A GP has said it was ‘cathartic’ to receive a ‘heartfelt’ message on social media from health secretary Wes Streeting after posting about his difficult day.
Dr Dave Triska, a GP partner in Surrey, posted on X that he had burst into tears at work because of the ‘dystopian nightmare’ of a lack of services for someone really in need.
‘Ended up mutually consoling’, he said tagging in Mr Streeting and noting there was a ‘big, big job to do in health’.
To his surprise, Mr Streeting responded saying he was sorry that Dr Triska and his patient had been put in that position.
He continued: ‘Not ashamed to share I’ve cried after my MP advice surgeries with the same frustration. We’ll fix it together.’
Dr Triska commented that the response was ‘human, genuine and heartfelt’.
‘Wes has done more to reach out to the thousands of despairing GPs in one tweet than the last government did in 14 years. Respect.’
Speaking to Pulse he said: ‘It was a really stunning response and hugely appreciated as it gave some humanity to what has felt distant and brutal section of the Government over the last few years.’
Others commented in the thread that they too had been in this position and the response had given them some hope that the new Government was listening.
GP Dr Neena Jha noted the moral injury to those working in the NHS was ‘off the scale’ right now.
Earlier this month, health secretary Wes Streeting said he is ‘committed to reversing’ the underfunding of general practice, in one of his first announcements in his new role.
Labour’s election manifesto carried no promises of increased investment in general practice, but in his previous shadow health secretary role, Mr Streeting had claimed that GPs have ‘a lot to look forward to’ under a Labour Government.
Researchers recently told the Society of Academic Primary Care conference that the survival of general practice is ‘at breaking point’.
The team from Oxford University blamed a shifting model of care based on underfunding and growing societal health inequalities.
The way in which general practice now operates has in some cases led to services becoming ‘dehumanised, deprofessionalised, clinically compromised, unfulfilling and unsafe’, the analysis found.
A good example of using kindness and listening to help. We are privileged as clinicians to wear a hat which allows patients to tell their story and their problems to us even when it seems there are no solutions or no resources. Well done to this doctor for trying their best and let’s hope we can all also stand in the shoes of our colleagues who help patients every day whether working as receptionist, practice nurse, PA, pharmacist or district nurse. We all need a pat on the back sometimes.