to be pissed of with the NHS today?

[thestateofit]

I am prepared to be flamed here but I am slightly stressed at the moment so please be kind! I found out I was cheated on by a (now ex!) partner and took a sti test through the post which came back as testing positive for chlamydia yesterday, I was understandably upset but was just eager to get treatment and get it gone. I called the local sexual health clinic when they opened at 8:30 this morning to try and get an appointment and was told that I had to wait for a triage nurse to call me back so I called my GP in the meantime to try and get an appointment, no appointments for today, please come and queue at 8am in the morning when you may or may not get an appointment. Triage nurse called back at 11:30 and said that the earliest appointment is Thursday afternoon in the clinic all the way across town. I explained that I work 12 hour shifts and it would be difficult for me to attend an appointment there at that time as I work in healthcare and I can't just leave due to safety of staffing levels as I'm sure she understands, is there any way I can be prescribed the antibiotics over the phone or get an appointment sooner? No, the only way to get them is to attend this clinic on Thursday, nothing can be done sooner. I was told that I didn't even know I had the infection until yesterday so a few more days ago won't hurt and everybody has work commitments and work commitments are not her problem and she has a long list of other patients to call so please can I decide if I want the appointment or not as there is nothing else she can do. I phoned the GP back to see if they could prescribe the antibiotics over the phone, I was told no I have to attend this clinic this is the only way to get treatment. I have spent half the day on the phone and I have now found that I can buy the prescription online from Boots for £20 and the prescription will be available to collect within 2 hours. If Boots can prescribe over the internet why can't the GP prescribe them over the phone?I honestly don't think my mental health could have coped having to wait until Thursday for any treatment knowing I had chlamydia. The NHS system is so bureaucratic and frustrating for something as simple as an antibiotic prescription. I was lucky I could pay the £20 and get it over with but what about someone who can't?

I know, but I'd question whether they actually look into records before the consultation. I was more pointing out that most of them bypass the GP or you're referred back to them for treatment, and they only do a full examination for concerning symptoms (e.g. warts). In my surgery all prescribing is done by nurses for sexual health.

I just don't see how its different from a GP prescribing antibiotics because unless there's a previously recorded reaction, they will give you the one they know works first.

Obviously this all irrelevant to the OPs issue with treatment access, but I personally don't see why she had to go to a F2F Gp appointment, it can definitely be done on the phone.

I'm pissed off with them today.
I had a disoriented older gentleman approach me in the street today to ask me to call him an ambulance.
He has a history of epilepsy, has had a brain tumour removed and was scared. His vision was going, he didn't know what to do (various other symptoms too, but he couldn't even see his phone to call for help) 6 fucking hours was quoted.
I got him home (short walk luckily) and he was starting to improve so didn't want me to come in or wait with him (stranger so I'm not going to push the point)
What is he meant to do?
The ambulance service told him to get himself to a&e, no other advice or help. Just 6 hour wait or get there yourself and that's it. No follow up, just these are your options.
He lives alone, what if he has a bad turn?
I've made him promise to check in with me by phone but I'm not his family and I don't need responsibility of someone I don't know.
It's bullshit.