Months Wait For Gp Blood Tests

[gamezone07 23]

Rather not say which practice, but just been informed if i want a non emergency GP appt, (i have suspected glandular fever) the earliest i can get on is 23 August! It used to be you could get an appt within a couple of days,  say six years ago, and of cours Covid, and its the holidays, bit a mohtn

[HeHasRisen 3,373]

I had one last week a day after ringing my GP. May I suggest you find a new practice. 

[Thirsty Relic 208]

I have an appointment with a nurse at mine next week for a blood test with them ringing me with the results 3 days later!

Must admit though that they are saying all appointments with Doctors are phone unless in special circumstances can be by video.  No mention of face-to-face.  Covid blamed of course!  Next step?  All doctors can stay at home, by the phone/computer, no need to physically see patients at all!  Then they can sell of the building and.......

 

I wonder, if Covid is ever "cured" or disappears, who will be blamed for making our lives much worse?  I'm not daft enough to think we'll get back to ringing up and physically been in the same room as a Doctor a few days later for example.  Surely they'll find some other scapegoat?

[Annie Bynnol 612]

Once a blood test is requested by my GP it goes on the system.

If you want your practice to do it you can wait weeks.

I go to the RHS, they type in my name etc, and find the request on the system. You do not need an appointment and there is rarely a queue. 

The GP and/or specialist get the results within a day or two.

E.g. GP phone appointment Monday a.m. went to RHS for blood test Monday p.m. Specialist at NGH had results and confirmed treatment with GP who wrote the prescription Wednesday. 

 

If your practice is in Sheffield they should confirm this. There is nothing you need except you NHS number or any old letter from your GP which helps to find you on the system. 

[pattricia 574]

A face to face appointment with my GP is impossible unless you are seriously ill, but a blood test can be arranged separately over the phone with the receptionist usually within a few days. This is because you are seeing the nurse at the practise for the blood test. Also because a GP gets paid for every blood test he requests. See why you get them done quicker than a face to face appointment ? 

[Baron99 778]

There seems to be a big disparity across surgeries.  I had my annual check on Thursday, including blood took to check medications were working correctly.  The nurse said that the blood would be sent off that day & the results would be available by this coming Monday or Tuesday. 

 

Also if we want a doctor's appointment at the moment, we have to call in & go through a triage process.  If its decided that a doctor's opinion is needed, then he / she will call you within the day, (if you call early morning) or next day.  Then if further investigation is required, the doctor will invite you to the surgery within a couple of days. 

 

Presumably, when we're on top of the Coronavirus, things will revert back to normal?

[Thirsty Relic 208]

4 minutes ago, Baron99 said:

 

Presumably, when we're on top of the Coronavirus, things will revert back to normal?

Do you really think so?  And have us smelly, noisy humans invade their lovely quiet workplaces when they're now used to dealing with us by phone and (occasionally) video?  I doubt it!

[feargal 21]

Have you asked for a phone consultation instead?  Does your practice have a 'sister' practice?  Many of the GP surgeries in Sheffield work closely with others, and often you can get appointments at those instead. 

 

Ours works like this... It's a drive away, so not useful for everyone, but it's worth asking.  My partner couldn't even get a phone appt at our regular surgery, but got a face to face one at the other site.  They didn't have capacity for bloods that day, so sent him to the drive-in on Longley Lane.  Worked very well, quick and minimal hanging around. 

[biggsy 10]

Crikey!

I had a phone appointment with my Asthma nurse at 11.30am friday and mentioned that I coughed a bit of (Dried) blood up, before the day was out I was at Northern general hospital having  blood taken, ECG, Chest Xray and then because something in my blood was elevated (Dunno what it was though!), I ended up having a CT Scan!

I got to the hospital for 5.30pm, Didn't walk out until 2.30am the next day! Nine hours!😳

 

Hope the OP gets seen to soon and is given a clean bill of health 👍


Biggsy 🖐️

[Thirsty Relic 208]

1 hour ago, biggsy said:

Crikey!

I had a phone appointment with my Asthma nurse at 11.30am friday and mentioned that I coughed a bit of (Dried) blood up, before the day was out I was at Northern general hospital having  blood taken, ECG, Chest Xray and then because something in my blood was elevated (Dunno what it was though!), I ended up having a CT Scan!

I got to the hospital for 5.30pm, Didn't walk out until 2.30am the next day! Nine hours!😳

 

Hope the OP gets seen to soon and is given a clean bill of health 👍


Biggsy 🖐️

Sounds like the nurse was on the ball and was worried about something.  Hope when the results come back that all is in order with you.  All the best!

[crookesey 631]

I suffer from Rheumatoid  Arthritis and following a virtual plethora of tests at both Sheffield hospitals they finally settled on weekly injections of Methotrexate, which I self administer. I require regular blood tests which I visit my GP for, have you attempted to get a hospital diagnosis that should open up your GP’s ‘Bloods’ department door for you?

[gene 10]

Our surgery was already doing telephone appts long before Covid. A duty doctor  would decide whether you needed face to face or not - often someone who you didn't know .

 Now if you need a telephone appt and they are all booked you have to ring in the next day even though you know you will still need that appt. If you can get through that is. Even if you get the ringing tone it cuts off after two minutes waiting. Designed to put people off.