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.

So you would expect a clinician running a fever, or with d&v, to continue to work either infecting patients (including more immunocompromised individuals than you’d imagine), or a surgeon shaky with a viral load to cut into you? Really?

Thank goodness for good employment law.

Well people who believe the boats nonsense will lead us to an insurance based system...so going to see the GP will be charged..per visit or as Americans pay @£400 month minimum plus a cost/s per visit.
Be careful what you denigrate

This ⬆️

Which is an issue for a different thread and nothing to do with this one. But you seem to think it is, since you’re defending it.

Okay so are people not allowed to seek medical care in December? Is this a rule somewhere?

im going to phone back on my lunch break and insist im seen sooner.

Ah. So you do have time to call?
When did this illness start and what did the doctor say?

It will take less than a week to get bloods done. In fact, less than a month for now for a non-urgent case to be resolved. Seems completely reasonable to me.

Of course it’s not a rule.

I’ve sought an urgent appointment and I’ve got one today.

Well I was very much with you until you started blaming a migrant who has fled war and poverty by literally risking their life on a boat for your gp being shite.

War might come to the uk in our lifetime. Would love to know if youre rich enough to not need to flee your home?

You asked the same question twice and seem to be missing the point each time.

There is no rule that you can’t seek medical attention in December, but since you decided to hold on until the end of year where historically there are a lot more viral and bacterial infections going round than any other time of year, you could have taken that in to consideration when choosing when to seek this help. You are now stuck in utter disbelief that you are not prioritised over people who need to be seen more urgently.

You know full well I'm saying that you've felt like this for YEARS and yet you thought 10 working days before Christmas you'd try and make an appointment.

And as for phoning in your lunchbreak, why couldn't you have spent the last hour phoning instead of chatting away on Mumsnet?

Next you'll be moaning you got through in your lunchbreak but all the appointments were taken 🤦‍♀️

Priorities!

As a doctor, I can tell you that immigrants do not receive 24/7 onsite GP care. And which kind of ‘immigrants’ do you mean? The legal ones have been working here for 30 years? The Australians working in the coffee shops in Central London? Do clarify who you begrudge treatment for.

your OP says a lot about you, and it is not good.

My GP is pretty good w responses. it works on e-consult.

I put a request in to speak to a named GP and she called the next day, saw test results on the system and what the next steps would be wrt to them. Nothing life-threatening but important to sort out.

I also needed a possible meds increase/change and I got a text the same day to say do you want to try X or Y med and they were sent to my named pharmacy within a few hours.

You can also get an emergency appt on a weekend as they open a couple of partner surgeries for this.

I live in a very busy, multicultural but pleasant) part of London. GPs triage requests, a routine appt is usually 2-3 weeks’ wait so in the new year is about right esp cos of the bank holidays. With your symptoms I’d prob be seen earlier or get a phone appt.

I can’t believe that re immigrants although they may need medical care for various reasons I’m sure. It doesn’t affect my local provider either way though.

So sort out the aging problem and everything will be hunky dory the country will prosper, wars will end, and the Pope will be rejoicing the new coming. FFS.
Are you offering up the over 55 /65's in your family first to set an example or does it just apply to everyone elses relatives and loved ones ?
You will probably live to at least those ages, are YOU prepared to step aside for the younger generation?
Memento mori

@grumpyandfedup , out of interest in what way do you expect the outcome of a face to face consultation to differ to that of a telephone consultation?
I had a telephone consultation with my GP yesterday which incidentally I had to wait for about three weeks for. During my consultation my GP sent a prescription to my designated pharmacy and referred me to the menopause clinic and the physiotherapist. I feel I get an exceptional service from my practice but then again I don’t believe I’m the most important patient on their list.
I am heartened to read that almost without exception all who have responded to you think you are being extremely unreasonable and selfish. I hope that message is loud and clear for you.

@grumpyandfedup , it’s a good job the laughing emoji option has been removed or I’d have been in trouble with my response to that comment.

That is how my surgery works too. The doctor phoned me at about 12.15pm yesterday and based on what I said over the phone decided she wanted to see me at 4.30pm. I got a prescription for Amoxicillin so hopefully I will feel better soon. Your surgery may work the same way in that you need to speak to a doctor first and then you may get an in person appointment based on what you say.

I’m selfish for not wanting to be poorly anymore. I’ve seen it all now.

Nobody is saying that 🙄 it’s just an explanation. Not a call to euthanise the elderly.

Well, OP, it's good that you have decided that you can prioritising taking an hour out of your busy life for the sake of your health and make a phone call to give the surgery more information that might mean they reassess the urgency of your plight. However, no matter how bad you are feeling, it is absolutely no secret that the NHS is currently overwhelmed with flu, and it may be that despite your tale of woe the current assessment of where you should be in the priority queue should stand.

Do remember that the NHS would be even more broken and on its knees without immigrant labour right now, won't you? From the cleaners and orderlies, right up to the consultants.

I have a friend who, together with his young family, is on the asylum pathway. Highly educated, shortage profession but not allowed to work per asylum law

He would love to know more about these GPs standing by to help immigrants because their assigned clinic is not the greatest, to put it mildly. It’s just a regular, below par NHS surgery in a bad neighbourhood.

I am pretty good at unearthing facts and I haven’t been able to find anything about these special GPs, either.

Please say more, OP!

OP...no one can diagnose you here but it does sound like hypothyroidism might be a reasonable consideration...that can cause the type of extreme tiredness you mention and its so common in women. If youre worried can you get a private test?

Its not unreasonable to have to wait until January for a non urgent appointment...people finding suspicious lumps are being offered similar timescales.