It has taken me over 2 weeks to get to see you!! This is often the first line I hear as I call patients from the waiting room of my surgery. This is often followed by a conversation of how difficult it is to get a GP appointment, or an appointment with the GP you …
It has taken me over 2 weeks to get to see you!!
This is often the first line I hear as I call patients from the waiting room of my surgery. This is often followed by a conversation of how difficult it is to get a GP appointment, or an appointment with the GP you want.
So, what can you do when you can’t get a GP appointment?
Firstly, it is hugely important to ensure you are registered with a GP in the UK. Your GP provides you with care for when you are ill, helps to manage chronic health conditions, arranges referrals to specialist teams, and provides public health services such as immunisations and cancer screenings.
Surgeries are open weekdays, from 8am to 6.30pm, with some surgeries often offering limited evening and weekend appointments, which are mainly pre-booked. Most surgeries will have dedicated clinicians for emergencies that present on the day.
Remember this when you need help urgently on the day.
However, appointments are limited and surgeries are not open round the clock, so if the Duty team can not fit you in, or if the surgery is closed wheat next?
Pharmacies & Opticians
Pharmacists are trained to manage several minor ailments. There will often be a consultation room in the pharmacy to have a private chat. They can also advise on medication you can buy over the counter to help yourself initially. They can advise on when you need to escalate your concerns and what worrying features you need to look out for.
Some high street opticians now offer Minor eye conditions services and can advise on eye concerns. Pharmacies are also offering additional private services such as wax clearing and private immunisations.
Urgent Treatment centres (UTCs)
Locally there are UTCs in Southampton, Lymington, Gosport, Petersfield and Portsmouth. They would often accept walk-in appointments, so there is no need to prebook. They have x-ray facilities so can manage minor injuries as well as minor ailments.
They are open daily, and often for long hours from 8am to late, often after 8pm, so can be helpful for weekend appointments and evening appointments. They will often have some prebooked appointments which can be accessed via the 111 service.
Andover has a Minor Injuries Unit, which is similar but only operates weekdays and deals with injuries only.
NHS 111 Service
The 111 service is a 24-hour medical advisory service available free of charge. You can call 111, of fill in a form online or access the advice through the NHS app. The service also directs you if a different service would be more suitable. It links into urgent care services such as A&E, the ambulance service, UTCs, GP Surgeries, Mental health Crisis teams and the Out of Hours GP service for further support.
Out of Hours (OOH) GP service
Once your local GP surgery closes at 6.30pm, the OOH GP service opens and continues, on weekdays, till 8am, and throughout the weekend. The service provides help via the telephone consultations, clinic appointments and home visits. They can also issue emergency supply of medications. The service is accessed by calling 111.
Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments
The local A&Es are at Southampton, Winchester, Basingstoke, Salisbury, Bournemouth and Portsmouth. As the name suggest, they manage the highest levels of emergencies, and as such are open 24/7.
Long waits for everything!
So, for all these services, there can be long waits, and this is becoming a feature of the NHS, so do choose wisely, so you don’t wait in a queue for the wrong service. Look after your self where you can, access health advice from appropriate services only.
