Widower calls for return of in-person GP appointments

Because of the national lockdown Joy Stokes did not see a doctor in person for several months, despite becoming increasingly ill

A bereaved husband whose wife died from secondary breast cancer is calling for the swift return of in-person GP appointments.

Joy Stokes, 69, from Wiltshire, died in April after delays in a physical examination that her husband Nick said might have fast-tracked her case.

She had previously survived primary breast cancer in her mid 50s.

Mr Stokes said: "Put your foot down if necessary, go and stand outside the surgery until you're seen by a doctor."

'Such pain'

Mr Stokes, who lives in a village near Devizes, said he believed if his wife had been physically examined earlier, she might have survived for longer.

In May 2020 Mrs Stokes began struggling to walk and was experiencing severe aches and pains in her legs.

Because of the national lockdown, patients were only able to book telephone appointments for their GP.

"The message we were getting, very much if we talked to doctors, was you're getting older, it's arthritis, you're still walking, you're still playing golf.

"There can't be very much wrong with you."

By September the pain had spread to her hips. The couple arranged telephone appointments with two different physiotherapists who both sent letters to her GP recommending an X-ray.

Urgent tests

"From the beginning of November she was struggling.

"She rang the surgery and got a phone call from the locum at the surgery to say, 'you don't need an X-ray we'll organise a blood test'.

"It never happened."

"By Christmas she was in such pain and she could no longer walk properly, she couldn't sleep at night," said Mr Stokes.

An X-ray then revealed abnormalities and the GP said bone cancer was a possibility so they ordered an urgent blood test.

An official diagnosis for cancer in the femur was made in January.

Mr Stokes said the oncology team told them her cancer was incurable but early treatment "could keep her going for years".

Shortly afterwards, however, doctors found a brain tumour that spread so aggressively it left her too ill to receive treatment.

GP numbers falling

"I don't think that the surgery did anything much different than any other surgery was doing.

"They were operating to the instructions they were being given by the NHS," Mr Stokes, who lives near Devizes, said.

He and his wife chose not to formally complain about the GP surgery.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said at times "the system could fail" and that "GPs and their teams need proper resources to meet rising demands from patients".

A spokesperson added: "Throughout the pandemic, GPs have been following national infection control guidance to keep both patients and staff safe from coronavirus.

"The number of patients wanting to see a GP is rising all the time and the number of qualified GPs is dropping."

The Department of Health and Social Care said: "To manage the increased demands placed on general practices, an additional £270m funding has been made available to ensure GPs can continue to support all patients.

"As we build back better from the pandemic, we have committed to expanding the workforce and supporting general practices to deliver an extra 50 million appointments a year within the next five years."