This is why A&E is overwhelmed

[PackedintheUK]

And it's nothing to do with over anxious patients seeking "unnecessary" medical care.

I have a very sore very swollen ankle as a result of an insect bite. I've asked advice at the pharmacy and been told it looks nasty, see your GP, you probably need antibiotics.

So I've tried. I've been calling GP surgery all morning and finally got through to have receptionist incredulously say "you want to see a doctor for a gnat bite?" and then be told the next appointment is 16 Nov.

Me: but pharmacist said I need seeing urgently.
Receptionist: All the emergency appointments are gone for today. You'll have to call back tomorrow.
Me: but I've been calling all morning, won't the same thing happen tomorrow?
Receptionist: Well I can't do anything about that, if you're that worried go to A&E

So,I'm not sure that I am "that" worried, but I have been told by someone better qualified than me that I should be seen. We lost a colleague to sepis this year, a fit young woman and it happened incredibly quickly, plus I have a friend currently in hospital on intravenous antibiotics from a very similar looking bite he got at the same park.

I also don't actually feel that well.My body aches and feels heavy and I'm a bit queasy, which could be coincidence or my imagination.

Probably/hopefully it is nothing that won't heal itself in a few days but it feels irresponsible not to take the advice I've been given. Also to go to A&E

So A&E for something that could (probably) have been dealt with in a matter of seconds in a GP (telephone/video?) appointment?

There's no walk in or minor injuries here.

@HalzTangz

I don't know why people aren't signing up for online services for their doctor's surgery. You can book an appointment online without trying to ring all day.

Our gp surgery is opted out of online. You can go through the whole e-consult form filling and get an email saying your surgery will contact you within 24 hours. But then you receive an automated email from the surgery saying that they do not participate in the e-consult service and you must telephone the surgery between 8 and 9 am. When of course you never succeed in getting an appointment, a reserve list appointment or a call back.

I've had this exact thing and it turned into nasty cellulitis.

That was my thought. My husband had it twice for an infected elbow. @PackedintheUK is there a reddening around the bite? Draw round it and if the red then goes over the line, definitely go to A&E to be seen. It’s your only option really.

I think I'd go to a walk in centre or minor injuries unit but check if you need to prebook

@HopelesslydevotedtoGu

I think a GP can probably squeeze in one more phone call rather than send the patient to A&E, frankly.

If there was just one person asking to be squeezed in I hope they would, but I suspect there are many many patients calling, and presumably the individual GP has a limit at some point.

So just how many people are they sending to A&E?

@Sirzy but not all of these will be genuinely medically urgent.

@oneglassandpuzzled

Can you email a photo of the bite to your gp via e-consult?

Oh, I don't know. Maybe? The receptionist didn't suggest it though.

[quote Moonopoly]@Sirzy but not all of these will be genuinely medically urgent.[/quote]
Maybe not but some will be.

The idea that they can just squeeze in an unlimited amount of people is madness. They can’t.

This is what years of underfunding and chipping away at services does.

The system is falling, I rang to about a referral this morning, after phoning hospital to see where I was in opticial que, never received it.
Seems they are overloaded and wasn’t sent till this morning, 8 calendar weeks!
I asked the medical secretary how I was meant to know how long, she said I wasn’t , told they weren’t very transparent, and filed a complaint.
Yes I’ve only been waiting since mid June, had brain scan, been too patient it seems

@PackedintheUK some pharmacists are trained to dispense antibiotics. The fact you feel queasy and unwell however they won't dispense them and will refer you back to your GP. They asked me that and I said I felt a bit sick and they wouldn't give me anything. I've had two bad bites that became infected and I've been lucky to get antibiotics from the GP.

OP could you see if the practice nurse has an appointment?

@HopelesslydevotedtoGu

So A&E for something that could (probably) have been dealt with in a matter of seconds in a GP (telephone/video?) appointment?

The difficulty is it wouldn't have taken "seconds" for a GP to assess and treat you, whether by telephone, video or in person. And there are more people needing GP time than there are GPs available. So if all the appointments have been taken by other people, what happens next? Some patients will probably be added on as extras, for example somebody with a complicated medical background that the GP knows, or is housebound, but there is a limit to how many extra patients can be seen.

I agree it's very very frustrating and obviously places more strain on A&E. I don't know what the solution is.

Neither GPs nor A&E can see an unlimited number of patients safely.

When one of mine was little I phoned for an emergency appointment and was told not possible. This was back when doctors did the out of hours on a rota so I said could you tell the on call doctor I think he will be getting called out later then, would he prefer me to call at say 10 pm or should I hang on till midnight? Asked to hold and got a snotty reply to come down to the surgery. Treated like the muck on the sole of your shoe when I got there by receptionist and doctor. Doctor examined child and apologised and said she did need antibiotics immediately and would have been serious if we left it.

Amazingly they can fit you in sometimes.

I'm increasing grateful that my employer provides gold standard private health insurance for me and my family. I've had it for many years and never really bothered to use it but this year, the GP service alone has been worth its weight in gold.

I've been able to get appointments within a couple of days booked via the app for my DD who is away at Uni with a nasty chest infection (and asthma) when she couldn't get a local GP to see her. An online consult and the required prescription was. available to collect from her nearest pharmacy.

My insurer uses the LIVI system and network of GPs. I think you can pay for a consult on a one off basis.

https://www.livi.co.uk/pay-as-you-go/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9rz6sbl8wIVTdnVCh17dgN4EAAYBCAAEgKLpDBwE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9rz6sbl8wIVTdnVCh17dgN4EAAYBCAAEgKLpDBwE

Worth thinking about if you are getting desperate and don't want to go to A&E. It's worked well for us.

@Sirzy agreed, but that doesn’t help op who is in need of medical assistance. It’s not her fault the system is broken. We shouldn’t be accepting that we can’t get medical treatment because others need it too!

@HalzTangz

I don't know why people aren't signing up for online services for their doctor's surgery. You can book an appointment online without trying to ring all day.

I’m signed to mine. They never have anything free, because a lot of GPs are off work either with stress or child care commitments.

To be honest I don’t blame them, the government keep blaming them for the shortage while putting targets up and reducing budgets. No wonder many GPs have left the profession, retire early or decide to work part time.

But whoever fault it is, the bottom line is the same it is almost impossible to get an appointment to be seen in less than a week… or three.

I'm genuinely shocked at these replies. 'Squeeze in a phonecall' And how many squeezes a day?
I'm guessing you don't think there should be an unlimited amount of patients being squeezed in on a daily basis?
Surely you understand that appointments are a finite resource, and that GPs do not have unlimited time to squeeze in whoever asks for it.
Do you think the an appointment was refused because the GP wanted to have a nap instead? Or because there was just no capacity?

I really, really, really understand the frustration. I just don't understand why the frustration is being directed to individual GPs and GP surgeries, the implication being that they are lazy, or not doing their jobs properly, or shirking responsibility. Surely you can see that this is unlikely to be the case?

@BrilloPaddy

Local health access centre? Or Minor Injuries unit? and I'd phone 111 and explain what you've said here, that a pharmacist said you need it looking at and your surgery won't help.

A & E isn't the place until you've tried all other possibilities.

There are no minor injuries units where I live. They closed them at the start of the pandemic and they've never reopened. I asked the Trust recently if they had plans to re-open and they said no, they were keeping the staff in the main hospital, so what do they expect will happen?

OP, the issue here is that you need a new GP. Mine has been fantastic over the past 18 months and I've been able to speak to them or see them on the same day however small the problem.

[quote Moonopoly]@Sirzy agreed, but that doesn’t help op who is in need of medical assistance. It’s not her fault the system is broken. We shouldn’t be accepting that we can’t get medical treatment because others need it too![/quote]
But it’s also not the GPs fault!

@Spicychickentenders no one is saying GP’s are lazy! I think you should re-read the thread…

@Sirzy I didn’t say it was…

Have you tried to deal with the bite yourself, I have had like insect bites many many times, as being a gardener. but always deal with them myself, as in cleaning them, bathing them, and applying a suitable lotion or cream,for bites. Usually works fine, for uk type insects, and not some exotic country type insect bites.

I would go to the walk in, it's getting ridiculous trying to get a GP appointment even trying to get through to reception is mad, I have to have regular blood tests there's none available for weeks.

@PackedintheUK I emailed in a photo of my baby sons rash recently and they prescribed antibiotics over the phone. Worth asking if it's an option.

@Spicychickentenders

I'm genuinely shocked at these replies. 'Squeeze in a phonecall' And how many squeezes a day? I'm guessing you don't think there should be an unlimited amount of patients being squeezed in on a daily basis? Surely you understand that appointments are a finite resource, and that GPs do not have unlimited time to squeeze in whoever asks for it. Do you think the an appointment was refused because the GP wanted to have a nap instead? Or because there was just no capacity?

I really, really, really understand the frustration. I just don't understand why the frustration is being directed to individual GPs and GP surgeries, the implication being that they are lazy, or not doing their jobs properly, or shirking responsibility. Surely you can see that this is unlikely to be the case?

I know they can and do squeeze in extra calls because we had one when DH was seriously ill. I did sob on the phone to get it mind. Receptionist has decided that this is not worthy and "threatened" me with having to use A&E .

@PackedintheUK can you ask the receptionist to speak to one of her medically trained colleagues to see if you can wait? As others have said I think you need to tell her your concern so an appropriate triage of your need can be made. As PP said sending a picture may mean someone can make that decision.

The pharmacist clearly thinks it's beyond the clean and cream stage.