to expect to be able to find a doctor to see a child, in the uk, closer than 15 miles and less than a 4 hour wait?

[SheelaNeGig]

Shes actually not ill as such but does have spreading infected skin rash. (but imagine if she was ill?)

And 15 miles and 4 hours wait away isn't a Doctor but a triage nurse. I think it needs more than a nurse prescriber considering the fucidin isn't working and she can't take anything orally. But not ill enough to endure a 4 hour wait.

The NHS is in trouble isn't it.

Weekend schools? Why not? Would sort out overcrowded classrooms

Imagine the fury from parents who'd have their weekend and family activities curtailed. Imagine the impact on school budgets.

You can access 'emergency' treatment.

I don't know how to fund it. I just think the service should be there.

Anyone can access OOH, you could have but didn't want to wait. The service is there but people expect to have everything on their doorstep at that exact moment

But you'd get a couple of days off in the week. So plan activities for then. Same as I do.

I don't know how to fund it. I just think the service should be there

Hardly helpful to express an (IMO) unrealistic expectation with no idea about possible ways to fund it.

mantlepiece I think healthcare from supermarkets will be the way to go. I recently took my repeat prescription to Tescos, having managed to wrench it away from our stroppy and unhelpful GP dispensers after many years.

The pharmacist took me into her room and asked if I was happy with all my medication, did I have any worries etc etc. I felt so loved . This never happens at the doctors. It took me over 4 months to get a GP appointment for my medical review this time (yes, you read that correctly, 4 months ) and then, although they try their best they are so busy you are in and out in 30 seconds.

I agree something needs to change. I do think a lot of people might be willing to pay a small sum for better care and maybe this is the way to go - like the £7 Asda flu jabs.

And 300 people up thread have said OOH is for emergencies. This isn't. Yes the 4 hour wait would annoy but if it was necessary i would. My theoretical pondering is about if you were actually ill a 4 hour wait would be unreasonable.

Why is it unreasonable to want change but not know how?

I feel your pain. We used to live about 10 minutes drive (probably less) from the walk in centre in Milton Keynes, but because we lived just outside MK, they refused to see us. Instead we had to schlep to Daventry, which was about 30 miles away - yes, with a sick child.

But you'd get a couple of days off in the week. So plan activities for then

And how would you fund it then? Oh sorry: I forgot: you've no idea.

And I can just imagine how many complaints there'd be about school impacting on family life, about the problems of timetabling, about the difficulties of incorporating weekends into the curriculum.

OP it's pretty obvious if it was an life or limb threatening emergency then A&E would be appropriate, if it was something that you would ring a GP up to ask for an emergency appointment during the week then OOH at a weekend would be appropriate (such as your daughter's rash) anything else can wait for a routine appointment. I don't really understand what your issue with a 4 hour OOH wait is, seeing as anything needing attention sooner ought to be in A&E anyway. Yes, it's a bit inconvenient but for a national healthcare system free at the point of delivery, it's actually pretty good.

I think the trouble is also that the wait for non emergencies is so abysmal that people make out they have more than an emergency than they do, to buck the system.
Then the wait for non emergencies is even longer hence 4 months to see my GP.

a and e is for emergencies. OOH is for things which aren't emergencies but can't wait until the GP is open.

I managed to get DS a GP appointment 20 minutes before they closed last night for his chest infection. If I hadn't been able to get that he would have ended up needing an OOH appointment because 48 hours without being seen wouldn't have been good but at that point it wasn't an emergency.

I think its a bloody brilliant idea.

Abolish weekends.

Everyone has to work or school on any of the 7 days. If you want family time you plan your days off together. If you struggle to find childcare on certain days you plan for them to be in school that day.

Shops are open 7 days. You can shop on your day off whenever that is.

Book doctor or dentist appointments for any day.

Arrange your will or divorce on a sunday if thats when you and the solicitor are available.

No more price hiking of holidays because of term dates.

No more sunday evening back to school woes.

No more massive plumber call out fees because it is sunday.

Actually do away with weekend extra pay (going to happen anyway). If everyone has to work at the weekend why should anyone get paid extra?

And if demand for appointmemts is spread out more evenly then there won't be a 4 hour wait because it is sunday.

Problem solved.

I agree, actually. In an ideal world we would go back to everyone having Saturday and Sunday off, but that's the case for so few people now, it just becomes a massive PITA for those who don't.
DH works at an airport on a rolling shift. Weekends mean nothing - and he certainly doesn't get paid extra. The trains don't run properly on Sundays, we can't shop the same hours, the DCs always choose weekends to be ill.

I think it will head that way anyway. Not sure about the education system, however. But the current situation we have where a large chunk of the population work weekends but a large amount of services are unavailable seems outdated.

Everyone has to work or school on any of the 7 days. If you want family time you plan your days off together. If you struggle to find childcare on certain days you plan for them to be in school that day

What about the effect on families who simply can't plan their time like that? How will you feel if your child's teacher is on time off with his/her own family and your child is taught by someone else on a rota? And you still have no ideas about how it will be funded, by school budgets already under strain.

As a matter of fact I agree with some of your other points. I live alone and would be quite happy to work weekends and have days off in the week.

How on earth can you abolish weekends

What if we wanted our weekend Tuesday/Wednesday, but DS's A level English teacher wants hers Thursday/Friday? DS would miss half his lessons.

Those suggestions are so flawed they can't serious!

Nope you haven't touched a nerve OP at all, I just think YABVVVVVU!!!!

And I'm astonished you are clinical staff with your comments.

And your idea about abolishing weekends is ridiculous quite frankly. Completely unworkable.

It would be funded by saving on OOH payments.

Teachers would jobshare providing 7 day cover.

If everyone worked every day then days off can be planned.

OOH requires a couple of GPs each weekend. Your plans would mean each surgery would realistically have to employ at least one more full time GP - not sure how you figure that would save money!

And how to schools plan the curriculum?

Teachers would jobshare providing 7 day cover

What about the increased cost for utilities on site? How would that work with delivering a complex curriculum in a large state comprehensive?

Snap, Sirzy

The OP really is talking utter unworkable tripe here.