Jobs & Education0 min ago
Can’t Blame People For Going To A&E
58 Answers
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.
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.
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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.
'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.
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.
// 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.
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.
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.
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.
