doctors appointment......are you kidding?

[hightara]

son rang up yesterday, he has been unwell with what seems like a chest infection

granted i rang up and got him an antibiotic 

but wanted him to get checked out properly..........earliest appointment (with any doctor in the surgery)

two weeks away

and this is normal............ you could be dead and buried before that

[chickengrandma-2008]

Before 1948 and the birth of the NHS, you had to pay to see the doctor.  If you didn't have 6d you weren't ill enough!!  I bet they had no time wasters then.  If it was a genuine emergency you could get an ambulance and be taken to hospital, but you had to be at death's door first. 

[duck_a_lorange]

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@hansrey64 wrote:

You should not use A&E thats for emergencies only.!  It costs far to much for them to treat you at the ED department.

Thats why the NHS aint got no money!  If the NHS started to charge the ones that waste time etc by going to the A&E dept they would be half empty as too many don't need it.

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Your reply shows that you have not bothered to actually read Stroppy's post.

She has been INSTRUCTED to go to A&E when her condition deteriorates.

Should you ever have an infected wound you will be told exactly the same - you will be given antibiotic pills and told that should there be any redness or fever you are to go to A&E at once, where you will be put on an antibiotic drip.  This is standard practice.  Runaway infections can kill in hours.

[hansrey64]

I do know about infected wounds etc etc,. 

Our GP surgery would treat you and if you are required to attend the A&E they would make arrangements.

I was not aiming at stroppy either - I know that there is far too many people going to A&E when they dont need to.

I had surgery recently and they told me that if there was any redness or fever etc to contact the day surgery unit!! No mention of A&E there.

[duck_a_lorange]

If there is a day-surgery unit and you're told to go there, then that's where you go.  If you're told to go to A&E, then you go there. 

I went to my local minor injuries unit with an infected cat bite, got given pills and was told to go to A&E if it went red, no messing, even in the middle of the night.  

[dr-whos-assistant]

With ours you ring up in the morning for same day appointments a nurse rings you back to assess if you need to be seen I have always been able to get a same day appointment. You need to ask how it works at your doctors because most doctors have same day appointments.

[brynteg11]

my OH went to the doctor on Wednesday and was told to come back today is he didn't fel any better. He started ringing at 8 today  for an appointment (they won't answer before then). When he eventually got through at 9 he was told he needed to ring in the morning to have any chance of seeing a doctor??????

[bitsnknots]

I've been to A & E a couple times.  Once for a sprained ankle and once for a broken ankle.  I've had problems with that ankle ever since.  With my mum, that's a different matter.  She's been rushed into A & E three times in the last 22 months.  She does have a serious heart condition though.  We have been told by Paramedics to ring them as an emergency if she's not well.  At least when I ring 999 for an ambulance, I know some of the technical jargon now.

[ilove2patch]

My daughter has Chrones & has been told by her consuktant to call an ambulance & go to A&E if she gets a bad flare up.

[chickengrandma-2008]

My nephew has crohn's but he lives in Canada so I suppose you have insurance there so can get an appointment when you need it.  I bet the insurance is high because of it!

[guardpig]

We live less than a mile from the hospital. A bit further up on  the high street there once was a drop in/minor injuries centre run by nurses who would treat minor wounds and despatch you up to A&E if you needed to go.  It was very well used.  Now the nearest drop in is 3 miles away and not in a very nice area so anybody who cannot wait until the Docs open goes off to A&E - one of the worst in the country for missing their targets. Shut to save a penny.

As to going to A&E unnecessarily. We have a seperate eye casualty unit.  Wandered in one day like one does and got told to go straight back if I was worried about anything, anytime.  A few years later I went to Doc, who referred me to outpatients with a very non-urgent matter.  Consultant spent 30 seconds looking at eye and 20 minutes reaming me out for not going to A&E.  Now he was deadly serious even though we both knew I'd only have been wasting their time.