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.

I had horrible symptoms of exhaustion, depression, mood swings, aches etc and suspected periomenopause (as also had cycle changes) but possibly also a deficiency. I limped on for months as it got worse before biting the bullet and submitting the form on August 16th.

Got a GP appointment second week of November.

To be fair, they did call me for bloods 3 days after I submitted and the receptionist said if my bloods showed anything that was a big deal they would move me to the urgent list but otherwise I'd stay on the non urgent. So I guess in that regard mine is doing better than yours.

But the non urgent list that I stayed on had a waiting period of 12 weeks. 12. I was shocked. And no indication given of date at all - I just had to wait till they called.

@grumpyandfedup if you really want to know - fork out and get some private bloods done - yes I can see why you don’t think you should have to but at least it would likely tell you whether there’s an underlying cause - some of the basic ones that cover iron and thyroid etc really aren’t that expensive

A minute ago you said she suspected anaemia and hypothyroidism?

If she's really filling your head with that without you having had blood tests, she needs to wind her silly neck in.

Who diagnosed "suspected anaemia or hypothyroidism"? And on what basis? Have you been googling?
Anyway, as pps have said, if you're able to work, it's not urgent. There are far more urgent cases than you who will take priority over Christmas (and at any time). If you're that concerned, pay to see a GP privately.

@glovely How can you possibly think three weeks is acceptable?!? Seriously? Three days I'd wait - possibly a week - but any more is unacceptable to me. If you're happy to wait, great. But I'm not. I expect better for myself and my family.

Before you ask, yes - we do now have private healthcare for everything possible. I gave up on the NHS a while ago.

Yes, as a nurse that’s what she suspects. But obviously that can’t be confirmed without bloods.

Both by the look of it.

I’d say it deserves to be seen more urgently than four weeks away

Based on what?

A telephone call? Do you mean a telephone appointment?

You have been on this thread for about 30 minutes. Surely it is easier to be on hold than reading and posting.

My surgery is excellent. I phoned this morning at 8am when they opened. I’d checked the online appointments but nothing for today. Lots for next week though. I got through quite quickly and ask for an appointment for Ds who is ill and off school and was given an appointment for 8.40am. They do same day home visits for my disabled mum and I have never struggled to get an appointment. Requests for prescriptions are dealt with online and sent to the pharmacy the same day. I use the online system for most things and usually have a response and an action within 3 hours. The staff are all fantastic and nothing is too much trouble. We’ve used them a lot this year as a family, mainly my elderly mum and I can’t fault them at all. It baffles me why other practices can’t operate in the same way. I used to work as a GP practice nurse and understand both sides. My own practice has a predominantly white middle class patient population but where I worked was inner city Manchester with 25% students, lots of immigrants, refugees and patients who needed interpreters. It was also excellent.

It absolutely does not need urgent attention

If you are concerned about anaemia go to the pharmacist they can give you a preventive level dose of need be.

If your anaemia is severe and you are blacking out at risk of falls - ring 111.

The symptoms related to those two conditions are unpleasant but you are being dramatic

OP. Working in GP surgery and knowing the triage system; it might be worth emailing to say that you know you will need to do bloods after your consultation in January, is there any way (given your list of symptoms) that they could be done in the meantime so they are available for your consultation in January.

they may not get everything first time round but it would definitely give them an idea of what’s what with you.

I know surgeries vary and some are more helpful than others but I’m sure we would do that if we were asked.

Instead of posting here, you could have sat on hold with the phone on speaker beside you.

Exactly.

The OP has said she's been feeling like shit for years, so why the sudden urgency?

Yes. A telephone call. Where they can’t assess a thing.

That’s really unfair the doctor does not know of your difficulties directly - you sound spoilt and entitled

Because I cannot carry on like this anymore. I’m 26, and getting in bed at 7pm because I am so exhausted. I’d rather not be here than suffer like this.

Of course they can.

You tell them how you're feeling and they book you blood tests based on what you've told them 🤷‍♂️

You’re joking 😂 it takes about seven people signing off to get bloods done at that shithole surgery

So where they can discuss your issues in detail and decide what to do next?

That’s nonsense. They can assess and book you for tests etc if needed.

Of course they can’t. They use it to talk down on you and make you feel like you’re a waste of space.

The telephone appointment is to talk to you, then they can arrange for bloods to be taken. It’s not doing nothing, it’s the first step in the process. If your nurse friend can decide what’s wrong with you by having a chat why wouldn’t a doctor need to speak with you to assess your symptoms before they order tests?

You only need a GP to ok them. No’one else.