Doctors appointment

I've given up and see a GP privately. I was already a private patient with consultants so it wasn't too hard a decision. It's not right, it shouldn't be happening but those of us with multiple issues cannot continue waiting for an appointment - sometimes up to 8 weeks. It was becoming dangerous to keep going with NHS practice. (ie. emergency hospital admission for hypoxia, pneumonia and with sats of 65 due to inadequate care). What have we saved for anyway? What price our health?

Why is the phone at eight in the morning still going If you live on your own and feel ill it makes it all worse and then if you are finally through it's all the appointments have gone phone tomorrow Then there are people working how do they get forty minutes to wait when at work Why has Starmer shown any concern about this people want to go back to the old supportive system where you could get an appointment

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I am a dreaded GP receptionist. GP appointments 3+ weeks, nurses 2+ weeks. Our area has an out of hours GP hub, we manage to book about 3 appointments on the day, have up to 5 on the day appointments for the GP on a 1st come basis.

I rang on Monday morning (due to rectal bleed)- 14th in line but I didn’t have to wait long. Appointment given for the ‘Open Clinic’ - between 2-4pm. Didn’t have to wait there either - seen at 2pm. Excellent service ..

Our GP surgery has an online form patients can fill in at 8am, like a triage service. I've used it several times (it's far better than waiting in a call queue on the 'phone). I used it yesterday about a cough and wheezing I've got. Someone texted me 5 minutes later to say it was being looked at, then a GP rang me at 8.20 and offered me an appointment for 10.20.

Our surgery uses consult and it is very good. I have completed it several times now and usually a doctor will call you on the same day. If it is not urgent a receptionist will call and book me an appointment with either a doctor or a nurse practitioner it may mean a wait but if it’s not urgent there is nothing I can do. Sadly this is how things are now like everything else doctors are stretched to the limit.

My Husband fell down in the shower and could not get up I got several towels to cover him as he said how cold
he was and then phoned my neighbour. He could not lift him,so I telephoned 111. When the ambulance arrived the ambulance man was very cross with me and said that I should have dialled 999 because it was obvious he had heart surgery.

sodapop

I must say that I do have some concerns about receptionists being allowed to ' triage' patients by phone. A very unsatisfactory state of affairs in my opinion.

How else do you want a stranger on the telephone, to determine the nature of caller's need for treatment , the urgency, and whether it requires a doctor, a nurse or an HPC ?