What the hell do you do when you just can’t get a GP appointment?

[Anniessongs]

It’s a horrendous system.

I am 43. I’ve had back troubles for years but my last pregnancy exacerbated issues to the point I could barely walk. I am now also having issues with one knee being incredibly painful and I’m struggling to live a ‘normal’ life.

You can only make appointments at 130 on a Friday. Normally I’m at work then and you can be on the phone for hours. I’m actually on maternity leave at the moment but you just cannot get through. I’ve tried going in but with two small children waiting for hours isn’t feasible.

The only thing I can think of is to go private but I don’t want an online appointment! Does anywhere offer a system where you can actually SEE someone?

It annoys me greatly when people are moaning about NHS this and NHS that.

My doctors are not like this at all. I can get an appointment by calling or by emailing.

Change GPs if you are unhappy. GPs are private companies, if you are annoyed, move surgery and they can have your NHS money.

Well, I didn’t want an argument about physios! Surely it’s obvious what I wanted - I say it in the OP, re private appointments and face to face. My older child has had a private GP appointment a couple of times but both times were virtual.

It is literally laid out in the first page; I honestly have no desire to sound argumentative here but honestly ‘what do you want from this thread’ usually translates into ‘I’m in a strop because the OP hasn’t done as she’s told.’

The OP wants a GP appointment. End of!

I don’t care what you do. I was just trying to help. I have had many an occasion where I’ve not been able to see a GP at my practice, so I’ve gone to the urgent care centre in Derby and seen a GP there. They have done the necessary referrals. I have also gone direct to a physio before who has ordered diagnostic procedures. But there was no point me telling you about that.

I'm not in a strop. Suit yourself if you want to waste time/money. Not sure why you've come asking for advice.

It is the same in my area. Just sharing this again as most areas do this now. You do not need a GP appointment.

Do NOT see a physio (and definitely not an osteopath!) until you have had a proper diagnosis. Damage can be done in this way - serious damage.

You need to see a doctor, and, if he/she deems it necessary, have proper scans to establish the cause of the problem.

The principle of diagnosis before treatment seems to be going out of the window - it beggars belief!

I am afraid you need to insist on an appointment with your GP - it is your basic right. If you have to kick up a fuss, then kick up - not what you need with little ones in tow.

If needs be contact 111 out of hours and say it has suddenly worsened. Round here they will then make you an appointment with a group of private GPs to whom my practice contribute. They are open 24/7.

It is utterly iniquitous that one needs to be stroppy or devious to get basic care.

And this is why the GP system is fucked. People swing a GP for an issue which a physio could solve including referral for imaging. But no, the OP wants to see her GP who hasn’t had half the training a physio has had in MSK issues.

Time we started billing people for such stupiditu

Physios assess and have more knowledge to assess this kind of thing than a GP.
It is extremely unlikely to be cancer without other symptoms such as unexplained weight loss.
Or go to urgent care centre who can also assess.

I'm amazed at what I hear of these difficulties in seeing a GP. I live somewhere in the UK with a low population and the process for GP appointments is:

• phone in the morning (no specific time, no rush) and get through in 3 rings, max.
• get offered an in person appointment within hours.

For all this angst can't you just travel to a BUPA / Spire / whatever providers you have?

Talk to reception you may be able to go to a physio directly pretty fast. We have “ first contact physio “ ie not referred by gp that have availability within a week. They can treat and also have direct access to scans etc

Go private. There are private clinics that do face to face appointments. They are not cheap though.

@Mischance Physios do not just treat, they assess and can order diagnostic tests such as x rays and MRIs. Physios working for the NHS are extremely well qualified. Private physios can be more hit and miss.

1. call the surgery and explain your problem. They can over ride the system of only being able to book at a certain time for genuine reasons.
2. Self refer to nhs physio. They will listen to your story and make sure you get a gp appointment.
3. If those fail you could either complain to the practice manager or go private.

I don't understand this. Have you rung them and checked that? The number is 01246 565050.

Tbf, if I were telling the world that my surgery was useless and I had this specific thing that was wrong with me, that would be too much information out and about alone without also tethering all my other posts for good measure.

Do you mean me?

I haven’t had surgery.

@kittensinthekitchen , I’ve given away quite a lot on this thread, my exact (small) area and GP surgery. I think a name change is reasonable but report to MN if unsure.

Edit sorry I’ve just realised you meant my gp surgery.

I don’t think they are useless and they have always been very good about getting appointments for my children. This particular issue has been trying. I will see a private GP, I realise a few of you seem to very strongly feel this is wrong but it’s what I feel most comfortable with.

I think you've misunderstood my point, which is that it's understandable that you have name changed given the amount of personal information in the thread, including your gp surgery.

I did misunderstand - sorry!

Physics Dan often refer for x-rays if there is suspected arthritis.

No problem.

@Anniessongs It could be osteoarthritis setting in. Apply ibuprofen gel on the knee. Flexseq is an ointment that lubricates the knee joint you could start using that. The ideal thing would be to lose some weight and also do some knee strengthening exercises - lots of physios have videos uploaded on YouTube.

Ok OP. Final note, then I'm giving up. You want to see a GP. You complain about lack of appointments. Part of the problem is that people aren't going direct to the appropriate clinicians. This is why GP's are implementing "straight to" services. Ergo, you are part of the problem.

In other countries, you have an eye problem, you go to an optician. You have a skin problem, you go to a dermatologist, an ear problem, an audiologist, a muscular skeleton problem, you go to a physio. This is how a modern efficient specialist led system should work, and how our NHS should evolve.

As someone who lives with chronic knee pain (injury which caused damage which could not be seen on an x-ray) I'm going to tell you how your NHS GP will treat you. You will have an examination, be advised to lose weight and will be referred for an x-ray and physio. The wait for physio will be months and unless you have significant damage the x-ray will be pointless. Once you have been assessed by the physio and had 6 sessions of physio if there isn't any improvement you will be sent back to your GP with advice for you to be referred to orthopaedics. No idea how long that wait will be, if they accept your referral... That's how the NHS deals with knees unless you arrive in A&E with your knee in pieces.

I bypassed this by self referring (and self funding) a visit to the local private 'knee specialist'. I paid for an initial consultation, an MRI (which was 2 days after the consultation) and if the follow up meeting surgery was booked. Surgery was as successful as it could be but I know that the knee needs replacing (that will be £8000) and my consultant wants to put it off for as long as possible. I can't have it replaced on the NHS yet as I'm not old enough 🤣

So your best course of action is either to go to a private GP, a private back or knee specialist or see what a private physio has to say on the subject... The knee or back consultations will be more expensive than the GP!