My GP has told me that 80% of their appointments don't need a GP appointment.

Health anxiety has exploded over the last few years for some reason. I know loads of people who visit the doctor every other week with new or suspected symptoms.

Fortunately a friend was not told she was wasting GP time when she took her son who had started wetting the bed overnight. I am sure lots of posters here would have told her she was and just buy pull-ups. (Or see an optician…)

Not convinced considering twice recently I’ve been told the appointment I wanted for my DC wasn’t necessary or an emergency and then each subsequently turned into a week long hospital stay for them and a diagnosis of a long term health condition.

Of course sometimes people see a GP unnecessarily but actually it can be difficult to know when to see a GP because people aren’t trained doctors and that’s why we tend to see the doctor for a diagnosis (I’m not talking about people who see the doctor with a mild cold which of course is unnecessary£.

Not true, an experienced gp would take a history (which often gives the diagnosis rather than the best photos), examine you (which may include feeling your skin lesions) and treat you whilst you wait 1year for your dermatology appointment. You never know, they might actually treat you and get you better and you can cancel that hospital appointment in 2026

I had this in hospital last week with ds. He had been sent to A&E by the nurse on the Friday with tonsillitis.

Back on the Sunday and as he was sucking in under his chest, grunting and not drinking. Also had a petechial rash. The pompous Doctor sarcastically asked why I had felt the need to bring him in after explaining his symptoms and said his chest was fine.

As soon as he put him on the obs machine they were flashing low oxygen and very high heart rate, he had to have oxygen and nebulisers and was admitted. He listened to his chest again about half a hour after the initial check and suddenly he had lots of crackles appear. His response was well he was crying before I couldn’t hear his chest crackling. 😒

It really riles me up when they have that attitude. Like I don’t have anything fucking better to do on a Sunday than to scramble for childcare for older ds and spend £20 on a taxi to go to A&E. I only go when necessary.

This poster quoted NHS advice on which situations it IS suggested people seek help. That's sensible. Your dismissive and insulting post is unhelpful.

Probably this is a click bait op but:-

My GP practice is well run. All the things coming through to a GP have been triage loads. So every GP appointment is about a complex issue and also the patient hasn't seen a gp for a while (as has seen nurse or pharmacist instead) and s9 has a list of 3+ things. Which used to be somewhat manageable but the complex issue has now been somewhat dealt with by 5 people so it takes a lot of time to unravel.

I would say 100% gp appts should be with a gp. And more of the consultations which have been booked with pharmacists or nurses should have gone straight to their regular gp.

There is also however the occasions where something could be done over the phone, yet the doctors request you attend face to face.
I have a skin condition and having tried several creams (all organised via messaging) I was told the next step would need to be a referral to dermatology and that I needed to go to the surgery for a face to face appointment. I was there less than 5 mins, with a nurse practitioner, who saw on the notes that the referral was the next option, asked if that's what I would like, I said yes so she said she would put it through.
A waste of both their time and mine in being there in person. No examination was given and I doubt much more could be seen in real life than me sending photos of my skin.

YANBU - I wonder how much requests for ADHD diagnosis are adding to this…

Did u read my post ?? I went to chemist I had a uti and they couldn’t treat me because I didn’t fit the criteria. So I had to have Drs appointment!
And u can’t get antibiotics/steroid cream over the counter u need a prescription!

Very small sample of two people.

Me: Receptionist told me "It can't be that important, the doctor i was asking for you has left". I was having a miscarriage.

DH: Had to beg to get a same day appointment, missed it as he'd been blue lighted to A&E.

If people are unable to think for themselves and follow guidance blindly without any critical thinking…well words fail me

You really have very little understanding of or empathy for the patient population. I hope you are nowhere near the health service. It is also rather concerning the about of detail your BIL seems happy to share.

The average reading age of adults in the UK is 9-11 years old. Half of adults find it hard to understand health information.

People with low health literacy:

• Are more likely to die younger
• Are more likely to have long-term conditions
• Miss appointments more often
• Find it hard to take medication correctly
• Feel worried and angry
• Struggle to look after their own health effectively

You can only do an online form for my doctors they don’t even answer the phone anymore. I’ve been to the pharmacist 3 times over something and they won’t give medication because I’m breastfeeding so need to see the doctor. I’ve done an e consult 3 times and been told to visit a pharmacist instead of the doctor. They can’t be reading my answers because I’ve explained that they have said I need to see the doctor on each form - I actually went to the pharmacy before trying the doctor initially. If they looked they would see I’ve not visited the surgery in at least 6 years other than for midwife appointments.

*initially

I know two women who had heart attacks misdiagnosed as indigestion

Both things you mention can and are treated at a pharmacy.

This thread reminds me of my trainee GP ex who told me ovarian cysts are never painful and that autism and adhd didn't exist and was just spoilt kids. 😳Mind you he did fail his exam numerous times. Don’t know if he ever made it actually graduating as one but he did work in a GP surgery.

When I called him out on it, he had a chip on his shoulder like many GPs do that an uneducated person dare question their intelligence.

People don’t realise what a great resource their local pharmacy is, I would never book a GP appointment for a small issue without speaking to a pharmacist first.

So many of them seem to have the attitude that you're wasting their time from the moment you step foot in the consulting room.

I think If pharmacists were like they are abroad Drs would be much better !
I got bitten by a mosquito and it got infected (abroad) I showed the lady in chemist and she sold me a cream that contained steroid and antibiotics told me how to use it ! And it worked like magic ! If I was in the u.k I wouldn’t be able to get this over the counter and this is where a lot of problems
arise ! I had a UTI when to UK chemist they can’t help me because I didn’t have all the symptoms but at the grand old age of 50 I know when I have a UTI so I had to go to the Drs and get prescription for antibiotics it’s absolutely insane !!

You really do just hate the NHS don’t you?

If people are unable to think for themselves and follow guidance blindly without any critical thinking…well words fail me.

I had a head ache and a dizzy spell the other day. Also a sign of a heart attack as listed on guidelines. Actually, I just hadn’t drunk enough water. But by your logic I should have been straight down to A&E claiming heart failure!

That being said, if mums have nothing better to do than spend 8hrs in A&E with a child who they claim has a ‘painful toe’ that’s their choice. 😅We’ll have to agree to disagree about how serious that ‘painful toe’ must have been 😂

I would want to know more detail ... what does that GP consider to be an inappropriate reason for seeing a GP?
And I would question how appropriate it was for the GP even to be saying this to you ... basically criticising other patients.
I am not sure I would want this person as my GP .... someone who thinks simplistically and criticises his patients in front of you.

You are rather embellishing your story now.

Why should I not quote the information the NHS tells patients? It is the most relevant information as it is what patients use to decide if they need to go to A&E, and what the NHS has decided are appropriate situations in which they should be told to attend. If patients follow that advice then it is the NHS that are at fault. If the patient misunderstands patient messaging then it is still the nhs who are at fault.

Yeah my great aunt was sent home by the GP three times and then died 2 days later from diverticulitis. My FIL was sent away several times with what later turned out to be cancer.

They were examined by multiple people. And no evidence of anything wrong was found. Then got aggressive and violent and demanded to see a consultant - and then tried to punch him in the face.

People are drama llamas, like I say. They don’t like being told they don’t need to be there, and they get angry or rude or in some cases even refuse to leave.

Are you or any of your relatives doctors by any chance? Or are you just an arm-chair expert? Possibly a Russia-Ukraine and middle-east expert as well? 😬Quoting NHS guidelines does not make you an expert anymore than me speaking Russian would make me a Russian!