What warrants an emergency GP appointment?

[Damian666]

What sort of thing is acceptable to ask for an emergency appointment at the GP? I can’t get an appointment for 10 days with the GP that I want to see, but don’t know if my concern would be deserving of an emergency appointment, so not sure if I should ask if one is available. What do you think would be considered deserving of an emergency appointment?

My DH couldn't get an emergency appointment at our GP for chest pains as they had all gone to people without emergencies. We went to A&E and he was having a heart attack. The whole system needs to change.

A&E is the correct place for that situation though. The GP would have only told him to go there.

I agree the system needs to change, but in your example a GP appointment would only have delayed the DH'd treatment.

@taylorowmu I rang and said he was having chest pains. They offered him an appointment two weeks later. We were not advised to seek help elsewhere. We went to A&E as I was worried about him.

The practice manager called me when they received notification of my DH's heart attack. She said the emergency appointments are continually being taken up by people who don't really need an emergency appointment. She did apologise but if we hadn't have gone to A&E my DH would not be here.

@KnifeAngel

'If we didn't go to A&E my DH would not be here'

That was my point. A&E was there right place for him, not the GP.

KnifeAngel

Hope your DH is ok

@Damian666 he's doing well thank you. The hospital were amazing and he had a stent fitted within a few hours of getting there. Our GP has apologised as we should have been seen or at least told to go to A&E. The receptionist is no longer working there.

Glad you got an appointment. All appointments at my doctors are emergency. You can only make advanced bookings in very select circumstances, for example if you have to have regular checks because of medication etc. It's not helpful that all doctors surgery's do it differently either!

*My DH couldn't get an emergency appointment at our GP for chest pains as they had all gone to people without emergencies. We went to A&E and he was having a heart attack. The whole system needs to change.

A&E is the correct place for that situation though. The GP would have only told him to go there*

Agree. That’s odd, my gp says straight away if you’re having chest pains you need to go to a-e straight away, not book an appointment with them.