why is it so hard to see G.P

emmaBZ

OH HAS been suffering with his knee, achy, and stiff. ( since Friday...)...last night it was swollen all over knee cap and surrounding area.....called docs first thing and the earliest appointment is Fri !!! spoke to a doctor on phone who advised me to tell him to rest ( no kneeling & bending ) it as much as poss.....easier said then done...OH is a electrician....so always kneeling & bending anyway just wondering if others have this problem trying to get an appointment ....?:mad:

reehsetin

wanted to see a gp about low blood pressure and they dont have appointments for 2 weeks atleast hard for me to book that far in advanced - ill go one day

ckerrd

Hate to say this and not being smug, but longest I have ever had to wait is no longer than 24 hours. Most times I can phone before 9am and have an appointment the same day.
And this is in the centre of a large a city.

laurajayne

Mine's a nightmare too....

Forever calling to be told that I can't be seen until at least next week.

Worse at the moment though, after having a second op for pilonidal sinus I have to have daily dressing changes at the surgery during the week, and district nurses at the weekend. You wouldn't believe the problems I have getting these appointments...they don't seem to understand what daily means.

My fave is when they ask why can't I change my own dressing...

a) (for those who don't know) a pilonidal sinus develops in your natal cleft...ie the very top of your bottom (where the coccyx is). I can't bend in half and twist 180 degrees lol.

b) The wound must be packed with aquacel, so that it can heal from the bottom up, and no matter how hard I try...I can't do it lol.

So, I feel for you, I know what it's like lol.

Nicki

Do you have Walk-in clinics where you live or is this just a London thing? (not part of your normal doctors surgeries but free standing NHS clinics where you walk in and are seen without appointment). Designed for exactly this kind of thing, not suitable for long standing conditions or conditions where you're likely to need follow on care - eg pregnancy.

Oldernotwiser

Our doctor only has appointments that day, it's booking appointments for a week's time that's the problem. I thought that this way of doing things was a new government scheme.

Toothsmith

emmaBZ wrote:

OH HAS been suffering with his knee, achy, and stiff. ( since Friday...)...last night it was swollen all over knee cap and surrounding area.....called docs first thing and the earliest appointment is Fri !!! spoke to a doctor on phone who advised me to tell him to rest ( no kneeling & bending ) it as much as poss.....easier said then done...OH is a electrician....so always kneeling & bending anyway just wondering if others have this problem trying to get an appointment ....?:mad:

Don't mean to sound argumentative here, but you have spoken to a doctor, and your OH has been given some sound advice.

If you saw the doctor face to face in his office, it would still be a case of telling your hubby to rest it as much as possible because that is what will heal it.

The fact he's an electrician doesn't really make any difference - and in fact it's probably all the kneeling and bending that has caused it.

Joints feel the strain sometimes, and there is no magic bullet that can make it go away. It just needs to be rested.

A bit of Ibuprofen might help too, and some ice packs, but it needs rest.

mishkanorman

my docs have a policy that you cant book in advance, so if i need a regular non-emergency appointment for something that i need to go back for further treatment for, i have to call at 8;30 in the morning and see what is available for the next 48hour period. If i cant go when they have to offer i have to go through it all again the next day.

If my oh needs to take time off work he has to take the gamble he will be able to get an appointment.


toothsmith,

i also dont mean to argue but if its more than usual bending strain ie an absess, then seeing the doctor would be beneficial rather than waiting days in agony. I only say this because when i was 16 i had the top of my ear pierced and after 2 days was in severe (self inflicted) pain. I got an emergency appointment with a locum GP who dismissed it as the usual infection after a lecture about wasting needed emergency slots, i eventually lost half my ear after 3 operations, 1 of which were done in A and E . If i wasnt given the flippant attitude of its just the usual i would not have gone through all that.

mishka

angel

My doctors is wonderful. I can see a nurse practically anytime, often they say come right now. If it's an urgent thing then I could usually see a doctor that day or at least get a call back to discuss it and get advice. If I need to see the doctor about something longstanding then I make an appointment for about a week or so ahead. We have a drop in centre too in the middle of Croydon which is good for out of hours. Then our local hospital run a rota system that is staffed by local GP's so I could go there too!

Thinking about it we're very lucky here.

hardpressed

laurajayne wrote:

Mine's a nightmare too....

Forever calling to be told that I can't be seen until at least next week.

Worse at the moment though, after having a second op for pilonidal sinus I have to have daily dressing changes at the surgery during the week, and district nurses at the weekend. You wouldn't believe the problems I have getting these appointments...they don't seem to understand what daily means.

My fave is when they ask why can't I change my own dressing...

a) (for those who don't know) a pilonidal sinus develops in your natal cleft...ie the very top of your bottom (where the coccyx is). I can't bend in half and twist 180 degrees lol.

b) The wound must be packed with aquacel, so that it can heal from the bottom up, and no matter how hard I try...I can't do it lol.

So, I feel for you, I know what it's like lol.

Have you told the nurse who does your dressing that you're having touble getting a daily appointment? She should be able to have a word with who ever makes the appointments and make sure they give you an appointment every day.

hollydays

This is a subject that interests me too.I was fairly ill and failed to be able to book an appointment on the automated system.I rang the surgery and was told no appointments till 4pm.Although i didnt say i needed the appointment right away,neither was I told I had an option.When i later queried it I was told "you should have asked".Well I thought I did!
Has anyone got any opinions on this?