The NHS is crisis.There is not enough money and there are not enough Doctors and Nurses to cope with the patient need and demand. This – and the consequences of it – you can read about in the news on a daily basis.
One of the ways this shows is in the waiting time for an appointment. We really do hate this as much as you do and we are doing all we can to provide the best service and access possible. Here is some brief information produced by our local LMC (Medical Committee) which you may find interesting.
Please don’t get angry with our receptionists or clinicians. Everyone is doing the best they can.
You can help us. If everyone used the NHS responsibily, it would make a huge difference.Please do use our services wisely and use other services as appropriate too – for example the NHS.uk website provides excellent health information and advice. This time of year coughs, colds and sore throats are rife – usually these make you feel unwell for a few days or so and then you recover. Rather than book to see us, please read the advice on nhs.uk and follow their self-treatment advice. It also tells you when to seek advice from a nurse or doctor if your symptoms are more serious.
Your local pharmacy is also excellent at providing help with minor ailments and answering queries about medications. Talking about medicines, if it is appropriate to do so, please avoid ordering medications which you can buy over the counter. As well as often being cheaper for the medication itself, it avoids doctors time spent on authorising prescriptions.
Please also ensure that you cancel any appointments you no longer need.
Please don’t demand an urgent appointment if you can wait for the next routine appointment. In today’s society we are used to instant access and service. However, in the NHS, this is not possible within the resources we have. We will always see you on the day if you do have an urgent problems – but please request this wisely.
We want the NHS to be around in the future – and we need your help to make sure this happens.