Doctors Appointments

Gigervamp

If you're throwing up blood, you need A&E.

I've just remembered something one of my District Nurses told me. She said that if she has trouble getting an appointment with the GP, she tells the receptionist, "Oh, OK. I'll go to A&E instead."

Apparently, it goes on record if you turn up at A&E because you haven't been able to get a GP appt and the surgery gets in trouble, so they then manage to find you an appointment!

Might be worth a try.

lulu_92

Gigervamp wrote: »

If you're throwing up blood, you need A&E.

I've just remembered something one of my District Nurses told me. She said that if she has trouble getting an appointment with the GP, she tells the receptionist, "Oh, OK. I'll go to A&E instead."

Apparently, it goes on record if you turn up at A&E because you haven't been able to get a GP appt and the surgery gets in trouble, so they then manage to find you an appointment!

Might be worth a try.

Yeah we thought of that but then it went down. I think the blood was from trying to be sick when there was nothing in my stomach. I'm not sure, I'm not a doctor :rotfl:

Ooh I like that idea!

[Deleted User]

If you were vomiting blood you needed an ambulance surely?

In Aug 2012 I had what I now know is an episode of a heart arrhythmia. I knew I needed an ambulance, but I wasn't going to call one and then get criticised for it, so I rang NHS direct. They were useless, having asked my name, address, DOB etc, they passed me onto someone else who asked my name, address, DOB etc, and then passed me onto someone else who asked my name, address, DOB etc...........

That went on for half an hour before I hung up and rang the surgery. The receptionist wanted to know why I was asking for a home visit rather than coming to the surgery, so I told her I couldn't stand up. She then told me that the doctor would be round, but not for several hours.

Two minutes later the doctor called me back to say that he'd phoned for an ambulance.

lulu_92

jack_pott wrote: »

If you were vomiting blood you needed an ambulance surely?

In Aug 2012 I had what I now know is an episode of a heart arrhythmia. I knew I needed an ambulance, but I wasn't going to call one and then get criticised for it, so I rang NHS direct. They were useless, having asked my name, address, DOB etc, they passed me onto someone else who asked my name, address, DOB etc, and then passed me onto someone else who asked my name, address, DOB etc...........

That went on for half an hour before I hung up and rang the surgery. The receptionist wanted to know why I was asking for a home visit rather than coming to the surgery, so I told her I couldn't stand up. She then told me that the doctor would be round, but not for several hours.

Two minutes later the doctor called me back to say that he'd phoned for an ambulance.

That sounds like a situation similar to my friend. She thought she was having a stroke and had the classic symptoms for it. Rang 111 who told her to go to her urgent care unit. The urgent care unit rang her and told her it wasn't an emergency. She thought otherwise and went to A&E - turns out it was Bells Palsy.

It was weird. I was sick, and then I'd be sick 5 mins later and the more I was sick the more blood there was. I guess it was due to the retching and stuff but I was stuck in the middle of Stoke on my own and all I wanted was to not be sick anymore. I was a right state. I've not been sick since but that's the last time I took Tramadol. I told my doctor that I didn't want it because codeine made me really dizzy (and I got a terrible side effect - spasm of the bile duct - ugh was horrible) but that fell on deaf ears.

SteveJW

I can offer nothing but praise for NHS Direct and my local doctors

Heart atack in February, discharged a couple of days later, couple of weeks later sweating, clammy, felt terrible. Pain lower left hand side, wife rang NHS Direct, within three minutes ambulance responder and hooked up to an ECG machine, not heat attack. Hospital within 30 minutes, diagnosed with a kidney stone. Never had so much pain, worse than the heart attack.

Doctors appointments, can either book on line, frequently a few days wait to see my usual doctor, or ring at 08:30 for a same day appointment, but have to see anyone, not a problem if desperate to see a doctor. Can never book an appointment more than a week in advance, recently had change of medication by specialist. Doctors surgery rang me saying doctor had received letter from specialist and doctor had written prescription for new medication, but would not renew without seeing me. Would I like an appointment in three weeks time

dodger1

One of the problems with appointments is the increase of use. Watching a programme the other night and apparently 10 years ago on average the population saw their GP three times a year, now it's six times. Now that's nothing to do with immigration or any other population increase, why have we doubled our GP visits in 10 years?

lulu_92

dodger1 wrote: »

One of the problems with appointments is the increase of use. Watching a programme the other night and apparently 10 years ago on average the population saw their GP three times a year, now it's six times. Now that's nothing to do with immigration or any other population increase, why have we doubled our GP visits in 10 years?

It's probably down to scaremongering and people googling their symptoms so they think they're gonna die.

I have had some absolutely amazing experiences from the NHS and some not so much. My GP who I mentioned previously asked me what I think he should do about my health was absolutely fantastic in removing a mole for me. He's ex surgeon and did a great job in my GP surgery.

However when I was referred to hospital both times I had terrible service. Was referred to an acute assessment centre and was waiting for five hours, only to be told that I didn't have appendicitis, which is what I already knew.

The next day when I was kept in overnight I had all of my tests in the morning (pre 11am) and didn't then see a single health professional until 6pm (I was on a private ward on my own) who then said he didn't know why I was in pain so I should go home.

tomtontom

dodger1 wrote: »

One of the problems with appointments is the increase of use. Watching a programme the other night and apparently 10 years ago on average the population saw their GP three times a year, now it's six times. Now that's nothing to do with immigration or any other population increase, why have we doubled our GP visits in 10 years?

I wonder if the rise in mental health conditions is a factor, combined with secondary MH services going down the pan? GPs are left to pick up the pieces with patients that should be dealt with by specialists. The same for those reliant on social care - budgets have been cut considerably so people turn to their GP for additional support. It is an interesting question.

Indie_Kid

dodger1 wrote: »

One of the problems with appointments is the increase of use. Watching a programme the other night and apparently 10 years ago on average the population saw their GP three times a year, now it's six times. Now that's nothing to do with immigration or any other population increase, why have we doubled our GP visits in 10 years?

Probably because we're living longer and people are surviving conditions that years ago they wouldn't have done.

janiebquick

Does your surgery offer online appointments? Mine does and several times I have managed to get an appointment within the hour.