GP Priority for unpaid carers NOT

Been feeling very ill this week, bad cough, runny nose, temperature and wheezing.
Just feel lousy.

I rang up my GP as very worried, keeping me up at night, coughing wheezing, and getting through bottles of cough medicine.

But NO Appointments until next week.

But i have a low immune system AND i am an unpaid carer, i think it could be bronchitis?

There is just no flagging to say look this patient might get worse, end up in hospital.

Or that if i can’t care, then will have to get substitute care, hundreds of pounds.

So what now likely i need antibiotics, can’t get them without a doctor.

Its all in the papers that people are clogging up A&E well thats because they can’t get a doctors appointment.

If you are ill/disabled you need fast access to the GP otherwise you get worse end up in hospital costing the NHS and the government money.

But you just cannot access the GP.

Change my GP, its not about changing the GP, managing peoples long term chronic conditions so they don’t get worse, but no one does that.

And for people with low immune systems give an emergency prescription, thats what my previous GP did, it is just typical you get ill over a bank holiday, where access to the GP very difficult.

But why are GP surgery’s closed, weekends and bank holidays, your illness does not go away during the weekend?

Hi @Londonbound
It is shocking that patients can’t get an appointment with a GP sooner than a week, unfortunately with the additional problems of covid, waiting lists are longer than ever.

I suggest you ring the out of hours number for your surgery, someone will call you back and may advise you to attend the out of hours clinic if you are able to. If you aren’t well enough to attend a clinic, make sure you tell them that.

I know how you feel. Last year my hubby had a heart attack, picked up at A&E, after two weeks of trying to get a doctors appointment for ‘chest-symptoms.’ We are supposed to be out of lock-down, yet nearly all GP surgeries prefer to maintain an arms-length service. It’s disgraceful.

What I do now is ask to speak to the practice manager (every surgery has one) or i email her directly. She contacted me about a formal complaint I was making. Try this at your surgery, it may help. I hope you feel better soon.

Londonbound wrote this in March 2021 and has not been active in the forum since May, I do remember his posts and hope he’s OK.