Cant get a doctors appointment these days........

[ICEQUEEN20]

Luckily I rarely need to go to the doctors, but had a swollen eye which happened very quickly in the night and caused it to close shut, throb and swell up. I went to a local pharmacist at 8am and he said I needed a doctor to look at it urgently. Waited for my doctors to open at 9am and the receptionist told me I could not be seen today as there were no appointments left and they close at 1pm. I told her what the pharmacist said and she recommended I go and wait in the local "drop in medical centre" a few miles away, and just sit and wait to see a doctor. I did this and waited for 2 hours to eventually see a nurse who then had to get a doctor to see it and prescribe me drops. WHAT is the actual point of being registered at a Doctors when you cant every get in to see him when you need to? May as well just go to the drop in centres as and when needed........?

[Ankou]

that is the point of drop in centres.

any doctor should be able to give you emergency advice, it doesn't 'have' to be the one you are registered with.

[mumsie_wumsie]

Sometimes these doctors receptionists think they know best when it comes to giving you an appointment. It would be different if they were the one in pain!!! In my experience with them, you have to call their bluff, doctors usualy have 'spare' appointments for emergencies.

[Sqad]

"Drop in centres"...."NHS direct" "A&E".......a lot of expensive nonsense.....all you need is a health care system that is flexible.

The NHS has no slack in it at all.

You have my sympathies.

[ICEQUEEN20]

This has happened loads of times at my doctors with other family members, the receptionists actually tell them to wait until they are closed and ring the emergency doctors out of hours and go there. SO the doctors has lots and lots of patients and new people joining all the time hence making it impossible to actually see him and get fobbed off with drop in centres......

[roxie_09]

No I know what you mean, I needed stitches out a week after having them put in, rung the doctors to make an appointment as told
To, but didn't have an appointment for 2 weeks! Had to get a nurse I work with to take them out for me x

[Ann]

Our largish practice is getting much worse lately - its usually 2 WEEKS before you can get an appointment. A lot of the lady doctors are young Mums so only job-share and quite a few more are away on Maternity leave. My (male) doctor is often away "on courses" or just "leaving at 12 today!" Luckily they operate a brilliant "doctor will ring you back" same day service, so if its just a quick question, they will ring you and can be dealt with quicker than attending the surgery. No good in IceQueen's case, glad you got it sorted, but it sure was some hassle!

[Dee Sa]

Walk centres are usually good but you have to wait your turn unless you can wait until 30 mins before they are due to close if you go then you will be surprised how fast they deal with you.

[ICEQUEEN20]

Ann a few years ago my husband ripped a muscle in his shoulder was in agony and could not get into our doctors that day or the next day, but the doctor rang him and prescribed him strong painkillers over the phone that had loads of warnings on them and made him really ill.. hallucinations, could not speak or function properly - luckily he only took 1 instead of 4 that day.....prior to that my husband was lucky to only have to visit him 5 years previous AND still could not get in to see him. Joke.