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

Family of 5:
dentist x2 for all of us
me: gp appt x2, internal scan x2, telephone appt for a follow up post scan that I waited for but never came x1
dh: nothing else
dc: nothing else
dc2: monthly prescription, 1x medication review
dx3: had a vaccination

that was high use for me; most years go by and I don’t call the gp. We are very fortunate to all be in pretty much good health.

Me: annual diabetic checks (type 1 so eye and foot check)
Son: none - because he’s not riding his motorcycle! 2024 he had an accident, two broken bones and had loads of appointments!
DD: has MS so two x blood tests, two x MRIs, two telephone check ins with MS nurse, should have seen consultant but that has been cancelled by NHS three times now (from 2023!); one appointment for vertigo; one appointment something she did not disclose to me.
Dentist is private so not including that.

2025
Me routine breast and bowel screening, annual review for BP and thyroid and one practice nurse appointment for a weird thing on my arm
DH annual review for CVD, walk in centre for chest infection XRay and antibiotics
DS dentist x2 orthodontist every six weeks

I had a hospital stay that apparently would've cost them about £130k a few years ago.

Last year had about five GP appts, an ENT, one visit to ortho consultant, two CTs and an MRI. And a physiotherapy appointment. And breast screening/mammogram ultrasound.

Loads of prescriptions though. I have about 7 things a month.

This really emphasises how the cost of the NHS is increasingly unsustainable!

None. I haven't used the NHS (or any private health services) for many years, with the exception of getting Covid jabs when we were all asked to do so.

I wouldn't want to put any strain on the NHS unless I was really ill and, so far, I have been very lucky. I know it may change but, until then, I'll happily stay away.

DH ended up undergoing a whole lot of tests at the end of 2024 and some of them carried on into last year.

So for us:

DH - sleep test and heart tests. Possibly blood tests too. He also looked into the smoking cessation stuff but never sticks to it.

Me: Quite a few. A&E for suspected heart attack but after many tests I was cleared to go home the same day. Follow ups with cardiology (it was decided it was related to a heart condition I have). Blood tests.

I then had a breast check after some weird discolouration which turned out to be an infection possibly due to a deodorant I used. Again had blood tests.

Flu jag.

Then in December I had a GP appointment for peri-menopause where I was prescribed 2 medications as a 3 month trial. Also had even more blood tests which led to another medication and I’m waiting on a scan for fibroids still.

All my GP appointments were same day. A&E the ambulance wait was an hour but my dad was free to take me up so we freed up an ambulance for someone else. We didn’t really have to wait long for anything other than non-urgent matters. Even DH’s sleep studies were put through as urgent as he’s a bus driver and couldn’t work until he got the all clear.

DH and I are also on regular medication for other issues so we have monthly prescriptions.

DC haven’t had anything although DC2 has been on medication in the past which might need to be started again soon.

Hmmm youngest had a flu jab . We have all been to the dentist (although 2 of us pay the £25 ish fee)

the year before I hurt my ankle and had an X-ray , and I think the eldest had a gp appointment. Oh and I went to see if I could get wli. I couldn’t, that reminds me I’m probably still on a waiting list to the obesity clinic 🤔 luckily I’m not obese anymore thanks to private wli 🤪

me:
mammogram
flu jab
discussion with GP about managing my osteoarthritis pain
Weirdly they all happened in October!

Family of 4

Me: 1 dentist appointment
Dh: 1 dentist appointment/check up for his medication/repeat prescription and flu vaccine
Dc1: dentist, flu vaccine at school, eye check x 2 and new glasses
Dc2: dentist and flu vaccine at school

Loads - I have had three operations under general anaesthetic, plus another procedure under local anaesthetic, also numerous MRI scans, CT scans, ultrasound scans and a PET scan not to mention flu jab and blood tests.

There is no hope of me getting an NHS dentist though round here.

2-3 I guess. DD several for ongoing iron defiency and b12 jabs. Though paid privately for infusion few days ago as NHS taking forever.

Ds - none
Dd - once for rosacea
Dp - gets monthly prescriptions for his asthma
Me - I went once for dreadful hayfever (despite using everything over the counter that I could, eyes swelled close and I was struggling to breathe) and got a bollocking for going for a trivial matter so I won’t be bothering them again hopefully!

No nhs dentists here

Me - emergency surgery and week long stay after, appointment for staple removal, post surgery fu with consultant. Annual BP review, 2x sick notes from GP. Dentist x2

DP - none

DS - 1 outpatient appointment - yearly follow up, and 1 opthalmology appointment. Dentist x3

After decades of nothing, apart from routine screening, travel vaccinations, pregnancy/birth/ post birth care and dental checkups, I see the GP about every 2 months. I never once went to the GP in the town we lived in between the ages of 7 and 18.

So in 2025:

GP 7
blood test clinic 2
chronic illness hospital seminars 8
Gynaecology 1
Dermatology 1
ADHD psychiatrist 2
Dentist 2

Last year, I just had my monthly prescriptions. I have three different items. It should be five but two of them are things you can get OTC and I'm lucky enough to be able to afford them myself. No appointments needed.

This year, I've already been to the GP twice and am waiting for pain clinic, electric nerve test and ultrasound appointments at the hospital.

Saw my GP twice last year - both times for contraception checks (weight and blood pressure) and prescription.

My dentist is private and I used my work private healthcare to see a consultant about a painful achilles tendon. He disgnosed achilles tendonopathy and referred me for physio, which I also got on my work private healthcare plan.

DH - GP appointment for blocked ears

DC - GP appointment for constipation

Me - More appointments then I can keep track of. I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in February and have had chemo fortnightly since then. Also multiple MRIs, CT scans, PET scans, an endoscopy, an x-ray, a stent fitted including a night in hospital, then refitted with another night in hospital and lots of oncologist meetings. That's just what I can remember, pretty sure I've seen the GP at least a couple of times too.

Overall I'm very grateful to the NHS, Over the last two and half years I must have racked up millions of pounds worth of treatment, I'd be dead if I lived in America.

I could easily go years without using NHS as I don't trip off lightly to the docs and prefer a wait and see approach for regular ailments. But this year has been bad with a scald injury and a fracture. I'm now awaiting surgery. Perils of getting older in my case I think. Thinking about it I've had my bowel screening and mammogram too.

Just shitloads. Several times a month for me and my husband (long term health condition and cancer treatment), probably once every couple of months for an online query to the GP about one of the kids.

As a family we are getting out much more than we put in.

Me:
Free prescription repeats…
Called for a mammogram on NHS.
Had surgery privately (bunions) but needed more painkillers and sleeping pills in aftermath.

DH: surgery privately (hernia) but follow up nhs after post surgery infection at weekend so emergency walk on.

DS: used private insurance for a chalazion removal (large and affecting his eyesight)

because of the work medical insurance we have none of us have seen GP. Dh and DS really would have needed the surgery, mine was elective.

Repeat prescriptions:
12x for one med; 2x for another.
1 10-hour long wait in A&E visit with agonising chest pain - never found out what it was. They had no idea and suggested paracetamol. Lasted two weeks.
2 x follow up GP appointments about the pain
1 x flu jab
1 x nurse appointment about how to use new asthma medication (complete waste of time. She showed me a QR code on her wall, said, 'Scan that. It'll tell you.' End of advice.)
1 x GP check up as to why I had agonising tonsillitis and laryngitis which left me unable to speak for two week, two times each in one winter having never had either of them before. GP advice: dunno. Gargle salt water.

That is a lot, for me. For decades I didn't even have a doctor.

I have lost all respect for and trust in NHS. I have always had better results when I do things for myself.

None. I got the flu jab at boots.

None, haven't for a few years now

Myself. Gp once plus 1 scan
Dh nothing except a call for a repeat script
Dd 3x gp over phone appointment = 3x antibiotic script plus 1 uti test. 2x orthoptics apt.
Ds 10x gp apt , 7x chemist apt ,( all 1u resulted in antibiotics) 8 x orthoptics apt ( 6/8 weekly ) 1 allergy apt. 1 dietician apt plus 1 referral which awaiting on a date.
Other ds none at all.
Other dd none

All of us 2 x check up at dentist each / no treatment.