A day in the life of a doctor in a ‘failing NHS’

A GP surgery in one of the most deprived areas in the north-east of England is struggling to provide care for its patients as the health system crumbles around them.

In the depths of the winter flu season, the Guardian video producers Maeve Shearlaw and Adam Sich went to Bridges medical practice to shadow the lead GP, Paul Evans, as he worked all hours keep his surgery afloat. Juggling technical challenges, long waiting lists and the profound impact austerity has had on the health of the population, Evans says: 'We are seeing the system fail'

Chapters:
​00:00 – AI in the NHS is 'not even close'
00:55 – The GP surgery opens - how has Gateshead changed?
01:56 – Days in the NHS are so long and intense I worry about burnout
02:37 – We're seeing NHS systems fail/morning clinic with patients
03:15 – A home visit: 'Labour have pulled a Tory trick'
04:55 – Afternoon surgery: 'It feels like we're being gaslit, as a patient it must be awful'
06:34 – Gateshead tour: 'a lot of what we do is putting a sticking plaster on the gaping wound of poverty'
07:40 – Final patients as the GP surgery closes

The Guardian on YouTube:

#nhs #poverty #gateshead #health #ai #nhsuk #uk #politics

[justine]

To the GP in this documentary and others like him. Thank you for caring so much for the most vulnerable in our country.

[prakashkachhala]

I'm a GP myself and this brings home the realities of what I and my patients see all the time. Thank you for highlighting!

[AH-tegs]

Worked as an EU citizen in the UK for two years. Had a bike accident in the UK last year. Was going to take an ambulance two hours to take me to a hospital (thanks to a helpful bystander...). Took me two weeks to see a specialist after breaking a wrist and two elbows. When I came back home, I saw the GP, saw a specialist and had surgery within the span of one week. I'm never coming back. But I have that luxury of being able to make that decision. I wish all UK citizens all the very best.

[annieh.]

I was very fortunate to receive care off the NHS for many years, and I was very impressed by the kindness and expertise of the staff… but every year they were doing more with less, and I feel equally fortunate that I emigrated before the bottom dropped out.

I hope the British people can turn this around.

[enzobiswas-rodgers]

I’m a UK doctor in F1. We are being flooded with IMGs who get into specialty training over Uk grads. I want to train to be a psychiatrist but it’s 20:1 competition. An entire cohort of British graduates are about to become unemployed this year. Most likely thousands of them. It will continue to get worse unless this issue is solved, uk grads are given priority, and training numbers (which have stayed at the same level for 15 years) are expanded.

[yesimemoin]

0:25 blowing on your work computer like it's a 90s Nintendo cartridge is ridiculous

[johnsmith-yvrp]

If you wanna do something small to help the NHS, please make sure you come to your appointments, scans, surgeries, pre-op etc. If you CANNOT make it, please cancel. The amount of no-shows we have is fucking dreadful and a waste of time and resources. If I had a choice, I'd charge ppl who don't show up 3x and keep ignoring the appointments we book. Infuriating

[supaahflyy]

As an Australian Doctor, id never work for the NHS. Horrible underappreciation makes me not ever want to waste my training there

[marketads]

Just because the NHS is broken today, doesn’t mean it should be tossed out. It was once a beautiful thing.

[emmafrost]

I didn't even know doctors in GP practices actually saw patients anymore... always seen a nurse, and then at most she passes issue in writing to the doctor who'd put through referrals (if they don't forget...) This GP is amazing

[mahalia]

Thank you to all the doctors and healthcare workkers struggling against the odds to provide care for their patients. So many in the Uk forced to live in cold homes, unable to afford decent, healthy food no access to green areas and no sense of community. 😢 Gaslighting by mental health services is a very real thing.

[Uriel_V_Blackwood]

I worked at one of the “premier” NHS hospitals in England, first thing I noticed was how old and shoddy the it systems were, I felt like I was playing the original age of empires again

[annemarieboon]

I worked in England in 1985, in a carehome and remember being abhorred by the poverty and having to wrap people in plastic sheeting because there was no money for proper incontinence material. So, back to where you were 40 years ago? It did go much better for a decade or 2, didn't it?

[moonchart]

Sending gratitude and prayers to this man. If only I could give this man a hug and massage to calm his nerves. Bless him <3

[CatholicSatan]

Thanks Tories! Look what a good job you did over 14 years...

[catherinehoy]

tax the rich, tax the assets. reclaim the services. plant forward diets.

[antlerman]

A very grounded report, thank you, the guardian.

[topowwow]

Here in Greece we don't have the best healthcare system and we always moan about it, but lately I've come to appreciate it more, especially when seeing the problems with the NHS. The good thing is that private practice is usually quite affordable, compared to other countries, as the US for example, and many people use it to avoid the waits of the national health system. A visit to a GP or a specialist starts from 30-50€, as much as a meal in a decent restaurant or 4-5 cocktails. A root canal at the dentist is about 200€. An ambulance ride about 100€. For an average earner and occasional visits, it will not lead to bankrupcy. I never could understand why in some countries doctors charge such exorbitant prices...🤔 I'm not saying that the national system shouldn't get better, but if someone is in dire need of a doctor, it's usually feasible to see one, and I'm glad for it.

[jackcunningham]

This NHS Doctor is a hero ❤ I am sure there are plenty others like him out there. ❤

[DD-jqbo]

Trained in the NHS and emigrated to Australia. Best decision ever.