Doctors Appointments

My GD had several lumps come up on her neck last week.My D rang the surgery to get an appt for her only to get a recorded message to go online and describe the symptoms.
Having done so the reply was to ring 111 or seek medical help.
She was then asked to take photographs and send them online.
Having done so she was prescribed a/b’s with advice to get back in touch in 3 days if they didn’t start to go down.
What a very unsatisfactory state of affairs.
How on earth does an older person with no access to the internet manage.
There must be some very worried people out there.

My surgery doesn't do e-consult.

I made a fuss and eventually had HbA1c and full bloods done. After another fuss, I got hold of a paper copy of my results.

The HbA1c is quite high and there's a note to "discuss with doctor". I want to change one of my diabetic medications and have been trying for six weeks to get any kind of appointment. The online booking service has been suspended, the surgery doesn't do pre-bookable appointments. My only option is to ring at 8am and get in a phone queue. I've tried almost every morning for six weeks and haven't been able to get an appointment.

I also need a retinopathy check urgently, but they're not happening.

E-Consult does not always work on all devices, the one at our GP practice only works via a Laptop or Desktop computer, it will not work via a Phone or Tablet, which is silly, as many people do not have secure access to this type of device of their own. Many routine clinics have been abandoned altogether, including our Asthma Clinic and Diabetic Clinic, togther with all the checks for Diabetic Retinopathy and Podiatry testing of feet and circulation. Yet they recomend that Diabetics should never attempt to cut their own toenails or remove corns and callouses without using sterile instruments and proffesional knowledge of how to do this safely and propperly.

Well done Trendy! x

Keeping positive as always Bluesky x

Trendy You can't do anymore, not long to wait x

Yes it is bluesky I’m just carrying on as normal eating healthily drinking plenty of water and waiting for my thyroid biopsy results at the end of the week, and hoping the antibiotics I did take have done enough

Oh Trendy it's pot luck at the moment more than ever! I'm not sure but I'm guessing the antibiotics gave me this horrendous stomach or at least it gave me a flare up. Don't know what to do for the best do we?

I might add I wasn’t seen by dr first or second time of ringing,

Having had a thyroid biopsy late aug and voice being affected so I was having job to speak I phones my GP receptionist took details, and a nurse phoned me asked symptoms I told her, was given a very strong antibiotic for 7 days, ( I wasn’t checked over) to cut long story short, I had horrendous side effects almost immediately but tried to pursue only could manage few days,saw pharmacist who said, ring your dr Monday she / he should change your antibotics, which I did this morning, dr wasn’t having any of it, won’t give me different ones so I’m left with nothing, said my voice sounded better, had I got a temp? But no I never did have one, but what did I think! I told her exactly what my feelings were that I was given 7 days and completed 3, I was told by nurse to complete the course, and I was concerned that I hadn’t gone half way, and I’d like enough so that I could finish the course, but we don’t want you to be antibiotic resistant she said, it ended by her saying if you seenm to feel worse over the next few days then ring back up and will consider more antibiotics,

Does your Dr have an e-consult service? I have found that if I desperately need to have a consultation, the best thing is to email them via their e-consult, and explain the problem. The couple of times I've done it have resulted in a phone call from Dr and in one case a face to face consultation.
It's much easier than trying to get through by phone. Plus you have your request in writing for the doc to see and prioritise.

It seems that GP surgeries (certainly around us) are going to be the last places to re-open fully, yet the one place people need the most! My poor 80yr old mother in law has skin cancer and on two occasions has had to go and stand in a queue outside her doctor's actual window, for him to see and talk to her through the glass! My daughter's expecting her first baby, yet she has to queue outside until she's called in to see the midwife - despite teaching in a secondary school all day and mixing!! It's a sad state of affairs. I know the surgery staff carry on their lives as normal once their day job is over. Crazy times!