NHS whats happened?

[Sheepshanks]

Teddy Lop said:

111 worked! Took the best part of an hour waiting and being asked silly questions but they booked a Dr at my surgery to call back following day at 11:20. As I'm working in a basement with zero reception I pop up at 11:10 and spend an hour waiting... Give up and resume work, only for phone to surprisingly ring 20 mins later. After a couple of mins Dr states this is not suitable for a phone appointment, I need to book a physical appointment and come see him. I ask how, he mentions reception like he's not even aware of the situation?? I point out the impossibility, he then says can you come now. Like right now. Well no, I'm at work and have a fuse board off the wall, can we do later. No he's busy. Tomorrow? No he can't. Eventually agree on 4:30.

I had a nother incident of my wife being able to get me an appointment when I'd have probably just shrugged. She called 8AM and was only 4th (normally it would be into the teens) in the queue. Got through quickly, asked for an appointment for me and was told "all gone, try again tomorrow".

Words were had and miraculously an appt was available with our usual doctor at 10.20.

I wonder how many people who aren't comfortable with being pushy are just falling through the cracks.

[Teddy Lop]

Sheepshanks said:

Teddy Lop said:

111 worked! Took the best part of an hour waiting and being asked silly questions but they booked a Dr at my surgery to call back following day at 11:20. As I'm working in a basement with zero reception I pop up at 11:10 and spend an hour waiting... Give up and resume work, only for phone to surprisingly ring 20 mins later. After a couple of mins Dr states this is not suitable for a phone appointment, I need to book a physical appointment and come see him. I ask how, he mentions reception like he's not even aware of the situation?? I point out the impossibility, he then says can you come now. Like right now. Well no, I'm at work and have a fuse board off the wall, can we do later. No he's busy. Tomorrow? No he can't. Eventually agree on 4:30.

I had a nother incident of my wife being able to get me an appointment when I'd have probably just shrugged. She called 8AM and was only 4th (normally it would be into the teens) in the queue. Got through quickly, asked for an appointment for me and was told "all gone, try again tomorrow".

Words were had and miraculously an appt was available with our usual doctor at 10.20.

I wonder how many people who aren't comfortable with being pushy are just falling through the cracks.

Short while ago I spent over a week calling at 8am and 2pm as directed, and constantly redialling immediately before the hour so as to be first in the q. Nothing. All gone. No appointments. Call back tomorrow. Don't care. Call back tomorrow bat 8. Go away get lost. But spoke to 111 this afternoon and they've gone into the clinics system and booked a call with the doc tomorrow at 11:45am. And last time he had same-day in-person availability. So there's capacity it's just getting past the gate guardians.

Mind my surgery seem pretty rude these days, they ignore their enquiry line but leave the queueing system active, so rather than it rings and rings and you give up, you spend far longer "first in the queue" with the illusion that there's something to gain by waiting until you give up.

[fiatpower]

fiatpower said:

Amazed they managed to get an appointment. 3 days in a row I called at opening time just to join a massive queue and when I finally got through got told sorry no appointments, try again tomorrow. Turn up in person and get told you need to call up as that’s the only way to book.

So not long after this I managed to get an appointment however I seemed to get fobbed off as I was in there for like 2 minutes with virtually no questions asked and the blood tests the nurse practitioner ordered covered very little. Got told they'd call me when the bloods came back but unsurprisingly they didn't so a week later I call up to get told the results were back the day after the test with no concerns raised so i'm fine. Great I reply but i've still got an issue so they booked me in for a phone consultation with a paramedic who visits the clinic. 10 minute phone call and he gets me in as he's a bit concerned.

The appointment with him was night and day to the one I had a couple weeks ago and he seemed quite annoyed at the lack of detail that the previous nurse practitioner had paid to me. After 20 minutes with him going through the history, my families history and a number of checks/tests he was completely perplexed as I have all the symptoms of IBS, some for IBD, some for a hernia and then a lot for a form of cancer too. Based on this he's booked me another blood test looking at IBS and IBD (which the previous nurse should have done apparently). He's also referred me to the hospital for an ultrasound on a 2 week wait (or what ever the term is).

Goes to show that the massive disparity in quality occurs even in a local GP! Don't know if it is an age thing as i'm in my early 30's so maybe unlikely for some of these things to happen to. Still not technically seen a doctor yet however I thought the paramedic was excellent and he did go off to check with the practice management.

Edited by fiatpower on Wednesday 22 March 08:55

[Sheepshanks]

Teddy Lop said:

So there's capacity it's just getting past the gate guardians.

I really want to complain about it with our doctors (and sounds like others are the same) as there's no attempt to qualify the call - it's just a flat "no".

Maybe most people do argue the toss, but I'd be surprised.

[Teddy Lop]

Sheepshanks said:

I really want to complain about it with our doctors (and sounds like others are the same) as there's no attempt to qualify the call - it's just a flat "no".

Maybe most people do argue the toss, but I'd be surprised.

Yeah there's no triage or interest. Just flat "no apts, call back later/tomorrow". You could replace them with a machine.

Doc I spoke to Monday instructed me to make another appointment in 2 weeks. I said can you make an appointment as I can't. No he can't apparently. So who the hell is making appointments?

[djc206]

Teddy Lop said:

Yeah there's no triage or interest. Just flat "no apts, call back later/tomorrow". You could replace them with a machine.

Doc I spoke to Monday instructed me to make another appointment in 2 weeks. I said can you make an appointment as I can't. No he can't apparently. So who the hell is making appointments?

It really doesn’t help having to go through your GP for everything. I’m lucky, my GP surgery is quite good and when I phoned up a few weeks ago to ask about a vasectomy I was told I needed to speak to my GP and a telephone appointment was offered within about 10 days. Why oh why are they wasting GP’s time on that sort of thing?

I should have been able to login to my NHS app and click on ‘I want the snip’. It would make far more sense to be run through the very limited questions my GP asked online and then following that be referred for the phone consultation with urology before being booked in for the procedure if deemed appropriate. Total waste of time, money and an extremely precious resource. What did my GP bring to the process other than an unnecessary delay? And someone in your position could have had the appointment I’ve just had wasted on me.

[Sheepshanks]

djc206 said:

It really doesn’t help having to go through your GP for everything. I’m lucky, my GP surgery is quite good and when I phoned up a few weeks ago to ask about a vasectomy I was told I needed to speak to my GP and a telephone appointment was offered within about 10 days. Why oh why are they wasting GP’s time on that sort of thing?

I should have been able to login to my NHS app and click on ‘I want the snip’. It would make far more sense to be run through the very limited questions my GP asked online and then following that be referred for the phone consultation with urology before being booked in for the procedure if deemed appropriate. Total waste of time, money and an extremely precious resource. What did my GP bring to the process other than an unnecessary delay? And someone in your position could have had the appointment I’ve just had wasted on me.

Are you hoping to have it done on the NHS? I would imagine the waiting time will be lengthy.

You can self-refer in some areas - random Google page: https://www.msichoices.org.uk/other-services/vasec...

I believe the same sort of thing happens with cateracts.

[Teddy Lop]

djc206 said:

It really doesn’t help having to go through your GP for everything. I’m lucky, my GP surgery is quite good and when I phoned up a few weeks ago to ask about a vasectomy I was told I needed to speak to my GP and a telephone appointment was offered within about 10 days. Why oh why are they wasting GP’s time on that sort of thing?

I should have been able to login to my NHS app and click on ‘I want the snip’. It would make far more sense to be run through the very limited questions my GP asked online and then following that be referred for the phone consultation with urology before being booked in for the procedure if deemed appropriate. Total waste of time, money and an extremely precious resource. What did my GP bring to the process other than an unnecessary delay? And someone in your position could have had the appointment I’ve just had wasted on me.

Yup.

When I first got the gout a few years ago, the process from "ow my fugging foot hurts wtf" to blood test confirming it must have been a dozen points of contact with the nhs. It could have been 3, "but that's not how the system works".

[KAgantua]

Its crap.

My GF had a blood cot and operation on leg a few years ago, now on blood thinners.

The GP changed her medication downward, as some sort of experiment. She started getting pain/ dizziness/ coughing blood which she has had before with dosage revisions.

Went to GP for advice/ tests they told her to go to AE for a blood test/ book a (Camera down throat thing)

4 hours in AE, doctor there just laughed at the GP and booked the tests for her.

I despise the GP system in this country and AE must be tearing their hair out at the slopey shouldered crap they are burdened with from them.

[W124Bob]

My experiences over the last two years are a complete opposite to many on here, my surgery use AskMy GP. I've written first thing in the morning and been in front of a doctor by mid afternoon. On one occasion I received a return phone call almost before I'd put the laptop down, my fathers surgery on the other hand is very poor to the point were they made no alternative arrangements when their only nurse had a 2 week holiday.

[djc206]

Sheepshanks said:

Are you hoping to have it done on the NHS? I would imagine the waiting time will be lengthy.

You can self-refer in some areas - random Google page: https://www.msichoices.org.uk/other-services/vasec...

I believe the same sort of thing happens with cateracts.

The wait times around here are relatively short I believe. A friend had it done recently and his wait was only a few weeks.

[KAgantua]

Ringing for an appointment. On hold. Waited about 10 minutes, lady answers 'Hello is there anybody there?' As I start to speak, she cuts me off!

Gets the call waiting times down I suppose.

[M1AGM]

My wife went to see the GP this morning, discussing a referral to the skin cancer clinic…..60 weeks for an appointment.

60 weeks.

[KAgantua]

M1AGM said:

My wife went to see the GP this morning, discussing a referral to the skin cancer clinic…..60 weeks for an appointment.

60 weeks.

Sorry to hear that, they are awful.

[Brainpox]

M1AGM said:

My wife went to see the GP this morning, discussing a referral to the skin cancer clinic…..60 weeks for an appointment.

60 weeks.

Doesn't sound right, all suspected cancer referrals are sent under 2 week wait. Might be worth clarifying with the GP.

[M1AGM]

Brainpox said:

M1AGM said:

My wife went to see the GP this morning, discussing a referral to the skin cancer clinic…..60 weeks for an appointment.

60 weeks.

Doesn't sound right, all suspected cancer referrals are sent under 2 week wait. Might be worth clarifying with the GP.

Is that the official line? Even if you believe that just think for one moment how that would be achievable with the massive waiting lists we now have and the lack of clinicians.

She was told that is the backlog and that is the wait. She asked ‘what if they look at the pictures and think its urgent/bad?’, GP shrugged. He said 60 weeks was the minimum wait, and that she could be waiting longer.

[Brainpox]

M1AGM said:

Brainpox said:

M1AGM said:

My wife went to see the GP this morning, discussing a referral to the skin cancer clinic…..60 weeks for an appointment.

60 weeks.

Doesn't sound right, all suspected cancer referrals are sent under 2 week wait. Might be worth clarifying with the GP.

Is that the official line? Even if you believe that just think for one moment how that would be achievable with the massive waiting lists we now have and the lack of clinicians.

She was told that is the backlog and that is the wait. She asked ‘what if they look at the pictures and think its urgent/bad?’, GP shrugged. He said 60 weeks was the minimum wait, and that she could be waiting longer.

Yes it's the official line, if they tick the right box - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/guide-to...

If you're on the pathway you should been seen by a specialist within two weeks. Any diagnostics required should happen within 2 weeks of that first appointment.

There are fines for Trusts not meeting cancer targets (£2k per patient I believe) and all Trusts employ a large number of patient pathway co-ordinators within each specialty whos job is to minimise the number of breachers.

Lack of clinicians is not relevant for cancer targets - the NHS is struggling with everything but cancer takes ultimate priority due to government targets and fines. A 60 week wait isn't right if the GP genuinely thinks there is a risk of cancer so I'd strongly suggest questioning them about it.

[Sheepshanks]

M1AGM said:

Is that the official line? Even if you believe that just think for one moment how that would be achievable with the massive waiting lists we now have and the lack of clinicians.

She was told that is the backlog and that is the wait. She asked ‘what if they look at the pictures and think its urgent/bad?’, GP shrugged. He said 60 weeks was the minimum wait, and that she could be waiting longer.

Fairly recently my wife was seen by a dermatology consultant within the week for an odd area of skin on her leg.

For balance, the same hospital completely ignored another referral by a consultant treating her elsewhere who wanted an opinion before he did an operation. I couldn't for the life of me get through to anyone sensible and we ended up going private as time was critical.

[M1AGM]

Brainpox said:

Yes it's the official line, if they tick the right box - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/guide-to...

If you're on the pathway you should been seen by a specialist within two weeks. Any diagnostics required should happen within 2 weeks of that first appointment.

There are fines for Trusts not meeting cancer targets (£2k per patient I believe) and all Trusts employ a large number of patient pathway co-ordinators within each specialty whos job is to minimise the number of breachers.

Lack of clinicians is not relevant for cancer targets - the NHS is struggling with everything but cancer takes ultimate priority due to government targets and fines. A 60 week wait isn't right if the GP genuinely thinks there is a risk of cancer so I'd strongly suggest questioning them about it.

Ok thanks for the info, will ask her to push back on it.

[Sheepshanks]

M1AGM said:

Ok thanks for the info, will ask her to push back on it.

I think the two week thing is just called Fast Track. Maybe there was some reason why she wasn't put on that, but if so, the reference to "cancer" seems odd.