Doctors Appointments

janiebquick

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?

One of the reasons is that GPs are calling us in for these extra visits!

I have rheumatoid arthritis and have had it for around 30 years. All that time I have been looked after by a consultant at the local hospiatl. Then, out of the blue, I got a letter from the GP asking me to make a double appointment to 'review my arthritis'. It's nothing to do with my GP! What a waste of everybody's time!

Francesanne

lulu_92 wrote: »

I ring as soon as the surgery is open and I am more often that not stuck with the busy tone. Once I get through all of the appointments are gone. It's only a small surgery with only 2 GPs. I'm frustrated because every time I manage to go I get met with "what do you want me to do about it?", which doesn't really help.

I have managed to see doctors in the past three months but have been told by one doctor that they couldn't give me an examination at that surgery and by another that they don't know what to do about my problem. After begging them they said they would be referring me for an ultrasound appointment, which never happened. When I got admitted to A&E with the pain a few weeks later I was given an ultrasound right away.

Am I not allowed to be frustrated at the whole situation? My pain was agonising on the way to work but what could be done on the middle of the a50 in rush hour. I had to deal with it until it subsided.

Think I would have made for the nearest A&E Department if the pain had been that bad.

lulu_92

Francesanne wrote: »

Think I would have made for the nearest A&E Department if the pain had been that bad.

I'm an awkward person. I'm one of those people that doesn't like to make a fuss that much. The kind of person that "everything is fine, don't worry about me" I knew to ring 111 first, and after she shouted at me I was too scared to go to A&E. In hindsight I should have just gone.

Luckily (or not so luckily, depends how you look at it) I'm still in pain so going to the doctors tomorrow before work. I'm hoping they do something about it because I don't get up before 6:30am for many things!

duchy

Gigervamp wrote: »

I agree with your partner Duchy. If it was life threatening, you'd go to A&E. As a week is too long to wait, then you need an emergency appointment at the GP surgery.

Erm in that case you don't agree with him...... He'd have dragged me up to A&E if he'd had his way.

duchy

Nothing has really changed though.
My Dad had to wait two weeks for an appointment for tests as he'd been getting chest pains on and off. On the day of the appointment I called the surgery and cancelled the appointment . He'd had a massive heart attack two days earlier and didn't survive.
This was twenty years ago.

lulu_92

I'm so irritated but there's not much I can do about this:

When I booked the appointment I asked for their early commuters appointment. Receptionist then said "is 6:30 okay?" to which I replied "is that AM?" and she said yes.

Got there and the surgery was closed. Rang them at 8am and they said that it was for 6pm and they are never open that early - so I asked why another receptionist told me it was for the morning?

Oh well, no harm. Receptionist wanted me to have a phone appointment but I know that my doctor likes to poke and prod me within an inch of my life and you can't do that by phone :rotfl:

Hope everyone else is all peachy