five minute appointments after we have done the required tickboxing and data entry, leaving little time for the patient and their concerns.
GPs' workload has become increasingly complex as we are dealing with multi morbidity and conditions that would a few decades ago have been dealt with in the hospital outpatients.
This needs to be recognised so that the patients get the care that they deserve.
GPs need to be delivered from the shackles of endless kickboxing and data gathering so that they can deal holistically with their patient's complaint.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
12 March 2015
Anne Pauleau
GP
BMA member
Essex Lodge Surgery , 94 Greengate Street, Plaistow, London , E13 0 AS.
Re: Doctors’ antibiotic prescriptions should be scrutinised, says NICE,,,, and QOF
I was interested to read that GPs' prescribing of antibiotics rose by 4% between 2010 and 2013 and was wondering how much of this might be due to the pressures on GPs' time.
In the past, in the days of seven minute appointments, some GPs used to get patients swiftly out of the consultation room by pretty much prescribing on demand. I can remember patients being bitterly disappointed after seeing me when I worked as a locum GP, some twenty years ago, to find that they had not been given a prescription for an antibiotic when their own doctor always reached for the prescription pad.
I do wonder if we are returning to those days as the consultation time is being eroded by the constant tick boxing demands of QOF, with our current ten minute appointments turning into five minute appointments after we have done the required tickboxing and data entry, leaving little time for the patient and their concerns.
GPs' workload has become increasingly complex as we are dealing with multi morbidity and conditions that would a few decades ago have been dealt with in the hospital outpatients.
This needs to be recognised so that the patients get the care that they deserve.
GPs need to be delivered from the shackles of endless kickboxing and data gathering so that they can deal holistically with their patient's complaint.
Competing interests: No competing interests