impossible GP s

[dianesistern]

Hi everyone i am getting increasingly worried by not being able to get an appt with my GP when i need one the system is ring in the morning for appt but cant get through, then when i do appts all gone so have to ring at lunchtime only to be told all afternoon appts are gone, not allowed to book appt for following day or days, so therefore can never get an appt and when you are brewing infection it is imperative to get on antibiotics quickly, this week my bruising due to thrombocytopenia is really bad ime constantly dizzy with skull crushing headaches but no appts at drs so asked for blood test which they cant do until march 13 so just gonna give up and bleed to death

[crocker]

Curtis doctor will only treat his mild infections anything else they just say they wouldn't no what to do and just sent us to hospital to sit for 4 to 6 hours for them to give us antibiotics and sent him home with drugs the gp could have prescribed

[slf]

Hi Diane
That sounds a little alarming perhaps you might try calling NHS Direct,it is a little slow,but far quicker than your GP. If that appointment system is so ridiculous,it would be worth speaking to PALS they can help with complaints like that,they are connected to your local health care trust.
Hope this is helpful,and that you get better soon
Steve

[prickles]

Hi Diane

We have the same system, but I have always been able to get an appointment for Caitlin. Even for blood tests we are always slotted in. I now have a very good relationship with the surgery.

Many years ago when I tried getting a same day appointment I was very flippent after being refused and said that I had better book one for 3 weeks time just incase I am dead - never had a problem since. You could demand that they send a Dr out to you they will normally then find a slot for you to go in.

Hope you can get something sorted.

Sue

[emsy]

Hi Diane

My pregnant sister-n-law has the same problem with her GP. She was in severe pain in the stomach and back and struggled to even walk for at least 2 weeks after a bout of violent vomiting, couldn't get an appointment with GP for a further 2 weeks despite ringing every morning due to a similar system. In the end I marched her to A&E to be seen. She was advised by the consultant who was disgusted by her GP surgeries appointment system, to try the local "Drop-in" GP surgery in future which is open to anyone needing a GP appointment. Do you have anything like that near you that you could try???

Emsy

[mali42]

Hi Diane
At my surgery they have emergency appointments they can fit you in between people,
Your doctor should put that on your notes that you have to be seen as quick as possible because as you know its very important for us to get the antibitics as fast as possible to hit the infection or it will cost the nhs more money if you have to be hospitilised.
its not always easy being assertive when we are ill,
hope it gets sorted soon.
Malcolm

[john]

another thought here is that if you keep your usual antibiotics at home and use them as and when YOU feel the need you only need "trouble" your gp to restock them.
that's what i do and i think most of the other people in my clinic do too.
no point in adding to the stress of an already stressful situation - does no good at all!!
take care - john

[susand]

Yes, I have an emergency supply of antibiotics at home and am told to start them as soon as I suspect there is an infection.
We are also given sample pots so we can take that to the GP for a request form for analysis - although we then have to take it to the local hospital.
As regards the GP, my GP also has emergency slots each day. And if I need to go and see him, they try and give me the last appointment of the morning to avoid too much other patient contact.
Mind you, as I go to the hospital each week I reckon I dodge more stubborn bugs than I would come in contact with in the community!

[dianesistern]

Hi everyone eventually got into see gp and had blood test my patelets were 13 so a trip to hospital was required but was advised that i was at more risk in there than at home so naturally chose the home option, while at docs i mentioned not being able to get appointments and she said that it should flag up on the system that i might eed to be seen sooner rather than later but i dont think that the receptionists understand this concept, i was told when i rang that next blood test appointment was 13 of march but while in there my partner got booked in for the 6th, go figure........ but gp did organise emergency one for me so got ther in the end Diane

[susand]

Hi Diane,

You are not alone in having to deal with receptionists! I've come to the conclusion that we have to get them onside and then life gets easier.
It's a good idea to have you flagged as needing an immediate appointment.
Platelets are 13? Wow - that does seem low. My medics take action when they go below 50. I hope that you are able to sort this out soon.

Take care
Susand

[gilliem]

I've had much better relationships with my GP practice and receptionists [altho' I have to admit that things were never bad!] since I started taking in a small carton of home-made biscuits just before Christmas every year. I do the same with the adjoining pharmacy. It works wonders. Am I sneaky? Possibly, but I'd always rather be greeted with a smile than a frown.
Hope you're a lot better soon, Diane.
Best wishes,
Gillie.

[liz2mac]

oh boy, my husband John was right, I was virtually leaping off my hospital bed about this. I've got some ideas about how we tackle this situation from the top downwards, but I'm going to need some vlolunteers to work on a sub group with me to get this going. Are any of you willing to help with this? If so please will you either message me on this forum or else send me a message at 'A PID Organisations Email'
I do hope you're feeling better now Diane. Thinking of you.
Liz

[dianesistern]

Hi Liz would be happy to help set up something but i am not very competant on the computer but i have plenty of time on my hands, i think the reason my heamotologist is not alarmed by my low platelets is that she treats alot of patients with chemo so is used to seeing very low platelets, i have not got any follow up appointments for this episode so wait and see approach i think. Diane

[willo]

Hi all

if I cannot get an appointment I ask for my GP to call me, calling a patient is part of the system, we talk and he either prescribes or makes an appointment.

I am willing to help but, I must be up front, I suffer from depression and fatigue and sometimes I just can't be bothered. If you still need help and based on what I have said then email me.

[liz2mac]

Hi Willo,

thanks so much for that. I would really like to work with you on this. The organisational problem I have is that the forum and UKPIPS do not share contact details of members. This is because the Forum is essentially seperate from UKPIPS, though we are working totally together. In order for me to contact anybody on the forum personally, we either have to message each other on this board or else you have to contact me at the UKPIPS email address: 'A PID Organisations Email' I am happy to put this address on the forum as it is not my personal email address and is already available on the website. Please don't anybody put their personal email addresses on the forum, it could make you vulnerablle to all sorts of unwanted mail.
Liz