Can’t Blame People For Going To A&E

[naomi24]

My insurers told me to get a letter of referral from my GP to a private specialist for an ongoing and very painful problem. First appointment just to speak to GP to ask for said letter - over four weeks!

Called a private GP who called me back within an hour. Five minutes after the call ended I had my letter of referral. Appointment with specialist at a private hospital early next week. Mad!!

I can really understand why A&E is so badly abused and misused. Shameful service from the NHS. It hardly inspires confidence. Just saying.

[barry1010]

I emailed my GP for a referral for ENT to get my nose cauterized. Two days later I received letter from hospital telling me they will contact me with an appointment.
I'm blessed with my GP

[Old_Geezer]

Ability to achieve a standard of service seems to have been dropping for ages. I think the idea is that everyone consults a pharmacist instead. It all needs a good shake up, but the fact is they have to start getting basics right first. Which means not relying on immigrants and agency to fill roles.

[Zacs-Master]

No Govt will ever have the money to overhaul the NHS. It must be dawning on even the most die-hard NHS advocates that parts of it must be privatised.

[naomi24]

Over four weeks for a telephone appointment just to ask for a letter is crazy - it really is. There can be no excuse for that.

[barry1010]

No, I wouldn't be happy with that. As for going to A&E as an alternative, my area has walk in minor injury units and urgent care units open until 9.30 pm which are excellent for things not serious enough for A&E

[Zacs-Master]

'Over four weeks for a telephone appointment just to ask for a letter is crazy - it really is. There can be no excuse for that.'

The fact that you have to have a letter rather than your GP, or another member of your GP staff, being able to send an appointment request is the problem here. GP computer systems aren't apparently compatible with the NHS Systems, apparently.

[naomi24]

No one should have to wait over four weeks to speak to a GP on the telephone. That, to my mind, is a dereliction of duty.

[mushroom25]

// Over four weeks for a telephone appointment //

round here we dream of being able to make an appointment - our GPs won't accept requests for appointments. All you can do is have their number on speed dial and keep hitting "last number redial" repeatedly from opening time at 8-30. if you get through before 8-33 you might get lucky. if not, all you can do is try again the next day, there's no recourse to any alternative. not sure what you're supposed to do if you're seriously ill.

[naomi24]

You can’t make an appointment at all, mushroom?

[mushroom25]

// You can’t make an appointment at all, mushroom? //

that's correct. appointments cannot be made.

[naomi24]

That’s disgraceful, it really is. Just not good enough. I think I’m just about to go on a mission! People shouldn’t have to put up with that.

[bhg481]

Here in West Berkshire we've really had no problems. We rarely need the doctor but in the last few months we've had a couple of problems. On all occasions we emailed the surgery, got a phone appointment reasonably quickly which led to a face-to-face within a week. In August my optician said my cataracts needed doing and referred me to my GP; within 2 days I had contact from NHS offering several choices for a hospital. The one I chose had appointments within days but I had holidays booked so waited a month; by the end of January both eyes had been done.

[david small]

Well done naomi24 for circumventing the atrocious shambles of our so called health service. I wish you well.
Banging pots and pans to support the dire NHS now looks rather foolish. Root and branch of this bloated corpse needs burying. But, replace it with what?

[naomi24]

But why is this happening, David? Have GPs suddenly been inundated with far more patients than they can deal with - and if so why? - or have they got used to the easy life Covid provided for them and can’t be bothered to work? It wasn’t like it before Covid. What is happening?

[barry1010]

500 GPs quit last year, Australia and NZ are actively recruiting British GPs which is aggravating the situation.

[MissTerious2]

I have decided that next time I have any serious concerns aout my health I will go direct to A and E. Its not the right thing to do, and it should't happen. I have a good GP but the system now is awful.

[roopower]

I've rung my Drs three days this week, at 8.30 which is the time they open. Twice I've got through, today at 8.33 to be told they had no appointments left! Good thing it's not urgent.

[William51]

You are right. The NHS is in a bad way and there needs to be a national debate about where the service is going. An idea i have is to privatise it into regional areas, this would create competition and therefore better standards.

[naomi24]

I really wouldn’t blame you, lottie. I’ve always moaned about people who go to A&E if it’s not an accident or emergency - just as I moan about people who go to the GP with a sniff or to get some free medication that they could easily buy cheaply over the counter - I absolutely hate abuse of the system - but this just isn’t on. It really isn’t.

[naomi24]

What will you do, roo?