To think this GP appointment date is outrageous

[Imdunfer]

DH is waiting for a hip replacement. He's in serious pain, walking with crutches and we are paying to get it done in early August. He's prescribed max strength cocodamol and it's not enough. He's been told he has to book a GP appointment to be prescribed anything stronger.

And the earliest date available is August 10th.

They are contracted to offer you an appointment within 2 weeks. Complain to the practice manager.

Emergency appointment?

Is that the next prebookable appointment? Can you ring to get an on the day one? Or send an e consult in?
if that’s the date you’ve been given after an e consult then if you are England based you could ring 111 and say he’s in a lot of pain , they have some appointments they can book into . It’s actually really difficult to get on top of arthritis pain , if you can’t get any help have a word with the chemist to see if he suitable for anything to be added in

Why not ask private surgeon to prescribe?

Yes, this.

If under private care, why are prescriptions not being sought/ included? (We have paid for many private prescriptions when using private care over NHS for speed of treatment.)

Unfortunately nothing except the hip replacement is going to work for pain control here. Even if you had the GP appointment tomorrow, they aren't going to be able to offer anything amazing for the pain.

Are they? Where does the contract say this?

Yeah everything is broken. DH has been off sick for 6 months. Urgent referral made in February this year because he couldn’t leave the house, watch TV, work, cook… he was in so much pain he wanted to die. The specialist appointment was for August and that was urgent.

We had to go private. He’s still very unwell but doesn’t want to die. The NHS would’ve left him to rot.

Hi - can you explain that please? Google isn’t helping me.

Early August still seems far away. I would call and ask them to put you on a waiting list for any cancellations.

My surgeon was getting through six hips per day on his surgery days and so it might be able to be done sooner, if you ask.

Yes and apparently a good many GPs can’t get jobs. Our practice is rammed with prescribing nurses for almost every situation. Thanks Streeting.

I doubt very much that the GP will prescribe anything stronger than codine. Normally need a referral to the pain management team for anything stronger

Is there walk in or urgent appointment. At my GPs it’s 6 weeks for a booked appointment but you can call 100 times at precisely 8am and try for a same day one.

Unfortunately though, there is unlikely to be much more they can do :(

Hi I was in a similar position waiting for a hip replacement with bone on bone. The pharmacist advised me to take paracetamol and ibuprofen together. It was way more effective than the codeine/co codamol tablets I had run out of. I was amazed. Please check first with your pharmacist in the event your husband is on other medication/has health issues. Good luck

There are complications doing hip replacements with a pacemaker, there has to be a cardiologist present. That's the earliest date everything can be coordinated, its already been moved to its third hospital.

His pain relief situation is complicated by other health conditions, it's a whole body management issue for the GP.

Pure codeine and cocodamol are not the same thing. You can get codeine in a higher strength which a GP can prescribe.

Ring 111 - they may be able to prescribe for you via a telephone consultation with one of their GPs or get him an earlier appointment with his own GP or practice pharmacist if there is one .

I agree with pp that there is very little that can be done for the pain. My mum was left to suffer for years because the surgeon didnt believe she was old enough to really need it. She was 51 when he finally did it, only to say "ohhh Mrs Susan, you really dod need that doing didn't you". It was a very good job she was high on meds or I think she'd have lynched him.

The GP can also only prescribe certain pain meds. What is needed is an urgent referral to the local pain clinic, as they can prescribe much stronger options. Their waiting list is likely to go way beyond his operation date but might be worth a punt, especially if you have the option to go private.

Is he allowed to take NSAID’s? If so Naproxen or Celecoxib are great and would work well combined with cocodamol. I’m assuming he’s on 30/500mg? I’d be tempted to hit up his private surgeon or the secretary and say you’re getting no support from GP and he’s seriously suffering.

And yet we keep getting told the NHS is the best health service in the world. Aye right.

Can you not phone in the morning and do the morning scramble? Prebookable apts at mine are about a month or so in advance but there's always apts available if get through in the morning. Good luck OP.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/23/stop-training-medical-students-demand-doctors/

The BMA knows that it's doing.

He needs an emergency appointment and he needs to specifically say emergency appointment he's been given the next routine appointment