If you’re in Scotland, Wales or NI are you struggling to see a GP or NHS dentist?

[PinkyU]

I often see the huge difficulties people in England are facing trying to see their GP or dentist, is this the case across all the UK nations?

For context, I’m in Scotland and made an appointment a couple of months ago for a routine check up for my dc at the dentist and waited just over a week from call to check up.

DC2 has been ill this week and needed antibiotics, called the GP and was in for a face-to-face 90 minutes later, though I will say I’ve regularly waited 20+ minutes on hold to get through but have always either had a telephone consultation or a f2f appointment. I’m wondering if my experience is an outlier?

I’m in Scotland and have seen the GP F2F on several occasions and even had a same-day referral to radiology.

I’ve also had a same-day dentist.

this is not testament to the NHS, rather a sad indictment of my crumbling body!

I’m in Scotland and my experience has been the same as yours.

Last year I got referred to a neurosurgeon and from seeing my GP and getting surgery it was only 2 months and that included an MRI in the middle and various appointments!

Also in scotland- for GP you have to phone in the morning. Can be a nightmare to get through but once you are connected you get a GP callback that day and if a face to face appointment is needed you get it that day or the next. It's actually much more efficient than pre-covid when you could wait a couple of weeks for an appointment, and even longer for a specific doctor.

Dentist is more of a wait. For example 2-3 months for a filling. But can get quicker if you have pain or a problem- within 1-2 weeks

I'm in NW England. Saw my dentist throughout covid from a crown. Back to regular checkups from end of 2020.
GP was open throughout covid. Saw gp for a couple of things. In the last three weeks I've had the doctor out to the house over my mum twice. Once came the same day, once the next day. I usually have to wait two weeks for a surgery appointment but anything more serious, they see you the same day - which has happened to my sister.
People come on here and moan when things aren't right. England's a big place and lots of gps surgeries function fine. Which is not to say there isn't loads wrong with NHS England!

No, our GP has been brilliant throughout. We have Denplan so I can’t comment on dentists but I know from speaking to colleagues who live in other areas that their experiences with their GP’s have been appalling.

I’m in Scotland. GP is fine but that’s cause they closed their lists a while back. New people moving to the area are struggling but the practice is working for those of us on the list.
I’ve had to go private for dentist. He does kids check ups for free.

^ Sorry. Saw my dentist throughout covid for a crown. Back to regular checkups from end of 2020.^

Emergencies or pain seen the same day 12 -1.

I am in Scotland. I emailed my GP and had a phone call within half an hour from a receptionist who arranged a time for the GP to phone me later that day.
He phoned and arranged a face to face appointment an hour later.
Two hours later I was in hospital, (the main delay was because I went home to explain it all to my wife).
A few hours after that I had a CT scan and a multitude of other tests.
As I was 73 years old I really appreciated the speed and care from everyone involved.

Wales here. Can get same day gp appointment. But if you need a referral- well I am still waiting 6 weeks for a letter

Wales, no problems with GP appointments, can get same day if needed. DH has an ongoing issue under investigation, had a hospital appointment for a scan last week, (thurs), follow up with gp was booked in a few days later. Have denplan so not sure about dentist. Work colleague has recently split with his wife so moved from Cardiff to Swindon, with parents. Says he has noticed how difficult it is for his parents to access health care, seems so complex.

Just been to the dentist for a checkup (NHS) Haven't seen a GP but my surgery has a website so any concerns have been dealt with the same day.

Had a heart attack and got seen in A&E within an hour or so (early hours).

No complaints and I really feel for those who've had worse experiences.

Sorry, this is Glasgow.

What are you trying to find out? Because I'm in NW England and had no trouble with either.
I can see a GP face to face on the same day if needed and I've had my normal dental appointments and an emergency extraction. All through covid.

Not too bad at my practice (v small town) I had two face to face appointments the other week, they were about 10 days after I popped in to make an appointment but they were for non urgent things that couldn't be dealt with over the phone, main GPs all very nice and been there a long time. Still got an NHS dentist too, DS2 just came home for the night to have a check up as it's harder to get on an NHS list where he lives.
Parents just went private (big deal as they are retired NHS medics) to get my Mum a cardiac appt as they were unhappy waiting and Mum had had a bad experience with a dismissive doctor on the NHS, luckily the nice private consultant referred her to the NHS list for a procedure.

Wales.

Private dentist that remained open during Covid - no issues.

GP still doing face to face only as last resort. Many times only accepting emergencies. I have been suffering with a serious and worsening health issue for 3 years and been fobbed off, now having to go private. Most times you don't get get speak to a doctor, just an advanced practitioner nurse, different one every time. Our local health board is often on the news as one of the worst on the country, local A&E has been branded dangerous and to be avoided, etc.

I'm in England and I have no problems getting a GP appointment - I don't always end up seeing the same GP, mind, but that's not a problem for me.

I see a private dentist. Found someone I trust and I'm sticking with him.

I'm in Scotland, it's a bit like phoning for concert tickets to get through to the GP but I can get a call back the same day and the prescription is sent directly to the chemist. My daughter gets seen face to face by the GP and was also seen at out of hours really quickly. Also seen consultants face to face throughout lockdown.

Dentist had a longer wait for our first check ups but now we are back in the system check ups are regular.

NE Scotland, roughly a six to eight week wait for a check up at the dentist. I presume they see emergencies faster.

Our GP practice is dreadful. My 4 year old started having awful nosebleeds and then one morning was covered in bruises. I filled in the econsult as they request, adding that we have terrible mobile reception at home (combination of cliffs and 2 foot stone walls) so please could they call the landline. They phoned the mobile, obviously I didn't get the call. That took us off the list. I called and when I eventually got through, they told me to do an econsult again. I finally got to speak to a doctor and luckily there is nothing seriously wrong with dd but having to fight through the incompetence/gatekeeping made a stressful situation worse.

Also I got discharged from CMHT mid lockdown a few months after being offered an inpatient bed without being seen despite still struggling and dc1 got discharged from the eye clinic again without being seen in months.

During lockdown, our GP practice fobbed off the mother of a friend repeatedly until she collapsed. Was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died within a week.of her hospital admission.

Fil (also Scotland but different practice) got repeatedly ignored when he raised concerns about his prostate. Turns out by the time they got around to checking, it was riddled with cancer.

Wales (obviously): Never any problems with GP but don't insist that I am seen by GP - happy to do econsult and triaged to relevant HCP. Always did this before covid so not new to me.

Dentist: have seen NHS dentist since covid but recently moved to a private practice by choice.

Also in Scotland. Best thing our GP practice did during lockdown was introduce e-consult so you don’t have to convince a receptionist that you need to see a Dr. And they’re still doing telephone appointments as well as F2F although I had to wait 3.5 weeks to get a follow up appointment with the same Dr.
the dentist sent me a text reminding me I was due an appointment although I’m sure I was on 12 month not 6 month check ups so postponed it until next year (but they booked it in already.
I dread to think what referrals to specialists are like though, just before lockdown I got referred to gynae who then had a 14 week wait for initial consultation and then it was another 26 weeks for a hysteroscopy investigation……I went private and had hysteroscopy, MRI and treatment done in 3 months (thankfully)!

I'm in Glasgow and I have a great GP now, I feel like she is finally listening, however I saw a different GP throughout covid who didn't seem to know much about female health and now my condition is so much worse. If I phone before 9am I can get a phone appointment or request a face to face that day if I prefer, really can't fault them and I'm sorry for all those who haven't got a good GP or can't get an appointment.
I was referred for scans back in July as I've suspected endometriosis and I have my period for weeks every month, including 22 days in July and 19 days this month. I'm terrified to be honest since it looks like a large amount of fresh blood and large clots but she said to try not to worry and even wrote to gynae again in Sept.
At the end of October I received this letter telling me I'm on their list, no timescale, no options. I'm so tired and in pain all the time, I feel so ill all the time and had to give up working full time in July. I feel like it is impacting every part of my life but there's nothing much I can do apart from wait. I wish I had the money to go private.
I was told initially it would be 16 weeks wait but looking on www.careopinion.org.uk/ it looks like it could be over a year.

my mum wasn't well in Scotland last week and we got two GP appointments and a home visit on the day she was most ill. The only thing they asked was that we got her to the surgery if possible and the day that wasn't we got a home visit.

I've had a GP consultation same day on the phone, visit to the surgery next day to have bloods taken then a face to face to discuss results.

I think the use of econsult, phone calls and more use of allied health professionals has made our surgery even more efficient and it was pretty good befor.

In Scotland. Takes an hour to get through to the GP practice to book a routine appointment - to book to see a GP in a fortnight.

Dentist now seeing patients for routine check ups. Booked last month for next month.

SW Scotland here. Me, husband and 2 kids all registered with NHS dentist and have been seen since covid. DH and I have both had fillings, and I had an emergency extraction for a broken tooth, and kids ChildSmile checks have resumed. Dentist has warned us that it will likely be a year before we get called for a routine checkup as they’re trying to get through the covid backlog. However, my best friend who moved back to our town about 18 months ago, can’t get registered with a single dentist in our health board. There was a BBC Scotland report a few months ago showing ours is one of many health boards in Scotland with NO nhs dentists accepting new patients.

For the GP it’s a case of phone on the day for an appointment so 8.30am it’s hellish to get through. However, if you wait until 9am you get through much quicker and because they now do phone triage (so receptionist takes some brief info on why you’re calling then GP phones back to discuss) you will be seen same day if required, it’s a great system that works well. Earlier this week I phoned for my daughter who had a rash, was triaged and asked to email a photo, which I did. Had a call back within 2 hours and spoke to the GP who confirmed impetigo and prescribed antibiotics, with the prescription sent straight to my closest pharmacy. After a few days when she got some swelling around the eye we did the same, GP called back with in 30 minutes, told us to come straight in then referred her to local paediatrics who admitted her for cellulitis, a complication from the impetigo. She was admitted, treated and home the next day.

Scotland, West Coast. This Christmas Eve it will be a year since my husband got referred for a possible brain tumour. 6 months later he finally got a brain scan. We are still waiting to see his consultant (who is now on indefinite leave) to see what happens next.
The stress is immense.