UTI and no doctor's appointments

[DuckDuckDiva]

AIBU to think I can't wait much longer? I've been trying since last week to get a GP appointment for a UTI and every time I get through too late and all the appointments are gone. This is always after being on hold for 30 mins plus. I even went in to the surgery after dropping my son at nursery and they had no appointments left at 8:30. It was an extra 30 minute drive (I live rurally). Is there any other way I can get treatment for a UTI?

Or as someone else said go to minor injuries unit. Much less of a wait.

You need to send an email/letter of complaint to the practice manager at GP surgery. Tell them what you've said here about phoning every day with an urgent medical problem and can't get an appointment. Ask what they are going to do about it!

Are you asking for urgent appointment? Does your GP only have doctors? With ours if it's urgent you explain the problem and they can direct you to whoever can deal with it snd they have a prescribing pharmacist that can deal with straightforward UTIs
.In the meantime going to ask a pharmacist is a good suggestion. Hope you get some help soon

Will your gp not accept a urine sample,? Phone explain your symptoms and hand in a sample. My surgery will let people do that.

I’d agree. Call your GP one more time. Explain to receptionist it is an emergency as you’ve been trying for a week and even went in person and are now desperate, that the infection has not cleared up on it own, you are in agony etc etc. say you are concerned about long term damage if it is not treated etc

if they still refuse an emergency appointment then say you will be issue ing a complaint to the managers and will now have to go to A&E. Not as a threat. State it calmly.

then go to A&E and tell them why you had to go to them and not GP, and tell them you are registering a complaint as you don’t understand how to get treatment

it is appalling . UTI s for women can be excruciatingly painful…I couldn’t sit, stand or be away from loo. It disrupts your life, it means time off work or at least being at work but not really functioning. They need urgent treatment if going on for longer than 3-4 days in intense pain.

people suggesting to use private appointments is fine, if you have the money, but you are being complicit with this governments determination to run the nhs down so far as it being unworkable and replacing it with a pay to go system

I have used online pharmacies twice in the past year to buy UTI antibiotics and have found if you have enough of a google the online only pharmacies tend to be cheaper than Boots/Lloyds etc however obviously understand that it may be a case of having no money for this at all.

The other alternative is that at my GP surgery if you can’t get an appointment but explain to the receptionist that it is a UTI and you are feeling desperate, they ask you to come in and collect a urine sample and pot from reception that you then drop back in and they arrange a prescription for you without you having to actually see or speak to the dr. It may be worth you calling back and asking if this will be possible?

Currently sitting in minor injuries to see doc for UTI is that an option ?

Pharmacists can prescribe three days of antibiotics for UTIs. I did it a few weeks ago. Try and take a sample of urine but my pharmacist took my word for how grim it looked!