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

Most years I never have more than 2-3 GP appointments but last year, on top of a few appointments, I also had a scan for some abdominal lumps (turned out to be lipomas), and a pre-op meeting before a knee replacement in November.

I'm not including dentist as mine isn't NHS.

Twice,if you mean actual face to face appointments. If you are including telephone calls for prescription medication reviews,then a lot more, probably more like 8 or 9 times. Oh and one dentist appointment for a check up.

Every day. We all do - the fact that it exists for us year round is us using it, as it's there waiting.

In addition, there's medication, imaging, physio, scans, vaccinations, dental treatment, podiatry and monitoring of public health concerns and working to adjust services to meet ongoing population needs.

Last year. Ongoing yearly appt for LS at Royal Free Hosp plus yearly steroid cream. That was it. This year already seen GP re bunion, had xray, seen surgeon. Gonna cost almost £3000 for op and seen GP for Thrush. Not a fantastic start.

Donated blood once (though thats giving more than using it must still cost them a fortune in staff & equiptment)

Both kids have 3 monthly dental appointments so that kind of counts.
One had an eye test (all ok) and another had the standard year 6 height and weight check.
Neither have flu vacs. Though they do have the other standard baby/toddler vaccines.
Neither has seen a GP in years. We had one trip to the walk in/childrens A&E in 2024 for a bad head bump.

Partner has anti anxiety meds so needs prescription every few months though rarely actually sees a doctor just refills the prescription.

My Nan nearly died of Sepsis and also has diabetes type 2 she struggles to manage and is starting with dementia so shes at the doctors constantly though (aged 85)

Me - once, after a nasty fall during which I hit my head.
DC - dental things
DH - once, for an eye injury

Me, 1GP appointment 1 nurse appointment. Daughter (18) 3/4 GP appointments. Son (20) type 1 diabetic and is very lucky to get all his insulin on NHS which we are extremely grateful for as if he lived elsewhere it would be extremely expensive.

Loads, I have repeat monthly prescriptions so interact with my surgery via the app on a regular basis.
I have a long term condition that's been monitored by my surgery and secondary care and have appointments, scans and tests etc.
I've had 1 minor illness appointment within a year too.
DP hasn't used the NHS at all neither have the dts.

Me - none apart from using app to order HRT.

Husband - none apart from using app to order statins and submitting BP reading to GP.

2 sons - none.

All 4 of us had 1 NHS dentist check up.

3 of the 4 donated blood 3 or 4 times in a year.

Me- 3 telephone consultations with a GP over an abcess and one nurses appointment to check healing (GP refused to see me). One GP appointment for bronchitis. Trip to minor injuries and A&E when I fell and had suspected fractured skull!
Son- 2 dental appointments
Hubby- lots of telephone appointments for asthma and eczema, one nurses appointment for eczema and 2 dermatology appointments (but took 9 years to get the appointment!)- now he's under the dermatologist, he will stay under their care for life. Referred to immunology but still waiting for that one.
And me and hubby have registered with an NHS dentist.

Honestly too many to count. I was diagnosed with Crohns in July and so the past 6 months have been nothing but hospital appointments. Pretty much at least one a week. Whether its for blood tests, diagnostics, consultant appointments, biological treatment, calls with the IBD team, medication reviews and so on. I would say at least 40. Hopefully less this year as my treatment seems to be being effective.

Oh dear. Im afraid I use it a lot! Dentist is on Denplan for both of us. Hubby rarely sees GP. I have CRVO so eye hospital each month at least. Im diabetic so 6 monthly blood tests. And diagnosed last year with NFLD so scans and consultants regularly

I think we had a fairly decent NHS year last year… I had to get a fit note after losing my dad but I done that online, so other than that I can’t think of anything. Our dentist went private a couple of years ago and we found it impossible to find NHS so I pay monthly for that for me and the kids.

I've just had my repeat prescriptions and a review over the phone with the asthma nurse. Haven't needed to see the gp since my 6 week check with my youngest who is now aged 11.

Dh has had about 3 or 4 gp appointments and a couple with the diabetes nurse. Ds1 and DS3 haven't needed anything for years. Ds2 has had several appointments with the nurse, 1 with the gp and a day surgery. Ds4 has had 2 major surgeries, 2 nights in hospital, 2 pairs of hearing aid moulds, multiple hearing aid batteries and 4 consultant appointments.

Me, g.p x2, nurse practioner for age related health screening. Hospital nurse consultant for family history of breast cancer monitoring, mammogram x2.

Child 1 Hospital x4 for monitoring/management of long term condition. Monthly prescriptions.

Child 2 camhs support weekly for several months. G.p provided mental health support with monthly visit while waiting for camhs. 6 weekly Hospital visits for another condition.

Child 3 annual review of long term medical condition. Monthly prescription. Dental/orthodontist x4

Child 4. Dental/orthodontist x10 maybe.

It been a pretty bad year, school receptionist jokes that taking them to appointments is a full time job....

Ermmm not sure…..
a smear test
2 sets of blood tests
a HRT review appointment
2 GP appointments
flu jab
I think that was all

also numerous private physio appointments, 2 private dental check ups and a hygienist appointment, 2 private podiatrist appointments, 2 private consultant appointments, and an MRI scan and x-ray. God bless BUPA provided through work!

Just realised that I have missed a couple of things that are now routine because of my age:

1. mammogram
2. bowel screening check

I qualify for free eye and hearing tests, but didn’t need them this year.

Too old for cervical smears now I’m glad to say!

Way too many times, between both kids it's felt like we spent most of the year in gp surgeries and hospitals
My daughter is under allergy, dermatology and gastro teams trying to find answers + general illnesses that needed antibiotics, dental visit, a week stay in icu with RSV which then resulted in a ecg test for sleep apnea and her 1 year vaccinations.
My son has had 3 hearing tests, surgery for grommets, surgery for a congenital cholesteatoma, scans before surgeries, follow up clinics + general gp visits for illness that required antibiotics. Flu jab at school and dentist visit.
My partner went to start the process for a vasectomy because the children we have are enough to handle

Dh - biologic infusion/injections for Crohns, two surgeries and ct and mri.
me - unexplained bleeding which led to 2 GP appointments, a scan. Smear.
ds1 - under a specialist in London - 2 x bloods, stress test, echocardiogram
ds2 - blood and gp appt for low iron
ds3 - flu vax
dd - flu vax

Well last year I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma stage 4 so spent 4 months constantly in and out of hospital, regular chemotherapy, a few in patient stays, constant blood tests, infusions, check ups etc. I am so grateful to have received so much care.

3x GP appts,
2x primary care ultrasound scans,
2x primary care phlebotomy appts,
2x NHS dentist (routine)
Prescriptions - 16 (12 x Monthly HRT & 4 x 90 day repeat of my anticonvulsant)

Interesting thread!

Me (F, 43): repeat prescription for thyroid meds that is filled every 2 months.
Asthma review - done by completing an online form which is reviewed by asthma nurse
Flu jab in October.
Dentist is private.
I have appointments booked for blood test (re thyroid) and smear test this month.

DH (M, 49): health check including bloods
Dentist is also private.

DS (5): A&E trip following a head injury at a play centre, just needed gluing thankfully
Flu spray at school
2x NHS dental check ups.

The A&E trip was our first ever with DS and was really quick, we were lucky. We were gutted when our dentist went private but they did keep DS on as an NHS patient.

Two consultant appointments
A dietitian appointment
3 x GP appointments.

The consultant appointments were because the GP surgery refuses to monitor my heart condition, the GP appointments were initiated by them and the dietitian was a pointless exercise again initiated by the GP.

The last time I contacted the surgery because I needed to be seen was 2022.

I have a carrier bag full of medication every month. I've had several urgent appointments, have received antivirals, I've also had routine immunisations this year. I've had annual medication reviews, annual reviews for my health conditions, an MRI scan, referrals to consultants. My medication is free. But I couldn't get an NHS dentist so I suppose I've saved everyone some money there!

Husband- NHS dentist
Ds1- appointments for routine health conditions, medication, referrals to specialists, some urgent appointments and medication, routine imms, NHS dentist
Ds2- Item on prescription, an urgent appointment and medication, routine imms, NHS dentist

DH- nil - he has used military GP but that’s for is fitness review which he has to have annually for his role.
DS- nil but had his flu jab at school
Dd- her routine imms
me- quite heavy use this year unfortunately. Had perforated ear drum with complications which results in two gp f2f and one telephone appt for pain relief. Neck lump needing a hospital appointment for and then a scan to rule out cancer. Luckily was all clear.
Then f2f for migraines so I could start meds for them again. 2 repeat prescriptions for the migraines.
Then finally 2 telephone GP appts and then early pregnancy unit appt for my miscarriage. Hopefully this year will be better for me.

dentist is through the military for DH. Private for me and the kids.