Have I been a twat or should the GP surgery have given me an appointment?

111 will book you straight into an appointments for non urgent x-rays usually within the hour at the nearest walk in center or medical imaging department... its literally what you are SUPPOSE to do.

111 exists to ease the stress on A&E by diverting cases that can bypass A&E which is mainly for life and death emergencies but has become people go to for every little thing.

What did you think 111 is for?

Yabu ,what is gp going to do without a x-ray .
He can't see inside your toe .
Tbh if it's improved id just leave it anyway and manage with pain relief .

If it’s your big toe then definitely get it checked as if it’s broken and heals wrong it can affect your mobility. Other toes can probably deal with at home unless it’s causing concerns. I do agree you need an x ray and a GP appointment would be a waste of time. The problem is that the only way to get a n X-ray in your area is to wait hours at minor injuries but if that’s the only way you have no choice.

We are very lucky in my area that GPs can refer you directly to a walk in X-ray department at the hospital which has practically no queue. I was referred there recently - walked straight over to the hospital from the GP and it only took 15 minutes from when I walked in the door.

You have two options:

Strap it up sensibly, try to keep your weight off it and get on with life.

Go to minor injuries and get it xrayed.

You might get lucky and its a sprain or something that will get better with rest. You might not, it might be a serious tendon tear or slightly displaced fracture and could end up with a toe that causes you pain for the rest of your life.

Up to you, it's your toe.

Is this for real? What on earth do you expect the GP to do? You have had a minor injury so if you want it checked you go to the minor injuries unit. Your logic seems to be that you only have time to go to the GP so the GP should give you an appointment. Ridiculous.

Heard the little bone in my 2nd toe snap a few years ago and the toe went at a weird angle. I moved it into the correct position and left it and it healed fine. I couldn't walk very well on it for a few days, that was all.

I didn't think that anyone would be able to do anything that I couldn't do myself and would not have worried unless the pain increased, swelling didn't go down or it became angry-looking.

Even if an x-ray shows that your toe is broken, all they will do is strap it to the next one and tell you to take paracentamol. Save yourself the trouble and strap it up yourself.

How can a GP decide that without an X-ray?

X-rays are typically needed only if the injured 2nd to 5th (little) toe is visibly dislocated, otherwise it's buddy strapping, ice packs, and over the counter pain relief as swelling and bruising is expected to increase the first few days after an injury and can take a few weeks to settle

www.nhs.uk/conditions/broken-toe/

My husband went to the local walk in clinic for possible wrist fracture. It took an hour all told - in that time he was x rayed and had a cast put on.
It's what they're there for, although you seem to be improving so may not be needing them now.

Wounds like post op or chronic wounds can be seen under GP contract (depending on if that surgery has signed up to that part of the contract) acute injuries are not

I would wait and see if it goes down. Give yourself a footpath in some salt water each evening. If it does job done. If it does not off to minor injuries. If it is absolutely mega painful now, off to minor injuries now.

There isn't much that can be done, though. My 85 year old DH recently presented with a swollen right foot and complained of pain (didn't stop him getting about though, but it clearly troubled him at times.)

Our very good GP had a look at it and asked questions and concluded the likeliest thing was an injury, rather than a blood clot etc, and referred us to a local hospital. DH was seen within a week, the X-Ray came back showing a broken middle toe, and the treatment...? Rest, use a stick, keep weight off as much as possible, etc and it will get better in its own time - which it did.

If it had been me, I wouldn't have even bothered going to the GP, but DH is in my care and deserves the best (! as it were) but it was MORE hassle getting him down to GP and then to the hospital, so I wish I'd stuck with my first instinct - to Wait and See.

Never the less, people being directed to the correct primary care service for the issue seems helpful so as not to book up the incorrect service ,surely?

No, he's not Jesus Christ nor does he have X-Ray vision. You need to attend Minor injuries as it's an injury. It's not uncommon for people to break toes several times over a lifetime so even if it is broken, there is likely not much that be done about it.

It’s little known that GPs are self employed businesses. They have a contract with the government to provide certain care. As I understand it, injuries like breaks or post op wounds are not typically in that standard contract. So it would be like getting in a plumber to fit a toilet and then asking him to sort the electrics for free.

GPs aren’t orthopaedic surgeons and neither have X-ray vision. URBU to expect anyone to know whether you have broken a bone without an X-ray. If it is that much of a problem go to A&E. If it’s not, stop wasting a GPs time complaining that they can’t guess what’s going on without an investigation

Big toe it does! It even says so on the nhs website

I fractured my elbow in two places. The triage nurse said she didn’t think it was broken… the x-ray said otherwise. So if a qualified A&E professional who sees broken bones everyday cannot tell them your gp can’t either. I have broken all the toes on my right foot. No treatment needed I went to A&E the first time and then didn’nt bother as I just treated it like the previous times.

This tells you everything you need to know:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/broken-toe/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The GP is right. Read the above and that will help you decide whether you can look after it at home or whether you need to go to minor injuries.

It's your big toe, so you need to go to minor injuries to have the x-ray.

It's unfortunate that it's going to be inconvenient logistically. I do sympathise... but sometimes we just have to suck it up and do these things.

I just can’t believe you asked it to be escalated for a suspected broken toe without even googling it just because it’s not convenient for you to go to minor injuries. GPs aren’t there to be convenient for you, they’re there as a first port of call to triage, often for serious conditions like cancer or neurological issues. They can’t tell you if you’ve broken a bone in your toe as they don’t have the equipment. I can’t believe how entitled you are quite frankly.

I know it must be stressful being a single parent but maybe living in a very rural location is not the best situation for you at the moment.

you make the time. Your health is more important than your job.
You arrange childcare for your daughter (emergency if necessary), call your work to say you have to have an x ray after a foot injury and you go.

I think if you did get a GP appointment if would result in you being sent to minor injuries for an X-ray. I’m so sorry you’ve got so much on and can see why it’s overwhelming. Is there anyone who can help you with toddler care and/or go to clinic with you to support you and watch little one? Perhaps also book appointment with GP to discuss stress? Perhaps a little bit of time off to regroup and get toe sorted too?

Maybe silly of me but I stubbed my toe badly a few months ago, it bruised up and was sore for ages, even a little bit now still. It's the little toe next to my (pinky?) so not an important one, NHS advice seemed to be just walk it off unless you can't actually walk on it.

I sympathise, I'm on mat leave and just felt like it wasn't a big enough deal on top of everything else.