Talk to your doctor

[robbelg]

Today's news is a shortage of HRT medicines, the advice is "talk to your doctor".

In other news the average wait for a non-urgent doctors appointment is over 2 weeks

Almost every week a news item about health ends with "If you are concerned about this talk to your doctor"

Almost every week there's an item about waits for appointments.

Rob

[UncleEbenezer]

So what's new?

'Twas about November 2007 when I had a medical emergency, and for the first time in my life needed an urgent appointment. It was over two weeks back then.

Though to be fair, when I had a similar issue in March 2015, they saw me the same day and sprung into action. It's a lottery.

[Dod101]

To state the obvious, if you had a medical emergency and you had to wait two weeks to see a doctor and you are still with us, it obviously was not a medical emergency. And medical emergencies are supposed to be dealt with at A & E or by calling an ambulance. That is what they are there for.

Dod

[supremetwo]

Today's news is a shortage of HRT medicines, the advice is "talk to your doctor".

In other news the average wait for a non-urgent doctors appointment is over 2 weeks

Almost every week a news item about health ends with "If you are concerned about this talk to your doctor"

Almost every week there's an item about waits for appointments.

Rob

Yes, and it will create even more shortage as patients will be panicked into ordering their repeat prescriptions now even if they have a month or so left.

[UncleEbenezer]

To state the obvious, if you had a medical emergency and you had to wait two weeks to see a doctor and you are still with us, it obviously was not a medical emergency. And medical emergencies are supposed to be dealt with at A & E or by calling an ambulance. That is what they are there for.

Dod

It was a sudden loss of eyesight. Seemed urgent to me.

Second time it happened, I was more relaxed about it, having recovered once. The NHS weren't: they insisted it was absolutely urgent.

[bungeejumper]

Not that it's always clear that you've got a medical emergency.....

Seven years ago, I had a dose of flu which turned into a disgustingly bronchial aftermath (naaah, you don't want the details). And while I was waiting patiently for the bronchials to clear up, I started getting short of breath. Should I demand to see my GP urgently? No, I decided I'd let it run its course. It was only a flu leftover, after all......

Another week, and I started getting pretty bad pains around my chest. At which point my wife dragged me into the local small-town community hospital, where they wrote an urgent note to my GP, and four days later I got seen! Into the main regional hospital for an X ray the following day, and they said they wouldn't let me go home. Straight into a respiratory ward.

Oh sh1t. I had advanced bacterial pneumonia, of the kind that tends to kill people, and a sizeable chunk of my nearside lung had already rotted into holes. And there was I, uncertain as to whether I had a medical emergency or not?

As you'll have noticed by now, they didn't let it kill me. I am lucky enough to have great big lungs, so there was plenty left to do the job, and it still does. But the next time I start to worry that I'm being a bit precious and that maybe I shouldn't bother the doc, I'll remember where being polite and stoic and reticent nearly got me.

BJ

[Rhyd6]

We are so lucky with our doc. I can phone for an appointment at 9.00am and usually be offered one the same morning, definitely the same day. Our Doc. makes great use of her practice nurses and her receptionist is a trained nurse so when you phone she acts as a triage nurse. Several of my friends have changed to this Doc. as their surgery was always overcrowded and an appointment could take at least 12 to 14 days. She will also arrange a phone appointment if you need to talk something through which is especially useful as we're several miles away. No complaints from this patient.

Last year, NHS Wales tried to force her to amalgamate with a larger practice but the outcry from her patients soon shot down that idea, there was even talk about going to the papers if they didn't withdraw the pressure on her.

R6

[Dod101]

UE

Maybe my comment was a little glib; sudden loss of eyesight would certainly get me to a doc somewhere the same day.

My practice is a bit like the report of the lady doctor. The receptionist does a bit of triage (is that possible?) and if you can convince her you will get a phone appointment from a doc that morning and if he deems it necessary I can be seen that day at the surgery. I think a lot of the problems from GPs are lack of organisation and no doubt in some cases simply a lack of doctors.

Dod

[UncleEbenezer]

I'll remember where being polite and stoic and reticent nearly got me.

BJ

If it hadn't been for your missus dragging you ...

And there in a nutshell is why married men have longer life expectancy than singles. The time that "yes, dear" really mattered was the antidote to all those that were a waste of time.

[Itsallaguess]

Surprised that no-one has mentioned the 111 number yet, as it's not just a binary choice between a doctor or A&E any more -

NHS 111 is a new service that's being introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services in England.

You can call 111 when you need medical help fast but it's not a 999 emergency.

NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help, whatever the time.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.

When to use it -

You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it's not a life-threatening situation.

Call 111 if:

• you need medical help fast but it's not a 999 emergency
• you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
• you don't know who to call or you don't have a GP to call
• you need health information or reassurance about what to do next

http://www.choosewellmanchester.org.uk/ ... 1-service/

Cheers,

Itsallaguess