FML, it's no wonder the NHS has no money.

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I have an issue that is causing me a lot of pain. I know what it is and I know what the treatment is. I've tried all the self management techniques, but I'm still in significant pain and it's been affecting sleep for 3 months now.

I know it's not serious or urgent but it is having significant impact on my quality of life.

I hardly ever use the NHS (touch wood) and being a responsible citizen, checked my GP's website and used their e-consult form to send all the details of what's happened to date, and ask for help.

They text back with an appointment at their "sister surgery" in the evening a few days later. I didn't ask for or want an urgent or out of hours appointment, that's what I was given. TBH I assumed it was extended hours rather than OOH iyswim.

I've been tonight to be told that the doctor (?) doesn't think it can be treated on the NHS but that I should see my GP to check.

So a complete waste of everyone's time and money, when they had all the information he's asked for tonight already. And now I have to start again and try and get a GP appointment, which is what I thought I'd already done.

I know it will be process etc, but what a wasteful process. The cynic in me thinks it might be a way of manipulating figures to show people get appointments within so many days, even if theyre no appropriate appointments.

What does an unnecessary and pointless OOH appointment cost the NHS?

I’m sorry you’re going through this. But I can’t think of anything painful that affects sleep that the NHS wouldn’t treat?

I think GP surgeries must get paid for sending people elsewhere, now when I want an appointment I put on form I want to be seen at GP surgery.

I assume he has assessed you for life threatening ailments and concluded that the cause of the pain is not immediately risky/you don't need surgery.
He referred you back to your gp because it is a chronic condition.

They wanted to see you more urgently Incase of differential diagnoses which would be more urgent. Life limiting pain is an urgent appt.

What is painful but not handled by the NHS? Breast reduction? I can't really think of anything else. Some foot stuff you'd be quicker with a private podiatrist I guess but generally you'd be looking at referrals for most things.
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The urgent appt was to assess if your condition was more urgent based on symptoms, great that you know what it is but many people will think they know what causes their symptoms and be wrong.

They don't.

You GP has referred you back to your GP?

I'm a bit confused OP.

Unless it's something purely for aesthetic reasons, the NHS should investigate/ treat any symptoms.

I hope you get help soon.

Do you expect the GP to agree with you or to look at you without bias and double check that its not what you think and something far more urgent?

You'd soon be on here complaining if the NHS just took your word for it and missed the life threatening condition you might have had.

Which is exactly what happened to my neighbour several years ago, told the GP it was just menopausal issues, he accepted this, treated her based on her opinion, a couple of years later, seen by a different GP who got her an urgent scan, db mastectomy later, her life saved.

They can't win can they? The GP will belong to the same PCN so there is no fudging of figures. They usually do that to get you in asap with the next GP.

Lol. Cancer? Treatment related side effects? Brain tumours? Really, the list is endless.

I'm sorry you're going through this, OP. Check how the condition is treated in other areas, so you already have suggestions to hand when the GP says there's nothing they can do.

Pretty sure the NHS treats cancer.

I have several friends on different cancer pathways all treated on the NHS, with side effects treated and also progression, mets etc all treated by NHS.

I'm not sure most people could access private health for the complications they experience and the holistic support that the NHS can provide

Surely an appointment is an appointment no matter when it is ?

You don't know what all the doctors are doing in your area at any given time. People on holiday, someone new with a batch of free time, cancellation etc. I would have thought they know best how to manage appointment time.

You appear to have self diagnosed, and now you are a time management expert too ?

I agree with you, that it's a box ticking exercise.

I had a call from my surgery yesterday. I used to be able to walk there in a matter of minutes but its moved and is now a 25 minute drive away. The surgery said I need a blood test (I'm on a lot of medication which requires annual tests). I said yes, I know. They then asked if they could book me in. I asked if they had my notes in front of them. Yes. I then said in that case they'll be aware of my cracked ribs, fractured coccyx, sprained knee and both ankles from falling down the stairs, will have the photos and know I can't walk let alone drive for 25 minutes, park in a public car park and walk ten minutes to the surgery.

Silence.

I'm convinced they only phoned to tick a box. And if it was that important, surely a community nurse could pop in to mine when they were on their rounds.

Anyway, the call ended by the surgery saying if there was anything they could do to help, let them know...!

How would a receptionist be able to look at your records and know your mobility ?

As you know what it is, and know how you believe it should be treated, to get this response, I'm thinking you may have told the GP not only the problem, but the therapy you wanted, and were told that particular treatment wasn't available on the NHS? And they still want to see you to check its what you think, check if you can recieve the treatment you're requesting and if not explore alternatives? It's the only way this makes any sense.

If you didn’t want an OOH appointment, why not go back and say that?

The NHS is in a right state, but for some reason they can’t do right for wrong. If you’d been made to wait weeks, you’d be complaining that they weren’t seeing you quickly enough.

Lol…the NHS definitely treats cancer and absolutely treats brain tumours. Where are you in the country where they don’t?

LOL. They definitely treat cancer, and with no hanging around either.

General screening on a Friday morning, back for biopsy on the following Tuesday morning, results and consultant surgeon 18 days later. In surgery 23 days after that.

Surgery, chemo & radio therapy all completed within 6 months. Even covid wasn't allowed to get in the way. The NHS were brilliant. 😍

I should have made that clearer. It is the pain caused by cancer and treatment side effects that the NHS doesn't treat. They don't like treating pain. There's no such thing as "holistic" support.

Edited to reply to @Meadowfinch "no hanging around"....lol. Maybe that's been your experience; it hasn't been mine.

This is utter bollocks. My trust has one of the best pain management services in the country. Most of the patients are either waiting for orthopaedic treatment or are going through cancer treatment.

How fantastic. What Trust are you with? Because in terms of individual hospitals, Kings College Hospital, UCL, GOSH, the Marsden and Guys do NOT treat pain.

Again, they absolutely do.

Nope, they don't.

They do.

I think the NHS leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to pain management, I’m currently undergoing physio for a painful injury but nobody seems interested in stopping the pain, but when it comes to cancer care they are second to none.

The person who called you would not have been able to see that information unless they had opened up a different file. Which they might or might not be allowed to do.
Your health information isn't all on one screen. Calling you about a blood test would not have given them reason to open your file about a different condition.

You made the classic mistake of being very rude to someone low down the surgery chain, entirely unreasonably.

I know what you mean OP. It's good they triaged you for potential emergencies, but the battle to access healthcare has become a nightmare. You used to be able to go to the doctor with anything that bothered you. Now, the most responsible of us weigh up whether we should take up the doctors time with it, and lots of us put up and shut up for ages. When we do go, it seems no-one at the surgery has the time to look over a medical history and join the dots. Last time I went I mentioned pain, fatigue, insomnia, and my anemia. The doctor said 'you've listed four things but only have one appointment, which one did you want to focus on?' I said 'I told you all the symptoms in case they were connected!'. They then acknowledged they could be, and arranged some tests. On a different day I might have said 'sorry, yes let's focus on the pain' and got some short term painkillers instead but not found out what was really happening.