To have a face to face doctors appointment for this?

[itchyelbowsandswollenankles]

I have a patch of what I think is eczema on my elbow. It turned up in the last heatwave and was a small dry patch on my elbow. It’s grown over the last three weeks and it’s now quite big, red and itchy.

I filled in the e consult for my doctors surgery and it’s given me a face to face appointment this afternoon in case it’s anything more serious. I’ve obviously had to tell my boss to book it off, and she’s said she thinks it’s ridiculous to see a GP over something so minor!

AIBU to have booked this?

I agree.

For anything like this I think f2f appointments are needed as it’s difficult to tell in photos.

Like you say, it usually saves time in the long run.

It’s literally what the GPs are there for OP, so I wouldn’t worry about it ‘not being serious enough’.

Sudocrem is great for eczema apparently btw.

We don’t have a pharmacy anywhere nearby or I’d have done that 😕

Same. I’ve lost stones and my legs are lovely and slim and I’ve got some bogging rash on my lower legs so I feel uncomfortable showing them off. Good luck at your gp appointment.

I mean I would have probably gone to see the pharmacist rather than a doctor personally but it’s each to their own and it’s none of your bosses business what the medical appointment for.

Do you suffer from eczema in general? It’s not just something you randomly get and it clears up and never returns. It could be contact dermatitis which would require a GP before it escalates, or something fungal so I’d be seeing a GP myself. IME pharmacists have always let me down - once DH had some sort of infection in his eye and they gave him the wrong drops which after going to GP in the end they said this could have ended really badly if he didn’t get the antibiotics immediately. Twice with my kids they gave the wrong ‘diagnosis’. Pharmacy first is never available because they’re too scared to prescribe. That whole system needs a change.

Now back to the crux of the actual post and not my rant, it was a daft comment from your boss but I’m assuming she’s done just that - made a clumsy comment rather than deny you medical appointment leave? In which case it’s not really that big of a deal…

I wouldn’t have bothered a GP with this, if I’m honest. I think very minor ailments are fine to self treat or see a pharmacist as the first port of call.

Having said that, I still don’t think your boss should ask you medical information, it’s nothing to do with them unless if becomes a problem re persistent absenteeism. Next time, I would just say “I’d rather not say” if they ask.

I’ve been treating it for the last three weeks at home - lots of sudocrem, e45 and the like but nothing is helping. Like I said normally the online form will tell you if a pharmacist is the best port of call, if it had said that I would’ve seen one tomorrow but it said doctor was the better option

You were assessed as needing to see a doctor. End of story

is you boss a medical doctor ?

That's no heat rash. Completely understand why the GP wants to see you face to face. Tell your boss to do one, when she's got a medical degree then you'll take her opinion on board

No, not medical. Three grown up kids though so she likes to think she can comment on stuff like that!

This

And all those pp who are saying you should see a pharmacist 1st are out of order too. Your GP thinks you need a f2f appointment, they are like gold-dust, so go to the appointment that they have given you.

Unless your boss is a consultant dermatologist she should not be commenting. Also I wouldn’t have told her why I was going , just said that’s the way the appointments work.

I would bother a GP with it.
Your boss only needed to know that you had booked an appointment.

Go to the appointment.

So, pharmacy would have been absolutely the first point of contact for this. If it's more sinister you would have been redirected to the GP but pharmacists are highly trained professionals who don't just dole out Calpol...

YABVU not to have showed this to a pharmacist first.

like I said, they’re usually very good at directing to the pharmacy if needed.

They still triage and view any photos sent in.

I doubt they suspect anything sinister, just a potential infection that needs to be seen.

Pharmacists can be great but can’t necessarily offer oral antibiotics when needed, only topical treatments for possible eczema, rashes, impetigo etc.

Looks like a bacterial/fungal rash to me.
I had one - very itchy.

AI reckons contact dermatitis, shingles (unlikely since you've had it a while) or a fungal infection like ringworm. I'd see the doctor.

Yes! My first thought was that your boss sounds completely unreasonable. (And that’s the polite version)

There's buggerall minor about eczema when someone has a flare up. It's so itchy it's dehabiliting and demoralising and can need checked to ensure there's no other infection going on.

Hard to tell from the photo but has a look of ringworm to me. Could also be discoid eczema.

Either need prescription only treatments, so the gp will be the best placed to help.

Your boss is a weirdo for commenting.

You can start psoriasis at any age.

But the pharmacy should have been your first point of contact - great that the GP usually would redirect you there, but the online triage is like when they send an ambulance for indigestion, pharmacy should be the go-to before GP.

You've been applying creams for 3 weeks and only now made an appointment to see the GP rather than make any time in the last 3 weeks to get it looked at.

I personally think it's ridiculous but my arm has to be hanging off to go GP. Some shop bought cream would suffice

Because it’s worsened overnight, the first picture is last night and the second this morning.