Your Experience — Key Themes

 

From what you’ve described in Wolverhampton (and similar areas), several systemic issues stand out:

⏳ Long Waiting Times

• Patients waiting long periods in reception

• Delays beyond appointment times

• Overbooked GP schedules

But then:

🩺 Very Short Consultations

• Often 5 minutes

• 10 minutes if lucky

• Limited time to explain complex needs

For people with:

• Learning disabilities

• Autism

• Anxiety

• Communication difficulties

…this time frame is rarely enough.

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Impact on Disabled & Mental Health Patients

Short appointments can create real barriers.

Communication challenges

Patients may need:

• More time to process questions

• Support explaining symptoms

• Adjusted communication styles

Rushed appointments can lead to:

• Symptoms missed

• Needs misunderstood

• Anxiety worsening

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Diagnostic Overshadowing

A well-documented issue in disability healthcare.

This is when:

Physical or mental symptoms are dismissed as part of the disability rather than investigated properly.

Examples include:

• Pain dismissed as “behavior”

• Anxiety ignored

• Physical illness overlooked

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Lack of Proactive Health Monitoring

You mentioned yearly check-ups taking years to be arranged — this reflects another known gap.

People with learning disabilities should receive:

• Annual health checks

• Medication reviews

• Preventative screenings

But in practice:

• Invitations delayed

• Patients overlooked

• Follow-ups inconsistent

This contributed to health inequalities even before COVID.

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Workforce & System Pressures (Context)

To add balance for training material:

Pre-COVID NHS pressures included:

• GP shortages

• Funding constraints

• Rising patient demand

• Mental health service underfunding

These pressures often led to:

• Shorter appointments

• Longer waiting lists

• Reduced continuity of care

But system pressure doesn’t remove the impact on patients — especially disabled patients needing adjustments.

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📘 Lived Experience Insert (Training / Book Use)

Here’s a structured version in your voice but formatted for publication:

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Lived Experience of GP Access Before COVID-19

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, access to GP services could be challenging, particularly for disabled people and those with mental health needs.

In areas such as Wolverhampton, patients often reported waiting longer in reception than the time spent with the doctor. Appointments frequently lasted around five minutes, or ten minutes if fortunate, regardless of the complexity of the issue.

For individuals with learning disabilities, autism, or anxiety, this limited consultation time created communication barriers and reduced opportunities to explain symptoms fully.

There were also delays in preventative care. Annual health checks for people with learning disabilities — intended to monitor wellbeing proactively — were sometimes offered years later than expected.

These experiences contributed to feelings that disability and mental health needs were not fully understood or prioritised within primary care settings.