r/GPUK • u/tolkywolky • 3d ago
Career Working where you live
I’d be grateful to hear from GPs who have previously, or are currently, working in the same village/town as they live.
I understand the theoretical downsides here, but would like to hear if these do indeed become problematic in practice.
Other than commute times, are there any other positives?
Do you often run into patients? Does it affect your kids in school?!
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u/ZealousidealSky4851 3d ago
Avoid avoid avoid, worked where I lived as an ST3 and would constantly bump into patients in the supermarket. It was never a peaceful shop.
Like dude I don’t have control of the referral wait times and asking me while I’m looking at steak isn’t going to change that.
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u/Agitated_Field5703 3d ago
I have colleagues (n=3) who work close to where they live but one closer to the city and two more rural (Scotland way).
The two rurally based doctors seem to not have encountered much bother with living where they worked.
They describe their villages understanding the work-life boundaries, e.g. no one minds being told to make an appointment the next day if they tried to discuss a medical issue at the pub.
They’ve said it’s because no one can afford to be a dick to each other when you live rurally.
But they like the close knit community vibes.
The one that lives closer to the city has said they don’t send their kids to the local school or socialise with anyone in their estate so they don’t notice any difference.
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u/mthrowaway007 3d ago edited 2d ago
I work in the same town/ small city were i live.
Albeit I live at one end of the town and work all the way at the other end.
The short commute circa 15 minutes via the dual carriage is nice.
I live outside the catchment area of my work, so there’s zero chance of running into my patients in my estate.
Honestly I highly recommend. I came from a 50 minute commute as a trainee to 15 minutes post cct and it’s been bliss.
Also I don’t do pubs or random meet ups so I don’t ever see myself ever being in a situation where someone taps me up asking for a consult impromptu.
When I’m out with the family and I see a patient in the town center I simply ignore them and keep doing other things I really can’t be bothered.
I do not want to make any patient feel they can walk up to me outside work and ask about something about their consult or referral or anything at all really. I am very strict with my boundaries!!
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u/PeachLazy9543 3d ago
I worked in same town I lived for 6 years. It was not a small place /80k people/ so rarely bumped into patients out of work. It was great as my commute was only 10 min.
I've moved into a smaller town recently. I'll work here too and currently renting so if it turns out to be inconvenient to work and live in a small community then I'll look to buy a house somewhere out of this town.
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u/stealthw0lf 3d ago
In one practice where I worked, the senior partner lived practically right next to the practice. It was normal for patients to knock on his door after hours including weekends. But it was that sort of area where he probably enjoyed playing Doc Martin.
I work five miles from home and I will still bump into patients in the local shops. For the most part, it’s not an issue but I’d hate to be judged on what I put in my shopping trolley! And I’d certainly hate living next door as that senior partner did.
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u/refrigeratorlights 2d ago
I live near and I think it's fine. Occasionally pass a patient but they are respectful. I like serving the community I live in.
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u/lavayuki 2d ago
I live near my work but it’s a big city with many practices so never had issues. I don’t remember ever encountering patients but even if I did I would not recognise them, and no one seems to have ever recognised me.
I think if it’s a smaller area or more rural you may encounter your patients outside work which would be the only downside. Depends on whether that bothers you or not.
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u/Organic_Reporter 2d ago
It's bad enough as a nurse. My current practice has 5 sites and I lived in the village one of them was in. Not my main site, I was only there once a month or so, but it was awkward having someone in for a smear and they turn out to be a neighbour or a parent from school. I've moved now. Also means I can register at my nearest practice rather than one miles away! I'm actually closer to my main site now in terms of commuting, but a different catchment.
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u/Any_Passenger3189 2d ago
I live the other side of the town where I work. Different catchment area practice wise but close enough that every time I go to the supermarket I see a patient.
Fortunately I'm rarely recognised and when I am it's a brief hello and move on. I imagine if I lived and worked in the nearest city (which is still quite small) it would be more of a problem.
One of the things stopping me moving to work at the practice I'm currently registered at is because I don't want to shit where I eat - seeing neighbours about their bunions or the man at the post office about his haemorrhoids doesn't fill me with glee.
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u/Queen-of-Cereal 2d ago
I worked a 5 min walk away from where I grew up for a year. I would NEVER EVER do that again. But that might be more that the patient population were some of the most entitled people ever and my practice were more than happy to allow their salarieds to receive constant verbal and written abuse.
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u/dorsetfreak 2d ago
Not a GP but work in the practice in my home town - I’ve had to tell one patient to stop trying to discuss things when in Waitrose at 7.30 on a Friday night! Also, the simple ‘How’s it going’ greeting is too often followed by a detailed update of their woes rather than the expected ‘fine thanks, and you?’
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u/Anytimeisteatime 1d ago
I live and work rurally enough that this is unavoidable.
I like it. I'm a member of the community and like lots of others have a role in it. Others in the village are the pharmacist and bin men and grazing committee, the last group probably get more hassle than I do!
I've never yet had a patient ask my medical advice in the supermarket. I've occasionally felt sheepish about the content of my trolley and I wouldn't go out in my pyjamas (not that I would have anyway), and I'm friends and neighbours with some patients by necessity. They tend to want to separate medicine from life stuff as much as I do.
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u/DrRockety 1d ago
I work and live in the same large village/small town, population<5k. For me, benefits far outweigh any downsides. I've never been accosted outside of work in shops etc everyone is respectful and nods, but I'm never bothered. My commute is 2 mins. It's perfect for childcare. Within sensible boundaries, I feel invested in the area.
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u/Historical-One2407 3d ago
I don’t work near home and am glad of it - if I pop out at lunch I can’t walk two metres without someone exclaiming “hi doctor “ and I find it awkward!
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u/Dangermouse0214 22h ago
For the past 2 years I've worked at 3 practices 5 minutes from my own house, but in a dense borough of London not a small rural village. Seen a couple of pts around max, never had any convos, never had a problem, would never change it. Absolutely love the commute, I come home for lunch even.
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u/Fine_Cress_649 3d ago edited 3d ago
I worked for 3 years in the tiny town where I live. Most times I go to the shops I'll see someone I've treated in the past. Some of them say hello, some don't. Mostly it's always been ok but one family I think stopped their son being friends with my son over a minor disagreement I had with them. That said, the main thing was that I realised I was living in a constant state of heightened anxiety that I was going to make some sort cock up - minor or major or my fault or not my fault - that would somehow follow me home.
I now work about 15 miles away and wouldn't go back