My GP doctor of 25 years stealth retired.

He had sufficient.

It happens. Once upon a time I worked at a small ad agency and one of the partners abruptly announced she was retiring. She basically woke up one morning and was done. It was pretty shitty because it set off a chain reaction that ended up being the end of the agency and we all had to find new jobs.

Can we have your stuff, OP?

Sure come and get it.

They didn't even refer you to a new doctor or someone within the same department?

Apparently there is a list when I go pick up my file or have it mailed to me. Independent GP, not a group.

Being a physician now is far different than years ago.

I left after Covid, just graduated too.

OP, are you in the UK?

He won the lottery. I would do the same thing.

My doctor did the same thing. I called for an appt and the nurse said he moved to Montana. I went to a gay dr and it has made a great difference in my treatment.

R7 Geneva Switzerland

Thanks R10, I recognized GP is not what we usually call our docs in the states

My GP semi-retired but is still around to train the new guy, who I hate. He attributes everything to my drinking, even though I am a moderate (but daily) drinker of beer only. Last time I brought up that twice in the past 6 months I had "spells" where I almost lost consciousness upon standing up and couldn't keep myself from falling. I asked him to do some blood work and maybe adjust my blood pressure meds, but he just asked if I had been drinking (no) and shrugged it off.

general practitioner is not used in the states?

This has happened to me too, OP, three times. I’m in British Columbia (Vancouver Island), which has a massive shortage of doctors, especially GPs. Once you luck into having one, you daren’t let go, even if they’re terrible. If you lose your GP, you usually have to go to walk-in clinics (that fill up for the day by 09:00) or even emergency until there is an availability for a regular doctor. It really sucks. I hope you get another doctor soon. :/

I am sorry, OP. This happened to me (a doc disappeared from a multi-doc practice, no explanation) and then a year after that I called to make an appointment and the entire practice had closed.

R13 If you said it, someone might know what you meant.

But more often, depending on the insurance you use, they'd be called primary care doctor, or internist (internal medicine).

My favorite GP was Dr. Sweeney before she went big time. She had a lovely office in Park Slope in the 90s. This Swiss doc was very serious and formal but I liked the formality of chatting in his office then moving to the examination room then back to the office for more chat. I guess that kind of practice is going the way of the dodo bird.

That sucks, OP. I’ve had my GP for 30 years. I’m 55, he’s about 65. I recently asked him what his plans are for retirement and he told me he’s going to work until he dies but I don’t believe him. I suspect he’s just going to close up one day, no warning.

R4 Referrals are meaningless now. Even in a group practice, some doctors will not accept certain insurances. You need to call your insurance and find out what doctors are one your plan AND are accepting new patients. And then try to get an appointment.

I just closed my practice in the Hudson Valley and I gave my patients many months to find a doctor. It's THEIR JOB not my fucking job. I don't have an Excel spreadsheet with all doctors and their insurances that I spend hours updating every month.

So get on the fucking phone, and spend a few hours talking to your insurance and the doctors that may or may not accept your insurance.

I had a bumper sticker on my Wrangler that read "I am a physician, not a magician".

[quote]My favorite GP was Dr. Sweeney before she went big time.

I know her! I *love* her. TWICE, she nearly pushed me down to get somewhere! Once we were in a meeting at a hotel and a pre-recorded message came on saying there was a “biological emergency”(!!) and she pushed me out of the way going down the stairs to evacuate. And then once at the White House, she pushed me out of the way to go shake Obama’s hand. And I wasn’t even mad either time because she’s fucking awesome!

I know it shouldn't matter, but I just have a need to have a male doctor. I think that I am much more comfortable sharing sexual concerns and being frank. My doctor and his PA are both gay and the dr was able to determine what kind of tests, care, etc. I should have based on my gay lifestyle. I've had other doctors before and never been asked if I was a top, bottom, or versatile. When I told him I was a bottom, he suggested an anal brushing to see it there were any HPV cells, which could lead to anal cancer, present. I did it and some cells were found, but they were removed. Since then, I have had a yearly brushing , but no cells have been detected. I would never had had this conversation with a female or even most straight doctors. So, after my other gay dr moved, I knew that I needed to find one that primarily treated gay men. It has been a real help.

[quote]I know it shouldn't matter, but I just have a need to have a male doctor.

I think that’s normal. I saw a female doctor for a long time. When I became an adult, I needed doctors to look at my penis and check my prostate and instantly switched to a male doctor.

I’ll only ever go to a female dentist. Guys have big clumsy hands that I don’t particularly want swinging drills around my mouth. I’ve been to male dentists, but the female dentists I’ve been to were always better. Not only were they better, but when I flinched, they stopped and would say “did that hurt?” and numb me up more. My male dentists would say “just another second” and keep on going! I’ll *never* go to a male dentist again.