I was appalled to read that very many of Britain’s GP Surgeries are either closing, have closed or are under threat of closure! I can’t imagine anything much more catastrophic myself – it will be pretty catastrophic for hospital A&E departments too as everyone will switch to those instead! 38 Degrees have started a petition on it anyway – please consider signing it here…
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Become harder and harder to see our GP too. I had to resort to going down there and throwing a strop when I had a blood clot. I knew I probably had one as I’d had one before. Couldn’t get through on the phone at all. To give them credit they did see me as an emergency at that point and send me straight to the hospital.
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Wouldn’t you have been better to go straight to A&E? I did when I thought I had a blood clot at work one night…
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Canada is going through similar problems. Not enough General Practitioners. Often to get seen by a doctor one must go to the Hospital Emergency Room. Lisa and I have a family doctor, however to see him is a minimum of a 2 week wait. That’s ok for prescription renewals or having precancerous skin lesions removed. If we have something that requires a doctor sooner, like an infection, it means a trip to the hospital and a long wait of at least a couple hours and probably more like 5 or 6 hours or even longer. Of course, non emergency surgeries, such as hip replacements are a long wait. I read the average wait is 183 days, but that seems conservative. I know people who have waited more than a year. Some people make the trip to another country such as Mexico or the US and pay for the procedure.
Your post prompted a good discussion between my co worker Jack and I . If you recall, I have mentioned Jack on my blog. He is from England and a finer young man would be hard to find. Last Friday Jack hit himself in the head with a post pounder and I had to take him to the hospital where he received 6 staples to close the gash. The wait was only about two hours. Enough time to discuss your blog post. Jack was fine, by the way, he said he was more embarrassed than anything.
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My God! poor Jack! That sounds horrendous.
Your wait times sound similar to ours but, if we do lose a lot more GPs and GP surgeries close, they will go up dramatically.
I didn’t know you could have pre-cancerous lesions removed – do you mean like melanomas and pre-melanomas? Sounds a good idea anyway. I keep an eye on various marks on my arms and nose which often look like that kind of thing – they’re not changing though so I’m hoping they’re okay.
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I think the term our doctor uses for the pre cancerous skin is Actinic keratosis, which if untreated could possibly turn into skin cancer. Both Lisa and I have had to have many spots removed.
Jack is doing better, he has been on light duty. Very difficult for him as he is a hard worker.
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Thanks for that – I’ve had a good Google to see if I think that’s what my patches are. They’re usually perfectly round and don’t stand up from the surrounding skin at all – rather they look like slight depressions. The one on my nose itches a lot but I have to admit I’ve had it for many years now and it doesn’t seem to be changing much.
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I’m getting used to being appalled every day now by the myriad of issues this country seems to be being subjected to. Services are being spread way too thinly and we seem to lurch from one crisis to another. I’ve taken to signing lots of petitions lately, more than I ever have before, and I’ll gladly sign this one too. Well done for highlighting it. May it be swamped with signatures and inserted somewhere it can’t be ignored! 😉
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Love that last bit – that really made me laugh!
I think we’re turning into a third-world country – we’re certainly going back in time and not progressing forwards like we should be!
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😉
I agree though, I reckon it’s backwards all the way nowadays.
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Done!
I agree with Bob, ALL services in the UK are being eroded!
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They most certainly are – the country is really going downhill fast!
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I wasn’t sure whether to say it when I made my comment but you said it for me: we are turning into a 3rd world country. Perhaps those countries we send aid to will return the favour! Apologies to you on airing my beefs on your wonderful “adventures” blog, it’s just that EVERYTHING seems to be wrong & I see no sign of hope or positivity anywhere on the political stage. Perhaps I’m just getting too old for this game! 🤔😉🙋♂️
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You’re certainly forgiven – I feel exactly the same as you do!
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Not just doctors… it’s all services UK wide that’s been hollowed out to the point of collapse. An 8 week wait to see a dentist for me. Most of our other essential services struggling to replace staff that’s left. Endless austerity measures and cutbacks to councils every year. Makes you wonder where all the money goes when we are supposed to be one of the world’s top economies… but slipping slowly down the league table every year. From 5th to maybe 9th during the last decade as far as I can discover online. Bob. BSS.
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We really are becoming a backward, 3rd world country – and all due to the powers-that-be! I think nowadays, you’re lucky to have an NHS dentist at all as so many haven’t and are resorting to DIY dentistry – horrific!
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[…] Save Our GP Surgeries (UK) […]
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Done.
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