What is the fastest way to see a GP?

[zendeveloper]

I have developed a health issue (since mid-December). Got blood tests, scans / MRI done during the visit to my home country (and "something is wrong"). I have a private health insurance with a remote GP access, but they referred back to the NHS GP, explaining this looks beyond what they could advise on as a part of the service. The NHS GP, however, have no availability for as long as their bookings are open into the future. I have it in writing now that they will contact me when they have an availability, but honestly, no indication at all of how long it is expected to take.

If I just turn up at A&E with all the paperwork (I have it with me and it is translated into English), will I be seen? Or would calling 111 and asking for a faster GP referral help? Sorry for a stupid question, I did not use the NHS much before outside of the vaccinations and checks for my children many years ago.
Or would it make more sense to go directly to a consultant privately, and ask them to guide me further / refer further through the insurance?

In my area it's to die!
If you die they come straight out to check your dead.
It's ridiculous I've been trying to get an appointment for over three weeks.

@eatdrinkandbemerry wow in our area it took 10 1/2 hours to get someone out to check they had truly died! It was the hottest day of the year too

Sorry OP no advise other than doing private hospitals?

Email the practice manager at your GP practice.

Yes, I would go to A&E or a walk-in centre.

Unless it is an urgent accident or emergency situation, A&E will most likely refer you back to your GP.

I think your options are to call 111 and see if they can suggest anything or ask around locally and see if a different GP practice will accept you as a patient and can get you an appointment sooner.

Try a private gp

You could try making a complaint to your GP surgery. Or do they have an e-consult service? I usually get responses quite quickly from mine, sometimes they call you the same day or issue a prescription straight away and other times they book you an appointment in a few weeks time.

OP are you saying there are no appointments at all for you to book at your surgery? Even on the day emergency appointments?

Ring up and request a same day appointment. You have to do it as soon as they open the phone lines. A&E is suitable in this instance and the likely won't be much help.

Your post is a bit unclear,I think a bit more explaining the situation to us might help…what is it that the gp needs to do? Is it to refer on to secondary care or is it something they need to do in the practise? Have you already been given a diagnosis?

Ps I think a&e would be inappropriate according to what you have said so far.

Can you not do an econsult and attach the paperwork and then your gp should be able to refer you ?

I was gonna say be dead, but in all seriousness I’d go to a walk-in centre, but appreciate not everyone has one nearby.
You might end up seeing a nurse though & last time I went in lieu of seeing a GP, the diagnosis was wrong and I ended up making a GP appt anyway 2 weeks hence, was referred and got scan to confirm!

You don't give much detail. Have you permanently moved from abroad to the UK? It sounds like everything was done abroad? If that's the case it won't be on your record in the UK. If you have paperwork for everything and it's translated I would give copies to your GP surgery so they can be added to your record. If the UK GP needs to refer you they maybe able to do so by looking at your paperwork but I would have thought that you would need to make an appointment with a GP to discuss the issues you've had and why you need a referral as it's them who would be asking for the referral. I work at a GP surgery and we must be one of the few that generally has routine appointments available within 2 weeks or sometimes a week. You could try registering at a different surgery it the wait is too long or going private.

Don't do what I once did - went in there to make an appointment, and promptly passed out in a heap on the floor!

If you have full private medical insurance rather than just a remote GP arrangement then you could get a private face to face Gp appointment.

The private GP will only be able to refer you on within the private sector though.
If you Google Bupa private GP you'll be able to get an appointment this week.

Not everywhere does eConsult. My GP did and then got rid.

I would write a letter to your GP,keep it brief enclose copies of the test results and wait and see.If you don’t hear back after a few days chase it.Depending what is wrong with you you could find a private consultant and pay but you may need the GP permission.No point going to A and E or a walk n clinic.Good luck.

I have moved from abroad to the UK, around 20 years ago. I had tests / doctor appointments done when on a visit back home, having completely lost faith in getting any sort of appointment here. I obviously don't expect the records to be available here, I brought them back with an official qualified translation.
This is exactly what I wanted to do, for the GP to refer me onwards, but there has to be an appointment for that first.

My cover is full, but does not seem to include face-to-face GP appointments, only private secondary care and remote GP via a partner app.

Yes, refer to secondary care, then I can use the referral with the insurance company for the private consultation.

They don't do econsult.

The online private GP should be able to refer you on to a consultant.... what's the point of a private GP if they just say Nah to complex, go back to your NHS gp.

I was also surprised. This is not exactly what they said - rather that the issue needs to be seen in person, and remote is not an appropriate format for this.

@zendeveloper I flawlessly combine NHS, insurance and private doctors

You just see a private GP and they refer you. I had similar to you (had some tests in another country) but the doctor in the other country trained in the UK so he told me who to see. Private GP referred me to that consultant with insurance, saw the consultant, he knew my foreign doctor very well so he took his diagnosis and moved me to his NHS list. From symptom to seeing foreign doctor it was 3 days, 10 days to see consultant privately, about 3 weeks later I saw him on the NHS. insurance will accept any referral from any Gp.7 I have bupa now, but I used to have axa and they are very similar