Had to go to a+E for a skin infection

notreallyTheidea · 2022-12-20T15:40:46+00:00

Couldn’t get through on the phone to Gp. Their online system is at full capacity (has been for 2 days now). Went in person told to keep waiting till there’s capacity online. That never happens. Went to a pharmacy who said it needs to be seen by a doctor. 111 just don’t call back So I went to a and e and needed IV antibiotics they said had I been able to get to see a GP via OOH at the weekend or my own gp on Monday morning it could have been avoided. The whole system is broken

RunnerBum · 20/12/2022 15:45

We were advised to go to A&E for my DD for a literal cold. She started to get pus from her eyes which could’ve been either viral or bacterial and I couldn’t tell so went to a pharmacist who said to get some antibiotics because they thought it could be bacterial. GP fully booked and recommended 111 to get an OOH appointment. 111 eventually answered and said they’d call back but never did. I phoned again and they recommended the OOH walk-in. Got there (Friday afternoon by this point) and they said to go A&E because they can’t see children under 1yo. I obviously didn’t because that’s ridiculous and it cleared up on its own over the weekend.

There are just so many factors causing these issues but the one thing we can all agree on is that the NHS is an absolute shitshow at the moment.

Original poster

notreallyTheidea · 20/12/2022 15:48

It’s terrible . Things that could be easily treatable are left and get worse because the first point of contact and often the second is not functioning so it seems to be a and e is the only option either for conditions that don’t need a and E or that shouldn’t but have deteriorated to the point they do .

OP posts:

SnackSizeRaisin · 20/12/2022 15:50

Agree. It's a scary. People are dying due to this. And many more are suffering. The only answer is to never vote Tory

Original poster

notreallyTheidea · 20/12/2022 15:53

I have to say my gp surgery pre covid was always packed. Full waiting room etc. even today when I went in person it was empty not a person waiting but they say they are at capacity- I asked could I see a nurse and they said all clinicians are with patients. I asked could I leave a letter explaining if there’s no appts, no phone appts and no online request capacity and was told no just wait. Something is really wrong

OP posts:

Pearfacebanana · 20/12/2022 15:53

How awful for you - and to be honest with the strep A risk at present really dangerous.

I had the misfortune to need urgent care yesterday for my daughter and it really brought home how bad things are (I know it's all over the news but let's face it the NHS has been all
Over the news for years) we had;

• 40 min triage call by 111 (it's really quite simple she has a chest infection, can't get in with GP)
• sent to urgent care on a pre booked appt
• waiting time at urgent care is 7 hours
• luckily we waited 2 hours as pre booked
• told by GP at urgent care she doesn't seem that bad - come back tomorrow - are you having a laugh!
• booked private GP appointment today and told we should have automatically been given anti biotics due to current strep A risk and the threshold for prescribing has been reduced at present nationally.

Now I recognise my situation is no where near as bad as many people with far more serious problems. But I saw enough to see how broken it all is.

• why have we got qualified nurses spending 40+ mins on a phone call when they could see several people in that time?
• why have we got GPs in an urgent care centre and privately online?
• if the staff were actually in an old fashioned surgery would that not help??

why is the default to send everyone to urgent care or A&E, can't we give more power to pharmacists?

It pains me to say it but the system is broken and needs a total rethink.

Original poster

notreallyTheidea · 20/12/2022 15:55

Pearfacebanana · 20/12/2022 15:53

How awful for you - and to be honest with the strep A risk at present really dangerous.

I had the misfortune to need urgent care yesterday for my daughter and it really brought home how bad things are (I know it's all over the news but let's face it the NHS has been all
Over the news for years) we had;

• 40 min triage call by 111 (it's really quite simple she has a chest infection, can't get in with GP)
• sent to urgent care on a pre booked appt
• waiting time at urgent care is 7 hours
• luckily we waited 2 hours as pre booked
• told by GP at urgent care she doesn't seem that bad - come back tomorrow - are you having a laugh!
• booked private GP appointment today and told we should have automatically been given anti biotics due to current strep A risk and the threshold for prescribing has been reduced at present nationally.

Now I recognise my situation is no where near as bad as many people with far more serious problems. But I saw enough to see how broken it all is.

• why have we got qualified nurses spending 40+ mins on a phone call when they could see several people in that time?
• why have we got GPs in an urgent care centre and privately online?
• if the staff were actually in an old fashioned surgery would that not help??

why is the default to send everyone to urgent care or A&E, can't we give more power to pharmacists?

It pains me to say it but the system is broken and needs a total rethink.

Yes i agree about pharmacists you always hear how they are the first place to go for a lot of ailments but without fail they always seem to say to see a gp. I understand they need to cover themselves but it’s frustrating. I think they should be given more prescribing power

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antelopevalley · 20/12/2022 15:59

I am so sorry to hear that. Where in the country are you? Just wondering as we can still get seen the same day if we need to by our GP.

ILoveeCakes · 20/12/2022 16:00

Less NHS time would be incurred if people were simply seen and treated. More time seems to be spent (by qualified staff) in "triaging" and passing people from pillar to post.

I don't think a lot of nurses want to see patients at all. As soon as they can they jump into one of the very many non-facing roles that seem to have been invented over the past so many years.

Original poster

notreallyTheidea · 20/12/2022 16:01

Hertfordshire. We usually at least have the online system but now that seems to be ‘at capacity’ all the time as well and can’t get through on the phone

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grievinggirlneedsadvice · 20/12/2022 16:01

I also puzzled by this as I phoned the doctor's this morning and got a call back in an hour for an appointment today at 5 which I'm about to go to!

grievinggirlneedsadvice · 20/12/2022 16:02

Ah ok, I actually used to live in Hertfordshire 7 years ago and remember it being a right pain to get an appointment even then so can imagine it being chaos now.

CambridgeCambridge · 20/12/2022 16:03

It seems to vary so much by area - I've needed two GP appointments over the last fortnight, and have been able to get one on the day each time - again, for a skin infection, so not an absolute emergency. We have to sit on the phone at 8.30, but have only once failed to get an appointment on the day, once in over a decade - on that occasion DH was asked how urgent it was (not very), and he got an appointment the next day instead. As a result we haven't had to use 111 (ever) or A&E (for years). Plus I get to wait at home for a phone consultation rather than in a waiting room, which is a lot more pleasant. There's no way I'm changing GP....

Original poster

notreallyTheidea · 20/12/2022 16:05

CambridgeCambridge · 20/12/2022 16:03

It seems to vary so much by area - I've needed two GP appointments over the last fortnight, and have been able to get one on the day each time - again, for a skin infection, so not an absolute emergency. We have to sit on the phone at 8.30, but have only once failed to get an appointment on the day, once in over a decade - on that occasion DH was asked how urgent it was (not very), and he got an appointment the next day instead. As a result we haven't had to use 111 (ever) or A&E (for years). Plus I get to wait at home for a phone consultation rather than in a waiting room, which is a lot more pleasant. There's no way I'm changing GP....

If I’d got some cream or tablets the day it started I think it would have avoided a costly trip to a and e so this must be costing the nhs so much more if people are having no choice but to seek treatment at a and e 😞

OP posts:

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 20/12/2022 16:05

I was in A&E recently. There were people there who had been waiting 5 hours and who before that had been waiting 4 hours to speak to 111. From previous trips to A&E, waits of 10 hours seem standard.

Paranoidandroidmarvin · 20/12/2022 16:06

My surgery is the same. I go in regularly for injections. And the waiting room is always empty. And there are not doctors names on the walls. No idea what is happening anymore.

I need antibiotics the other day and I ended up paying for one of those online doctors. Only way I could see anyone for weeks for an infection. Otherwise I would have ended up being really sick

Fluffy40 · 20/12/2022 16:07

I rang 111 last Saturday 8.30 am, they called back but it was 30 hours later , yes Sunday at noon !

Original poster

notreallyTheidea · 20/12/2022 16:09

Paranoidandroidmarvin · 20/12/2022 16:06

My surgery is the same. I go in regularly for injections. And the waiting room is always empty. And there are not doctors names on the walls. No idea what is happening anymore.

I need antibiotics the other day and I ended up paying for one of those online doctors. Only way I could see anyone for weeks for an infection. Otherwise I would have ended up being really sick

Is this where all the drs are now doing private online work?! I was just looking at these services and they can all offer same day appts so maybe that’s where they all are !!

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TheLittlestLightOnTheXmasTree · 20/12/2022 16:11

How long was your wait?

antelopevalley · 20/12/2022 16:11

Some surgeries have a lot of vacancies.

antelopevalley · 20/12/2022 16:12

I am sorry though OP. It must have been a serious skin infection to need IV antibiotics.

Untitledsquatboulder · 20/12/2022 16:12

We get the nhs the public vote for - and they've been voting for this for 12 long years.

itsgettingweird · 20/12/2022 16:15

I had this.

Ds had an ear infection.

Pharmacy gave me ear calm. It cleared but after 7 days of being able to use it the infection came straight back. Couldn't get GP apt that Friday. They told me try 8am Monday.

Tried 111 over the weekend to no avail.

Tried GP Monday am.

By Monday evening when his ear was twice the size and pouring yellow and green pus from it I tried Gp again who said ring 111. 111 said he needed to go on GP emergency list and referred him there for energy apt. GP said no space and wait until they close to ring 111 again for an OOH GP.

Did that. Spent 1 hour on phone. Call back 2 hours later. Sent photo as asked.

20 minutes later penicillin sent to pharmacy for me to collect.

I bit my tongue when the OOH GP asked how long it had taken to get so bad.

I followed the advice of nhs website for ear infections. I wouldn't have treated OTC first if I'd known it would take 4 days after to get an apt when OTC didn't work.

ConfusedmumUC · 20/12/2022 16:41

Where I am, it’s a lottery.

Someone I know with excruciating stomach pains, constant vomiting and fever, couldn’t get through to GP, no 111 service here and OOH weren’t answering the phone. Ended up with an ambulance as they were in no state to drive and almost passing out, they waited 5 hours. Then spent 2 weeks in hospital awaiting surgery for a perforated gallbladder, they turned yellow with the jaundice whilst there and although it needed to come out asap, there were no available surgeons or radiographers to perform the needed scans.

Where as my young daughter took ill, vomiting and diarrhoea, very lethargic and generally unwell. Got her into the GP the same day who took samples and said for her to rest. That evening she could barely be roused, totally out of it. Called ooh who said go straight to hospital. Got her there and she was seen immediately. Each step of the service worked how it was supposed to.

I just don’t know what is making the difference, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s a scary prospect.

WonderingWanda · 20/12/2022 16:47

We must be very lucky in our area. I got through to the gp reception straight away, got a call back within 2 hrs, a face to face appointment an hour later and some antibiotics for my dc. I have just read that one of our local hospitals can't meet demand and will prioritising the most serious life threatening cases, long waits for everyone else so do feel relieved relieved that we have got it sorted sooner rather than later.

DarkKarmaIlama · 20/12/2022 16:51

@Paranoidandroidmarvin

how much was that? I need a GP appointment for my chest infection but I can’t get one. I’m not severe enough for A and E.