How many times did you use the NHS last year?

[bumchic]

Me - none
DH - 4 GP appointments for acne
DS1 - one overnight hospital for an operation after shoving a button up his nose, flu vaccine through school
DS2 - flu vaccine
DD - flu vaccine, one consultant appointment for a congenital condition that we have annually

Plus 2 x dentist for all

I think this is quite low. No point to this - there have been years it’s been way higher

It’s been a bad year for me. I had an ECG, infected eczema, an ultrasound, 4 gp appointments.some years I don’t use anything. I also have a repeat prescription that gets filled out every 3 months.

Last year? Dentist twice, think that was it. This year we are making up for lost time, he’s had 1 gp in person, 1 specialist (eye doctor straight from optician) I’m on 1 in person gp, 1 phone call and 2 e consults with 2 appointments booked in (one gp, one nurse)

Prior to last year I hadn’t visited the doctor in 18 years. Last year I had 3 major surgeries, and twice weekly clinics and a monthly consultant’s appointment.

Me- a smear and a mammogram and a blood pressure test with the nurse for hrt.
daughter- 5 or 6 as she has braces on the nhs . No doctors.
husband - probably two doctors appointments and three hospital appointments.

we are all private for dentist ie checkups and treatment, including the child.

Me: dentist
DH: dentist, pharmacist for antibiotics
DD: hospital stay for 5 days, consultant appt, GP appt, dentist twice
DS: hospital stay for 3 days, GP twice, dentist twice, nurse for flu vaccine

It was a very heavy use year for us.

Too many times to count. I fractured a bone in my back and developed cancer.

I reackon I've had £1 million worth of treatment. Thank god I don't live in America.

dentist once. That it. I’m never ill so never need to use the doctors.

Oh gosh last year was a terrible year medically for me. In the 5 years prior I probably saw a GP once but last year was really bad.

I had my smear in January, 4 sets of bloods and 2 ecg across the year, HRT review, unexplained bleeding which led to 2 GP appointments, a scan and then a hysteroscopy. I had 1 dentist appointment and an eye test (Scotland so both NHS funded). I then had emergency surgery in A&E following an accident, then a follow up at hospital followed by 10 follow up appointments with community nurse. I also had 5 GP appointments (3 were over the phone) for an ongoing physical issue. I have cost the NHS a lot this year. I have 3 repeat prescriptions which again are NHS funded in Scotland.

On the flip side DH and 3DC all had their annual NHS dentist check ups and that was all.

Me once. Got an invitation from GP for blood tests to screen for cholesterol etc.
DH once for same thing.

Edited to add, I forgot about they're MRI I had on my knee, so twice.

Doctors.
Me - twice. I had my final zolodronic acid infusion after chemo in 2022. And I had a mammogram.
Ds17 - none

Dentist - each had an NHS checkup. No treatment needed.

Me - routine mammogram
DH - GP (shingles), then follow ups from major treatment he had five years ago so maybe three appointments for that. Flu vaccine.
DS1 - one final appointment with a specialist
DS2 - has special needs so had his annual appointment with the paediatrician and then a floor up blood test.

Quite a lot unfortunately. I’ve had heart issues so GP appointments, ECG, echocardiogram and one appointment with the cardiologist.

I also have poorly controlled bipolar so multiple appointment with the mental health team for meds reviews / changes and my care coordinator to monitor how I’m doing. Plus regular blood tests to monitor my lithium levels.

I’ve also had one a&e visit.

Me: Blood test/investigations for bloating and stomach pains as I was concerned about ovarian cancer. Also for HRT. All been to dentist.
DD1: prescription for Rosacea treatment and help with heavy periods.
DD2: Was in hospital from November’24- June ‘25, DEXA scan, multiple blood tests, countless appointments, can’t thank the NHS enough for saving her life many times.
DD3: dentist
DH: investigations and treatments for cancer,

Oh I forgot one for me, A&E cos I stabbed myself with a used needle.

Me. Mammogram, at least 2 GP apts (bowel problems), stomach CT scan, flu jab.
I'm sure there was something else too.

I normally see myself as not needing much but this week alone I have had a dental crown( NHS), seen a GP, been to minor injuries and am currently sitting awaiting an eye specialist after all my glaucoma scans. The year can only get better.

About 5 midwife appointments. 4 hospital day appointments. One c section and a two night stay, then another 5 ish midwife appointments. Jabs for DD x3 and six week check. Then a mirena coil for me (so hopefully using it a bit less for the next few years!).

DS did have lots of ENT appointments and his tonsils out but all private. The NHS are great at the urgent stuff but their kids ENT waiting lists are insane. Think he had a few gp appointments for ecxma.

Me: I had one ear infection I had an appointment and got a prescription for. Then standard monitoring type things - Asthma review, HRT review, smear. Also got the flu jab.

DD - One appointment with GP for an issue.

DH - One issue which required a couple of appointments/ follow ups and a referral for a scan.

All had 2 routine dentist appointments too.

Me- was due to have surgery but was cancelled as DS2 was in hospital and I couldn't leave him so I've taken myself off the list until he is more stable s I'd rather suffer than keep messing them about. Used RTC for an ADHD diagnosis and titration, and they now prescribe monthly. Ongoing prescriptions for my other monthly meds, a spirometry test, and ongoing prescriptions from that diagnosis. Copious blood tests, b12 loading injections and subsequent maintenance ones, 2 clinic appointments and an MRI. I think that's it? Possibly another couple of GP apps in there?

DD1 - a couple of gp appointments, a blood test and swabs, a urine sample, and some cream prescribed.
DS2 - 2 a&e visits, 3 x rays, 7 days admission Paeds hospital, 2 ultrasounds, copious prescriptions. Developmental team assessment/input, SALT, audiology, 7 clinic apps with 3 different specialties. He's definitely our highest user.

But I give blood regularly, and I work for them, so I like to still think in the grand scheme of pictures I'm giving back in a different way 🫣

Me: smear, repeat prescription every 3 months and a dental check up

DD: flu vaccination and dental check up. Think she gets something towards glasses but they still cost £300 🙈

DH: none, all private

Unusually for me, not a lot. Dentist once, flu vaccine and a few doctors appointments

Countless times this past year because DD had two spinal surgeries, one resulting in a CSF leak and another surgery to seal that, plus conditions arising from the leak. So, we used the NHS more than I ever have in the 30 years I've lived in the UK.
We were and continue to be plugged into the paediatric spinal team, paediatric neurology (specialist paediatric CSF Leak clinic at Kings but will be discharged next April if DD's brain MRI looks totally normal), and DD's been recently discharged from Moorfield's paediatric neuro-ophthalmology clinic (the CSF leak damaged her optic nerves which ruined her vision for a few months, but her optic nerves have fully healed and her vision is back to normal).
The care was not good, in DD's case, but I don't pin that on the NHS necessarily. She just had a shitty surgeon, sadly, and that had a knock-on effect on her care across the board.

I've had a mammogram this past year and a smear test. Excellent services.

I've had a cystoscopy booked then cancelled 5 times by the clinic. Not good. Still waiting for a rebook.

NHS is hit and miss. When it hits, it's amazing. When it misses, it's an omnishambles. But it's still a great service to have access to.
Getting private insurance in 2026 though. After DD's ordeal and the fight we had to go through to have her properly cared for, I think both NHS and private is the best way forward.

God knows, trying to change meds for bipolar so speaking to the prescribing nurse fortnightly and very frequent blood tests to go with it. Cryotherapy on a tumour in my eye, plus multiple follow up appointments.
Sprained wrist that needed two appointments to rule out a fracture.
Horrid cough that lasted 6 weeks, couple of checks at walk in to rule out chest infection.
I'm sure there's something else I've forgotten. It's been a tough year. But if I don't keep these appointments I wouldn't be holding down a job or be able to look after my daughter, so I try to think of it like that, rather than feeling like a nuisance (which I do,).

For 2024/25

Me
One routine bowel screening kit
Six repeat prescriptions for levothyroxine (wastes mine and the GP's time)
Prescriptions x 2 through the website
1 x zolendronate infusion
2 blood tests - one for thyroid, one linked to zolendronate
1 routine mammogram

DH
One routine check-up for BP
One set of blood tests
One GP apt linking to the above

Me - once for a flu jab

DH - several times including blood tests as he has an ongoing medical condition they need to keep an eye on

DC - no idea as they no longer live at home