Waited in hospital since 10pm to see out of hours gp. It's now 2am. Do I give up and go home?

[GrrrlPwr]

There's 5 people ahead of me in the queue. Receptionist has no idea how long they will all take.

Do I go home and plead my GP for an appointment tomorrow?

Feel so stupid to have waited so long and to go home. But I ache so much. I need to go to bed

@CloseYourEyesAndSee

Don't you have a GP you are registered with? They can give you an appointment today? Also are you sure It’s bacterial? Tonsillitis can be viral which won't respond to antibiotics.

don't know where you are, but have you actually tried doing this lately ?

don't know where you are, but have you actually tried doing this lately?

Yes, several times recently, had both face to face appointment and calls back with prescription on same day.

Where I am, I am registered with a concierge (private) doctor. He will see you the day you call, if you call before noon. If you are too ill to come to his office (or have no transport) he and his nurse do home visits from 6-8pm. If prescriptions are needed, he calls them in to the local pharmacy and they are delivered before 11pm that day. Also gives free flu shots and free pneumonia and free shingles vacs to all patients over age 50 as part of a Wellness Program.
Always lots of critics on Mumsnet about the cost of insurance in the USA but this is what it pays for. It comes out of my teacher retirement check, so I am NOT rich.

The NHS is broken. So many really bad stories of long waits. It needs a lot more money though, not restructuring.
Hopefully your GP can prescribe over the phone today.

The cost is only one problem with the USA system. It’s terrible for people without insurance and people who are insured are sometimes over prescribed treatment.

What a terrible night op. I’ve been there with my dc at times. Fluid, painkillers, 111 and rest of you can.

Sorry this happened. It sounds tough. Not at all as urgent but my GP won't renew my thyroid medication until I have my annual blood test. I have not been able to get through on the phone for six weeks to make an appointment. Every time I ring it says there are 20 plus people in the queue and I can't sit there on hold during working hours.

What is going wrong with our health service?

Take paracetamol and fill out the e-consult form for the GP if you don't feel like keeping redialing to get through to the receptionist when they open. Someone should phone you same day and you'll have a prescription by the end of the day. Regular tonsillitis is bloody painful but it's not an accident or emergency. It is urgent enough to warrant a GP appointment that day though

If you don't have painkillers and need them now, use this to find a pharmact currently open.

www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy

A pharmacist may be of more immediate help to you than the hospital. Hope you get sorted out soon with painkillers and antibiotics, OP.

I would not wait in hospital with tonsilitis… I am sure it’s horrible but not an emergency. If you have a GP you can fill out an online form and they should call you back.

I would not wait in hospital with tonsilitis… I am sure it’s horrible but not an emergency. If you have a GP you can fill out an online form and they should call you back.

She’s not taking an A&E appointment, she’s was waiting to be seen by the out of hours GP, as her own GP has no appointments.

That's awful, I've had tonsillitis and I know what it's like. The last time I had it (over Christmas) I was desperate to see a doctor and get some antibiotics but there weren't any appointments available. On Christmas morning it was so bad that I was desperate and used some online doctor - I think it was through an app on my phone. It cost me about £20 or so, but a doctor saw me via video in the app in about 30 minutes and had an antibiotics prescription sent straight to our nearest open pharmacy. So I got my antibiotics within a few hours even on Christmas Day. I just checked and the app was called Push Doctor. I've never had to use them since, but on that day I was never so grateful that such a service existed. Maybe check them out?

@HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend

I would not wait in hospital with tonsilitis… I am sure it’s horrible but not an emergency. If you have a GP you can fill out an online form and they should call you back.

She’s not taking an A&E appointment, she’s was waiting to be seen by the out of hours GP, as her own GP has no appointments.

Well no, they won't have appointments available in the middle of the night, but they might have some available tomorrow. It's sound advice to at least try on the phone or econsult.

@GrrrlPwr please call 111 when you wake up

WRT blood test appts, in my area you have to book online. It is very easy to do, you just go on the hospital website and register. (This is in response to pp who can't book by phone). I have to have regular blood tests and the system has worked fine all through the last couple of years. I thought all hospitals were using the online system now.

I recently took my son to A&E, we waited nine hours, pretty much everyone in turn, it was packed … that’s pretty standard in Manchester

Severe tonsillitis can be a medical emergency. The throat can close us. Croup can be very dangerous for young children especially.

@endofagain

WRT blood test appts, in my area you have to book online. It is very easy to do, you just go on the hospital website and register. (This is in response to pp who can't book by phone). I have to have regular blood tests and the system has worked fine all through the last couple of years. I thought all hospitals were using the online system now.

Good for you.

Not everywhere does.

We have to queue up for a blood test and hope we get seen. One small day hospital covers a massive area so people start queuing at 7am for a service that opens at 8.30.

You can have a video GP appointment via PushDoctor app. Ours are paid for by our surgery but I think they're about £45 for private appointments. Then the prescription would go to whatever pharmacy you choose at normal NHS price.

My dd broke fer foot last week and afterca 6 hour wait finally got a consultation in a corridor! My brother recently witnessed an accident and 999 took 10 minutes to even pick up the phone!

Call your own GP as soon as they open. Ours are doing telephone consults daily. I assume most practises have an urgent diary every day?

Does your GP use the Livi app. My GP uses this and there was a time I was struggling to see a GP. I went on that app and was able to see a GP online within an hour

I developed a severe UTI quickly overnight, I knew I needed antibiotics. Rang 111 and an OOH GP rang back, discussed, and sent an electronic prescription to the nearest pharmacy for collection first thing. It happened again on a Saturday, rang 111 again, they made an urgent appointment at the Walk in centre where I was seen by an ANP, who issued a prescription.

I can’t fault 111, perhaps in other areas they don’t have the same options. They can advise someone to go to A&E, even send an ambulance, so unless I needed 999, they’d be my first contact before going anywhere.

My urgent treatment had about 10 chairs and around 50 people waiting at one time. We all had to sit on the floor for 6 hours. It’s shocking. Hopefully the GP can prescribe you something over the phone. My GP usually does that. Do you have e consult?

that was 4 hours,
that is generally the minimum length of wait

can you take a photo of your throat in preparation for a telephone/video appointment?