To be furious that I can't get to see a doctor until 5pm Monday

[drivinmecrazy]

Started getting pain in my outer ear yesterday. Didn't want to make appointment to see doctor straight away because I wasn't sure if it would go away. Last night and this morning the pain is horrible so phoned surgery and explained I was in pain, but still no chance of seeing anyone til Monday.
This has really peed me off because i only ever go to doctors if I am really ill, whereas some people I know go at the drop of a hat.
Now i have to spend week end in pain because some bloody jobs worth receptionist doesn't give a shiite

ask for an emergemcy appt if it is that bad

or go to a walk in centre

Can't you get an out of hours app after the surgery is closed this evening? If you call them once closed there should be a tel no on their answering machine to call for out of hours.

Phone back and explain that it is an emergency and you need to see someone today. If they can't then ask to be refered on to the local A&E - usually then you get offered a chance to hang around at the end of surgery.

Phone docs, say you are in extreme pain and must have an appointment today.

ring back and demand a home visit! that usually does the trick

or as others have suggested emergency apt.

drivinmecrazy, you have the right to see someone within 24 hours if you really need to. I suggest you ring them and point this out

I was sent a questionnaire to complete by our local health authority and it said this on the back

that is really annoying. if your gp office is anything like mine, the receptionists are actually professional guard dogs and will not give you anything unless you kick up a fuss. i would ring back and demand to see the doctor today just don't take no for answer. i know it's an upleasant approach but needs must. another option is to phone nhs direct and they will prob direct you to a walk-in centre, if you don't already know of one.

they breed dr receptionists in test tubes somewhere.

def ring back and ask for emergency. if not, wait til surgery closes and get out of hours appt. they are usually much easier to get (where i live anyway).

threaten to go to A&E
Drs get fined if too many non-emergenct cases go to the hopital.
sorry for typo = bf ds2!

That is bad. I didn't know you had to ask for a referral for A & E?

I had a nasty bout of cystitis a few years ago a few days before I was due to go abroad. Couldn't get an appointment in time and by the Saturday morning (I was flying on the Sunday) I knew it wasn't going to go away and would ruin the holiday so I went down to A & E and explained my predicament. They treated me and it was fine.

I know it wasn't an emergency but no point in suffering in silence. Perhaps they could at least give you strong painkillers??

Hope it gets sorted.

Sorry your ear is sore. Earache sucks.

Take some paracetamol then Call them back and ask if you can speak to a doctor or nurse for advice or if they can call you back. Most practices will have someone doing triage and will be able to decide whether to slot you in somewhere or if it can be adequately treated at a walk in centre - they can then give you the address.

When your ear is better take some time getting good and cross with the government that spouts nonsense about waiting times but won't provide the money to pay for it and the people who abuse the service. "whereas some people I know go at the drop of a hat." rather than the GPs that are seeing usually 40-50 people a day plus paperwork and home visits and the receptionists that have probably been sworn at shouted at and threatened already this morning. (I work at a GP practice and the most enlightening morning I spent was on the reception and doing the phones - the random abuse was shocking as most of us would never speak that way to anyone (and I'm sure you didn't).

Good luck getting it sorted.

I think that you would be reasonable to ask for an emergencty appointment.

Asking for phone advice from the nurse is also a good approach, as then you are actually talking to a human being who would be able to ask you to come in for an emergency.

I wouldnt go to A+E for this, it isnt appropriate, which means that you will be waiting a long time to be seen.

Go to your hospital, my doctors wont do home visits and they insist that you drag your contagiously ill child out of bed and to the surgery.. they are paid overpaid and underworked if you ask me. In the meantime, stick your feet in hot water to take the blood from your head to your feet, and use a salt compress for your ear, you heat some salt up in a pan and then wrap in a cloth and pop on your ear, that helps. Or you can try warm olive oil on a cotton bud.

Also, just wondered... Which painkillers have you already tried? Never had bad earache but had chronic toothache no so long ago and Nurofen plus was fantastic, stopped the tears until the dentist could whip the tooth out!