GP and only seeing people for ‘emergencies’

[Echalocha]

I have intense pain in my lower right abdomen which radiates in to my lower back. Feel constipated and just very uncomfortable indeed.
I have suffered this probably twice/three times a year for as long as I can remember but I’ve always assumed it’s some sort of intolerance and I’ve kept food diaries and nothing shows up. The attacks are sudden and very random.
It’s happening again today, came on very quick with no warning and it is so painful.
I rang the GP for an appointment this afternoon to be told that they are only seeing medical emergencies. I get they are busy. But isn’t that what 111 and a&e are for?
I said it’s very sudden so I can’t pre book appointments for this issue. The receptionist said ‘is it life threatening or an emergency?’ I said well I don’t think I’m at immediate risk of dying so I thought the GP would be the best place to start!!
I feel like I can’t get advice on this problem and it’s really bothering me. What do I do in this situation? I feel like asking for any help is a waste of resources but clearly it’s not normal to have this problem.
What would you do in this instance?

Lower right abdomen pain could be appendicitis, have you got a fever too?

No fever but very bloated and it hurts if I try and pass gas or try and have a bowel movement

No history of PCOS but thank you for your input
Going to call 111 and see what they advise

This question from GP receptionists infuriates me. If it was an emergency I'd call 999!

As your GP aren't being helpful call 111 or if in Wales NHS direct and make it clear your GP won't even triage your call. Hope you feel better soon.

@Echalocha

No fever but very bloated and it hurts if I try and pass gas or try and have a bowel movement

That sounds very, very much like an obstruction.

So I managed to get a telephone consultation with the doctor who ‘bets his money’ that this is ovulation pain! I am mid cycle to be fair - can ovulation pain feel like this?!

It can be quite severe, and I don't think you get constipated and have gas, you just get a sharp pain.

This is not sharp this is a dull and constant ache with burning lower back pain all on the right hand side.
I just feel seen off.

Probably a job for a&e anyway. Sounds like it could be gall bladder related given the location and infrequency.

I work in a GPs surgery. The reason our surgery is only seeing emergencies this last few days is that we have 3 out of 4 GPs isolating with Covid and are being pressurised to give Covid boosters.
That being said you can insist you are a medical emergency and ask for a call back.

@fortygin

I work in a GPs surgery. The reason our surgery is only seeing emergencies this last few days is that we have 3 out of 4 GPs isolating with Covid and are being pressurised to give Covid boosters. That being said you can insist you are a medical emergency and ask for a call back.

What does your surgery class as a medical emergency? My definition would be a heart attack/stroke, that sort of thing. Things I wouldn't go to a GP for

She was just so unhelpful. She said only I can decide what an emergency is but my definition of emergency is a heart attack or loss of consciousness so I felt really like she was saying I am going to be wasting their time.

That's ridiculous! If I'd been asked if I was an emergency I'd have said no, I think I've got bad indigestion. It turned out I had gallstones, an inflamed gallbladder and pancreatitis and I ended up in A&E!

When I get ovulation pain it's sharp and really painful. I would get checked out at A&E or a walk in centre with the symptoms you describe.

I would ask them to put it in writing that they are only seeing life threatening emergencies and that they are expecting untrained patients to self diagnose whether their symptoms are dangerous.

Also to please confirm that a doctor who has never seen or examined you is 100% certain that your abdominal pain is nothing sinister, based solely upon the fact that you are female.

Can you ask them to test your stools for blood and H-Pylori/other infections? Also a general blood test.

Are most GPs doing vaccines? In my town only one of the three surgeries is part of the vaccine drive.

My small surgery told me today that they are only doing on the day emergency appoinwnts due to the vaccine program. I don't they are doing them there but they rely on locums so I suspect they will be short staffed.

Acute abdominal pain is an emergency. I can't believe how broken the system is.

GP receptionist shouldn't be making that decision, it should at least be a HCP (nurse, paramedic) over the phone.

However if it is Acute abdo pain then a GP will simply refer to surgeons for assessment, which in most hospitals that are already at capacity would mean going in via a&e.

If it's not Acute abdo pain and is just an exacerbation of a condition you have already been seen for then it probably wouldn't be classed as an 'emergency' in the current sh*t state that we are in.

Only you know which of the above scenarios it is most likely to be, you know your body, no one on here can help you with that.

@EllaPaella

Acute abdominal pain is an emergency. I can't believe how broken the system is.

Agree.

I'm a GP. Just call them back and say yes, it's urgent and needs to be seen today. And then they'll give you an appointment. I'm not sure why you didn't just say that, the receptionist isn't qualified to make that call. That's why she asked you.

@mummyh2016 it’s not my place as admin to determine that. If the patient insists it’s am emergency I put a message on for the GP and they determine wether it is or not.
If I’m honest I work behind the scenes and only help reception if they are in crisis (ie today) and it’s a thankless job and in my opinion they present system of a free for all first thing to get a call back is not sustainable. Vulnerable patients who don’t want to be a bother are being overlooked because they don’t want to make a fuss and staff are burned out.
I was asked not to take my Xmas holidays (planned a year ago) to phone people and book Covid boosters and I’ve said no. This winter has been exhausting so far and honestly why anyone would want to work in primary care anymore is beyond me.

[quote fortygin]@mummyh2016 it’s not my place as admin to determine that. If the patient insists it’s am emergency I put a message on for the GP and they determine wether it is or not.
If I’m honest I work behind the scenes and only help reception if they are in crisis (ie today) and it’s a thankless job and in my opinion they present system of a free for all first thing to get a call back is not sustainable. Vulnerable patients who don’t want to be a bother are being overlooked because they don’t want to make a fuss and staff are burned out.
I was asked not to take my Xmas holidays (planned a year ago) to phone people and book Covid boosters and I’ve said no. This winter has been exhausting so far and honestly why anyone would want to work in primary care anymore is beyond me.[/quote]
Surely you have some sort of idea what the GPs class as a medical emergency though?
If a patient rang your surgery and said they were having chest pains would you request a call back from a GP or tell them to call an ambulance/present at A+E?

I wonder if your pain is caused by diverticulitis. I have a friend who suffers from this and gets flare-ups. She was diagnosed following a colonoscopy.

Most sites say that this only happens on the left side but it can occur on the right side too so would be worth getting them to double check.

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diverticulitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20371758

www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/what-does-a-diverticulitis-attack-feel-like#prevention

Hope you're feeling better soon.

@mummyh2016 we class emergencies as things that need dealt with today but of course that’s open to interpretation.
For instance I took a call from an 80 year old who could speak a full sentence as he was so short of breath who wanted to speak to a doc.
Our 1 gp was at the church hall across the road setting up for the Covid booster clinic. I got him to agree to call an ambulance and he said he now didn’t need to speak to a doctor but I put a note on for a doctor to let them know. One of the docs isolating was working from home and called him just to check. He said he didn’t want to bother the nhs and hadn’t went to hospital.
I think receptionists need training to be able to triage calls but in this climate this isn’t going to happen. A

@BriocheForBreakfast

I wonder if your pain is caused by diverticulitis. I have a friend who suffers from this and gets flare-ups. She was diagnosed following a colonoscopy.

Most sites say that this only happens on the left side but it can occur on the right side too so would be worth getting them to double check.

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diverticulitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20371758

www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/what-does-a-diverticulitis-attack-feel-like#prevention

Hope you're feeling better soon.

The abdo is a complex area of the body that can be challenging to correctly diagnose, even with a lot of experience and a patient in front of you, so please don't try to diagnose someone on the internet based on a someone you knows medical history.

@EgonSpengler2020 fair enough. I had meant to add that the OP should go to her GP and have some tests. I just thought that it sounded very similar to my friend.