A GP in training in a rural area of Donegal sees dozens of patients on a varied day at the coalface.
PRACTICE NAME Gaoth Dobhair Medical Centre,, Bunbeg, Co. Donegal
STAFF PROFILE 5 doctors, 1 practice nurse, 4 clerical staff. Dr McHugh is a 3rd year GP registrar, joined January 2019
PRACTICE PROFILE Catchment area Annagry – Falcarragh (over40 km). High social deprivation index, strong rural area
SUMMARY OF THE DAY : 80 patients seen in practice
23 clerical/phonecall appointments with doctors
3 house calls, one urgent
9 urgent walk-ins with no appointments
Front of house 124 points of contact at desk
54 phonecalls (excluding phonecalls to secretaries not at front desk)
3 doctors on today Friday fully booked for morning already, afternoon kept free on Friday for
emergencies/urgent walk in. I was working until midnight last night in out-of-hours co-op.
Dr Anna McHugh’s Diary of a typical day
SOME DETAILS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITIES
Surgery start 9am, check post
9.00 – Mum in with 8 year old boy with cough
9.15 – Man with bowel issues
09.30 – Older man with abdominal pain
09.45 – Young gentleman with MS who had a fall
10.00 – Young woman with back pain
10.15 – 3 phonecalls follow up patients
10.30 – Antental check
10.45 – Retired gentleman in for script
11.00 – Review bloods
11.10 – Tea
11.25 – Lady post-partum breast lump
11.45 – Man for driver’s medical
12.00 – Unwell man with fluid on lung
12.20 – Young lady for injection
12.45 – Phonecalls / bloods / signing scripts
13.00 – Lunch
14.00 – Girl with a limp
14.15 – Man with a sore wrist
14.30 – Woman concerned re a mole
14.40 – Squeezed in extra as colleague called out on urgent house visit – complicated driver medical
15.00 – teenage girl skin issues
15.15 – Antenatal complicated
15.45 – Phonecalls x 4
15.55 – Another antenatal complicated
16.15 – Young woman worried re breast lump
16.35 – Man with injury needing tetanus
17.00 – Young boy with tick