Doctors appointment

We must be exceptionally lucky here. We can usually get a same day appointment if we call in at the surgery. I saw a doctor 30th December. I was called next day by the appointment department for the area trust. I was given an appointment for 3rd January. Due to the snow I had to change it to today but as we are still snowed in I have had to change it to next week, The lady on the phone was very sympathetic and helpful. OH had to defer his appt from 10th to 22nd.. Hopefully the snow will have gone by next week to allow us to get out.

I have a variety of problems, and have never asked to see a doctor unless I considered it very important. Having done 10 years of hospital car service, I am aware of the situation. With my previous doctor we definitely worked together. If I had a consultation but by the time I saw her I had improved I would ask if it was ok to have the prescription but not take it to the chemist for24 hours as I was feeling better, and the doctor would tell me yes or no . I moved and had never met the doctors at this surgery because of the covid situation. suddenly my leg swelled ou a great deal, very red swollen and itchy. in 12 hours could only wear one pair of trousers as it was too swollen to use any of the others. It was friday, and I rang to ask to see someone that day as I did not think it was wise or sensible to do nothing and risk it getting worse over the weekend and did not want to be calling an ambulance in the middle of the night , (I am a widow and live alone) The receptionist was quite awkward and kept saying I should leave it until monday. I suggested she looked at my records whee she would see that I only got in touch when there was a problem. Despite her attitude I did manage to get an appointment to sit and wait etf. Got a friend to take me there as did not think I was safe driving. Was told to sit in the blue carridor, to which I replied this is my first time here , can you point out where I should go. My back is always painful but was even worse than usual, and when the doctor called me it took me some time to walk down thecorridors, Slightly off hand doctor, but I said let me show you first and pulled up the legs of the trousers and the leg looked even worse, red shiny and swollen. His face changed and he asked had I got anyone to bring me, Then went away and returned shortly to say, he had seen that I had my covid jabs and that he wanted my friend to take me immediately to the hospital for intraveneous injections (which I had for 16 days!) It was cellulitis, which I had never heard about and did not know the systems. It took quite a long time but eventually I was ok, BUT the doctor said it was quite bad and a good job that I hadnt waiting until monday. If I had let mself be fobbed off, I could have been in serious trouble and as I live alone if I had fained or collapsed I could have died without any intervention, so the situation now is a very similar one, and have seen a nurse practioner, and she has taken measurements etc, but they have booked me to see a doctor next monday, but had said if it swells further to go immediately to the hospital.

I belong to a brilliant surgery. I put in my request online explaining the problem and have been offered an appointment within an hour. I can’t praise them enough.

Econsult works very well with our surgery. We have always had a callback from a GP within a couple of hours, and where necessary a face to face appointment the same morning.

I seem to live in mythical realm! I phone my doctor, speak to a lovely triage person who puts me on the list for a call. Before 10.00 am usually, a doctor rings me and we’re comer to a way forward together - maybe a prescription, maybe I need to see a doctor or nurse. I set the doctor or nurse the same day. I’m very grateful for this service as you can imagine!

netflixfan - can I join your realm?!

Luckygirl3

netflixfan - can I join your realm?!

It certainly seems like a different world where unicorns prance around in the sunlit uplands!

My surgery has improved a lot in the last year or so. I fill in the econsult form and always get a call back the same day. It's not always a doctor who calls back. When I was having problems with a prescription I spoke to the pharmacist, who was able to sort things out.

Last week I filled in the form in the morning for something I consider minor and not urgent. I got a call from a receptionist asking me to come at 2pm to see the doctor. I assume they had a cancellation, but I was happy not to have to wait.

I live in Northern Ireland where the A&E situation is critical, an ED consultant admitted on the local news last night that people are dying as a result of the conditions in A&E and a spokesman for GP's said this morning that elderly people are now too afraid to go to A&E as they would rather die at home than in A&E. The departments are so overcrowded an ED nurse admitted that the risk of cross infection is high making sick people even sicker. In NI we don't have 111, walk in centres, NHS app or econsult service. GP appointments are extremely difficult to access with a 3 week wait for a call back. What are people supposed to do?

My youngest daughter (36) has severe Endometriosis and she also has a problem her with heart. She was in a lot of pain so phoned the Dr's to see if she could avoid being admitted to hospital and get some stronger pain relief , they said if she could get there in 10 mins the nurse would see her , the nurse took one look at her and called a Dr who decided she needed an ambulance , they tucked her up in the nurses room and either the nurse or the Dr looked in on her every 5 minutes until the Ambulance arrived. They phoned her husband the next day to see how she was getting on. This is an extremally busy surgery covering several large villages, my daughter said they were so kind to her even though they were rushed of their feet .

I chased the surgery at 16:45 as I hadn’t heard from the doctor . I just got a text to say an appointment has been made for 21/01 at 09:30! No discussion at al never mind suitability, no apology for time waited already. I will be spitting feathers by then - I am so angry.

My surgery does that, too.

All day spent clock watching, in case you miss the call, then you don't know whether to phone, or will it look pushy, then... nothing except a text.

No problem, on Tuesday I got a same day appointment due to my leg swelling up and pains good job too
as I had a scan and have DVT

If we fill in an econsult at 7.30am we get a phone call the same day followed by an appointment that day if it is needed.

grandMattie

It’s easier to get an audience with the Pope than get through tithe surgery.
You call at 8am, there are at least 2 minutes of stuff, basically telling you not to call unless you are dead. If you are, go to A&E or call 111.
If you survive the “advice” you are told you are #472 in the queue. By the time you reach #41, you are unceremoniously cut off.
It isn’t possible to book online.
If you go in person, you are told to telephone.
I’m so very glad that I am in good health 🙏🤞

This is exactly like our surgery grandMattie.

They actually don’t want to see patients face to face and are doing everything possible to get you to DIY. Last week I had to weigh myself, check my height and take my blood pressure all in reception area. No chance to ask any questions of a nurse or other staff. Hopeless!

Having read the comments about ambulances I sadly have to agree.

My husband had a severe stroke 10 weeks ago. I dialled 999 as it was happening, told them it was definitely a stroke, they asked a few questions and confirmed it was a stroke.

We have all seen the adverts re Strokes and the message is FAST. I could not have been any faster but we still waited 1 hr 15 mins for the ambulance to arrive! It was terrifying to sit there waiting and unable to do anything other than wait. The estimated wait time for an ambulance for a stroke in this area is 18 minutes. Dreadful service.

I wait 3-4 weeks to see my GP of choice. If I need urgent appointments, I get one on the day.
Ambulances - we waited an hour after my 77 year old relative had a heart attack and collapsed.
We all understand, I hope, the pressure the nhs is under

I am having to wait two weeks for a phone call from the pharmacist.

Iam64

I wait 3-4 weeks to see my GP of choice. If I need urgent appointments, I get one on the day.
Ambulances - we waited an hour after my 77 year old relative had a heart attack and collapsed.
We all understand, I hope, the pressure the nhs is under

So why are they always under pressure? That certainly is not the case where my husband currently is. Staff galore and also in the previous hospital. You almost have to push your way through a crowd of nurses, doctors, HCAs, physios, speech therapists, managers etc to get out.

I think it’s more the way they organise their time rather than staff shortages. I have had over 10 weeks observing things in hospitals.

I needed an ambulance last week, and my neighbour was told it was an 8 hour wait.
The cubicles weren't all taken, when we got there, so I have no idea why such a long wait, since a and e looked to have about 4 people waiting.

I asked for an appointment 10 days ago and have been promised a call every day since, but no response.
Am promised a call this morning before 1 pm. So once a gain am staying in,but not banking on it. 90 minutes to go….

My go would either not phone at all, or phone hours before the arranged time, so I'd be in the bus, discussing my ailments with him!

My partner picked up a prescription from our doctors for blood thinners last week. The young girl in the dispensary took it off the shelf, signed it and gave it to him. No double checking; no counter signature. Have things changed since I worked in a pharmacy. Mistakes can be made even when things are double checked and blood thinners can be dangerous if a dispensing error is made. She was also quite rude to him, too. When he arrived at the dispensary and said he’d come to pick up a prescription she told him to shush because she was counting something. Fair enough but, if that had been me I would have followed it up with a smile and an apology. There was none of that. Standards have dropped so much since I worked there.

With all that experience it’s clear you’re more well informed than the doctors nurses and others who talk about the pressure they’re experiencing

I got my call at last at 12.55 , just 5 minutes before time 🕰️ ran out. The combination of my poor ish hearing and the doctor’s hard to understand accent made things awkward as I had to keep asking her to repeat, so was somewhat relieved after a few minutes of nothing much in particular, the call ended.
The disappointing thing is the call took 11 days of frustration on my part trying to get a response.
So sad about what’s happening to the nhs.