Guilt Free Railing 18

[WouldBeGood]

Will it ever end?

You can make either a bookable phone appointment at my GP, which is a couple of weeks away, or an emergency same day phone appointment. They problem is where you don't know if what you're calling about constituents an emergency. Especially with the kids. In my eyes, most ailments that affects my children are the most urgent, immediate emergency. I'm not sure the GP would agree though.

I think this one area where it seems to be pretty universal across the UK in that some GPs have a much better offering than others but the overall situation is pretty poor. A colleague in England has had 3 bouts of what she believes is chicken pox in less than a year, coinciding with her covid vax, she's finally managed to get a blood test but is struggling to get a f2f with GP.

On the day appointments are a PITA.

I got antibiotics easily for a urine infection on Monday. I went to the chemist and had a phone consultation with the pharmacist.
I was a bit annoyed about it at the time, wondering why on earth they couldn't see me in their wee room face to face.
I was also a bit annoyed about others potentially overhearing me on the phone (being asked about stinging urine and painful vulva!) So I sat in the car.
Prescription done straight away and had antibiotics about 10 mins later.
Probably just as well I didn't get a consult in the wee room as I tested positive for covid that night.
The services will continue to be limited until we get rid of all the isolation requirements and stop testing.

Would definitely recommend going to the pharmacy for minor health issues though. It was quick and easy.

That’s helpful, @SymbollocksInteractionism, I didn’t know pharmacies could prescribe.

Hope you’re feeling better

Thanks, it is really handy. I knew you could pop in with kids for creams etc but didn't know that pharmacists could assist with so many other minor issues.
I googled and it came up with the chemists in my area and all the services they provide.
Most provide a UTI service, who knew!!

So much quicker than going to the GP then having to take the prescription to the pharmacy.

@Lockdownbear

On the day appointments are a PITA.

They really are. I need an appointment for DD who had a lump on her eyelid, which they'll need to look at obviously. But they call at any time of day, so is she supposed to miss a day of school waiting for a zoom call with the doctor?

It's nonsense.

@SymbollocksInteractionism I feel your pain, I had to discuss my thrush while standing in the corridor outside my office, with random tradesmen going past...

@IKeptYouLikeAnOath

Eeek! Just what you need eh, not so bad if it's a sore throat or similar. Not great having to discuss vulva problems with folks lugging in!!

Take your DD to the chemist, they will most likely be able to help.

Yes I think I will try that first actually, good idea!

Pharmacist are really helpful. And we should make more use of them.

But Doctors abs the on the days thing is OK if your WFH but how are people who work outside the house meant to manage.

Our GP changed to on the day appointments about 5/6 years ago it is a real pain.
LO was about 2, he'd had 3 days in hospital with a wheeze, the hospital gave me a letter for GP and said to get a follow-up appointment with GP in 5-7 days.
So on the way home I nipped in to GP, to drop letter in and book appointment - aw naw you need to phone on the day - wtf - a bit of pressure and she eventually booked it for me be seriously how easy would it be to just ignore and just not bother.

I try to use pharmacists but the last few times I have been told I need to see the GP for definitive diagnosis, or because the pharmacist wasn't willing to give me creams because they weren't strictly for the condition I had (despite the fact that another HCP had recommended said cream).

Our GP isn't letting people in either, but they are generally OK for making phone appointments on a convenient day in the future for routine things (medication reviews etc). Everything else seems to be on the day phone calls with an indication (but no guarantee) of which hour it may be in. Annoying enough for me at home, but it must be a nightmare for people who can't just drop everything for the possible hour window. Though I suppose in the past you'd have had to take the time off to go to the surgery, so it's six of one...

I've just got a slowly building list of things that I think I should see someone about at some point, but it's not urgent so I don't want to take an emergency appointment, and can't guarantee to be available for the entire day anyway. A pharmacist may be a good call - even if just to say whether or not it's something I need a GP for, and what level of urgency

Can I a a moan about motorway gantry signs? You know the digital message signs, yesterday on the M74 stuck in a massive que, because traffic was diverting from the M8.
Normally you'd expect the signs to say Slow for 5 miles or something relevant to the jam your in. No not yesterday Get your booster vaccine
Seriously the M8 was closed for hours yesterday. They'd changed some to say the M8 was closed but didn't say how long the jam was on the M74 RRRRR

Oh, that's so unhelpful lockdownbear! What's the point of that. Hasn't everyone got their booster now anyway?

Oh, god, @Lockdownbear a big yes to the fucking sign railing!

Aargh. Noticed it as soon as we came back from England at new year and again today on the 74.

I don't even mind when they have covid messages when nothings happening, but they are there to warn of closures and ease frustrations when people are stuck.
14hrs of closure and diversions and the signs were banning on about covid.

Nothing is more important than covid to the SG

Ibrox the latest stadium to have fans with anti SG restrictions signs: No science, only tyranny, fuck the SNP” 🤣🤣

Hahaha she's really not cutting it with the Rangers crowd is she

And the Celtic fans the other week!

Oh that's even better, the football fans on both sides. She must be fizzing,

Ha! She's going have to send Jason out to do his cheeky-chappie-one-of-the-lads footie thing to get them on side... Not sure it'll work though.

Celtic and Rangers fans both against the SNP - quite something to have these groups united, takes a special kind of dictatorship. Makes a nice change from causing division I guess 😂

SG hates football fans. That ridiculous 'criminalising football fans for fuck all act' (I'm not sure that was its official title) proved that. The only reason they're back in stadia is because of the rugby.