GP surgeries are broken

[grumpyandfedup]

Put in an e consult to my GPs surgery this morning for suspected anaemia or hypothyroidism. Okay not life threatening but unpleasant to live with and impacting my mental health and day to day life.

I get a text three hours later to say this isn’t urgent and I’m on a list to be called NEXT YEAR! The date isn’t certain and can be subject to change, but I should expect a call in the week commencing 5th January.

In the meantime my life will get worse, I’ll feel worse and I can’t get any help. Yet an immigrant arriving on a boat has onsite GPs there ready and waiting at all hours of the day.

If you're not ill enough to take sick leave, you can wait 3 weeks for an appointment then, can't you.

If you're ill enough to need an urgent appointment, you're ill enough to take sick leave.

No, you can't use a day sick leave to make 1 non-urgent phone call, but that's not what you are doing. Again, you are just looking for excuses.

And what am I supposed to say? “I’m tired@? Okay. That’s how it works.

Yes. Say fatigue if you prefer. But if it's affecting you as much as you claim it is, then yes.

You're really lucky then. Mine thinks T3 testing is some mad American shit that I've got from Dr Google.

Too many patients- not enough clinicians.
What do you suggest? We are working beyond capacity.

OP is sort of right. She has ‘only’ made 47 or 48 posts; I have just counted.

And not one of them has responded to the follow up questions we’ve asked about her comments on health care for immigrants. Perhaps in her hasty reading those are the comments she has missed?

Sure the OPs trust employers would be thrilled to know they have an employee posting dog whistle nonsense online in their work time

😂

I know. You'd never get away with that where I work! There's obviously a lack of effective management and accountability there.

I think there may be other reasons why you are exhausted. Holding down a job whilst posting 40 times in a 15 minute break. That speed of typing is some kind of record.

It is unreasonable to expect people to eait 3 to 4 weeks for a gp appointment. The fact this is happening more frequently does not mean is a gold standard. You should not be waiting more then a week.

What is your area now sick enough to take a leave but you do can't wait a month to see a doctor? Or if you have any employer likely to discriminate against toy if you can in sick?

I'm going to have to guess at a reply here. Your post doesn't make any sense.

If you're ill enough to take sick leave, you wouldn't wait a month for an appointment. You'd phone in the morning for an urgent appointment and be seen that day.
Whether your employer has an issue with you taking sick leave or not, if your health is suffering there are no two ways about it, you have to. If an employer discriminates against you, there are employment laws to protect you and unions/charities to help you fight.

So many Mners blame so much on pensioners and agism is rampant on here at the best of times. So why don't they shut the fuck up and leave older people including their older /elderly family alone or don't they count when moaning about clogging up hospitals, gp appointments and the rest of it?

Saying that people live longer (well done science it’s a good thing), but it sadly leads to more health problems which is expected in that age and linking it to rise in health appointments isn’t ageism. I think you’re projecting.

It's not a question of blaming pensioners. I simply pointed out that an ageing population is part of the picture and the problems the country faces are complex.

And I've already pointed out that I'm an older person myself.

I needed a pill check, booked it this morning, had the appointment with a GP at 10.30 and had my pills by 11am. No complaints here!

Fill out another form, go the walk in centre, get your bloods done private, do something productive if you're that worried.

I got a GP appointment quickly but still a 3 week wait for bloods, because although I feel like utter UTTER crap, it's not urgent.

I wonder how many posters saying that Hypothyroidism isn't an urgent matter have an under active thyroid. I don't, I am the other extreme with an over active thyroid. Both are serious and very debilitating. Surely the GP surgery could send the OP for blood tests ready for a new year appointment at the very least.

Me, for what my GP and I think was around 2 years (as I said earlier in the thread).

It's not so urgent that the OP can't wait a few weeks, especially considering she said she's been 'feeling like shit for years'.

Look, there are I admit, good doctors....and.....honestly not so great doctors. I've been ill for 18 months now and up until recently had a GP who very much kept insisting my issues were all "anxiety" and that I didn't need any more blood tests cos my blood test a year ago came back "ok".

However I ended up being given a telephone appointment, which was actually with the GP I previously saw for many years. Not only did she listen to everything I said, she insisted on seeing me the same day, and had a cancellation and also wanted me to have further blood tests and also arranged that for the same day. I do admit that meant I ended up at work 30 mins late but I had rang in advance and told them and they were fine with it.

This doctor....took everything on board. She explains that the issues I was having MAY or may NOT be part of the same issue, but that's why she wanted more blood tests to give us an idea. She said regardless of whether it was the same issue or 2 separate ones we would try and figure out what's going on and treat it. She also told me she had known me many years and in her opinion THIS is not being caused by mental health and there is clearly more going on and I'm booked in to see her again next week.

I understand it's horrible feeling like shit all the time. I get it. For 18 months I've been too fatigued and in too much pain to basically do anything other than go to work and then spend the following days off resting and recovering. I had basically zero life.

I said up thread if you are having a thyroid crisis - as I have done in the past - the appropriate place to go is A&E. If you are feeling low but struggling it will be several weeks wait. OP should book a double appointment if that is still a thing.

I do and it’s certainly not urgent