A local GP had said she has “never worked harder” than during the current pandemic depsite the fact that some people have questioned how GP services have operated in the crisis.

Dr. Laura McDonnell spoke to The Impartial Reporter about a typical day in the life as a part-time GP in Irvinestown, where she has worked since 2008 and serves as one of the partners in the practice.

She also works as the clinical lead for the Health and Social Care Board.

Work for Dr. McDonnell begins at 8am, but she does not start by speaking to her first patient of the day.

Instead, she processes a “hefty inbox” of emails, as she works through blood results, prescription requests, and electronic notifications for patients who have attended out-of-hours.

She may then take some time to reflect on patients who have been admitted to hospital, or who may have sadly passed away overnight.

Speaking of a typical day, Dr. McDonnell said: “By 9am the telephone lines are red-hot so I put admin tasks aside and begin to call my patients.

“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the model of consulting in General Practice was forced to change to allow for safer working practices.

“We recognised that this dramatically increased the volume of calls into the practice, and we had to install a new telephone system to cope with demand.”

Urgent calls

Dr. McDonnell praised her admin staff who handle and screen calls. She added that reception staff are “sensitively trained” and have the ability to refer urgent calls straight through to the GP for issues such as chest pain.

Some doctors have been criticised as there is an assumption they are closed to the public.

However, Dr. McDonnell told this newspaper that she sees “30 to 40 per cent of patients in person, in the surgery,” and she, along with the team in Irvinestown, still visits patients at home, with support from district nursing staff.

However, there has been a sharp change in how GP surgeries now run, as Dr. McDonnell explained.

“Prior to the pandemic, most GP surgeries ran morning and afternoon clinics lasting two or three hours, with patients slotted in at ten-minute intervals

“This often-meant packed waiting rooms, surgeries running late, and often a two or three week wait for appointments.

“Covid and the need for social distancing meant this had to change.

“In my practice, GPs now telephone back our patients the same day to ascertain the nature of the problem.

“In some cases, the issue may be resolved over the phone.”

Technology has now been used to communicate with patients including text messaging, as Dr. McDonnell explained.

“We have installed a secure texting system which enables patients to send us photos that are then saved into their medical record.

“This is useful for skin problems such as rashes, and can enable a rapid diagnosis and treatment.

“At the height of the pandemic, video consultations were also used, which was particularly useful for shielding patients who were anxious about leaving their homes.”

There has been some positive feedback on this move, said Dr. McDonnell.

“Patients, particularly those of working age, have fed back that they like being able to consult with a GP in this way as it saves having to take time off work.”

However, there are still many issues for which people will have to attend the surgery in person, but methods are still in place to ensure this is safe for everyone remains safe, said Dr. McDonnell.

“As a result of Covid, we now have a safe, designated zone to assess those with respiratory symptoms and/or fever.

“This is in a separate part of the GP surgery, with a separate entrance.”

Dr. McDonnell enjoys working in her native Fermanagh, but admits that moral is low among health professionals in the county.

She said: “Covid has taken its toll on all health professionals, but in the southwest, GP morale is particularly low as we struggle to recruit and retain GPs.

“We have seen many practice closures and mergers, and fear that we will not be able to replace GP colleagues that are due to retire in the next few years. Locum GPs are hard to get, meaning that smaller practices often have difficulty getting cover to allow for annual leave.

“Many GPs have been disheartened by negative social media posts challenging the changes in general practice forced upon us by Covid. GP surgeries have never closed – we have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and I can honestly say I have never worked harder,” she concluded.