Doctor / GP - any point?

Guest2

Guest2

Guest2

Soldato
Joined
6 May 2009
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This is not a medial thread - I am not asking for medial advice

For issues suck as broken toes, foot problems and the like is there any point going to see a doctor? I asked my friend and he recommended to just go straight to A&E where they will x-ray you there and then and see a specialist as he did on the same day.

Whereas going to your local doctors you will probably not even see a doctor, instead you will see a nurse or someone who will search the internet for answers then maybe refer you to the hospital for x-ray or a specialist.

The last time I went to the doctors the doctor had to Google the illness my mother has (acromegaly) and when I asked for a blood glucose test (which my mum was advised to tell me to ask for as the illness can be hereditary) I was told to not eat for x hours and go for one. I went a few days later but instead the nurse gave me a standard blood test. Joke
 
Damn my doctors suck. I dont even bother anymore. Been having excessive sweeting at night for over a year, and I see a new doctor each time. Last one told me "whats the problem?" "perfectly normal"

I would go A&E, or not bother now.
 
Luke said:
This is where a Minor Injuries Unit is the best option rather than GP or A&E.
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Does such a thing exist?

The line would also be hard to draw. Broken toe minor > broken big toe? > broken foot? > not being able to walk on foot at all?
 
Guest2 said:
The last time I went to the doctors the doctor had to Google the illness my mother has (acromegaly)
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I would like to pick up on this as an aside though. The last time the GP may have encountered this could be 40 years ago during training. Although he Googled it he probably used very credible sources (i.e. not Wikipedia) to get the latest information on the condition rather than rely on old or outdated information.

Just because a GP has to look something up doesn't make him/her inept. No person can know everything about every condition without needing a hand sometimes.
 
Can you move it? Yes- minor.
Does it move in a way it's not supposed to? Yes - major.


Unfortunately people go to a&e for anything and everything these days that's why it takes all day.

I'm not sure personally I've had a lot of busted fingers and feet and as long as there's been no indication of cutting blow flow off I haven't bothered going as if just waste a day there only to be told what I know. Yeah you fractured x we could cast it but there's little point, rest up, ice it and don't do it again.
 
Supposedly stuff like the boots (lol) walk in centre/clinic are good for stuff like that and can get you setup with an x-ray and referred to a specialist if needed.
 
Guest2 said:
Does such a thing exist?
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Yes, they do. Google will confirm this for you.


Guest2 said:
The line would also be hard to draw. Broken toe minor > broken big toe? > broken foot? > not being able to walk on foot at all?
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They all boil down to the same thing: A potentially broken bone.
Is it life threatening? No. Is it life changing? Potentially.

In that situation I'd recommend the local MIU who can normally xray and will refer to the main local hospital if required. The wait will be less there and you'll have a warm fuzzy feeling that you are not needlessly contributing to the systemic failure of A&E due to overcrowding.

Obviously if it is life threatening or a massive concern with no other option then yes A&E is appropriate.
 
Depends on your GP. My old GP was rubbish, my new one is great. Might be worth changing GP/surgery if you're not happy with your current one.
 
NHS direct is long gone. 111 is the equivalent service.
Problem is they will either send an ambulance on blue lights or do nothing. My experience of them is that very little action occurs between the two scenarios.
 
Luke said:
NHS direct is long gone. 111 is the equivalent service.
Problem is they will either send an ambulance on blue lights or do nothing. My experience of them is that very little action occurs between the two scenarios.
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Its just a name change. They still have the online tools that answers the OPs question:
https://www.nhs.uk/symptomcheckers/pages/symptoms.aspx
Tell it what you have and it tells you what to do.
 
Guest2 said:
For issues suck as broken toes, foot problems and the like is there any point going to see a doctor? I asked my friend and he recommended to just go straight to A&E where they will x-ray you there and then and see a specialist as he did on the same day.

Whereas going to your local doctors you will probably not even see a doctor, instead you will see a nurse or someone who will search the internet for answers then maybe refer you to the hospital for x-ray or a specialist.
Click to expand...

if you go to A&E you're first going to see a triage nurse who will see that you've come in with something that is fairly minor and not very urgent, you'll probably then wait for several hours to see a doctor who really has better things to do than look at your broken toe

go to a minor injuries unit if you can alternatively your GP can send you for an x-ray - leave A&E to the people who have actual medical emergencies
 
Our minor injuries doesn't have access to xray facilities. Having kids we've been a fair few times for various injuries and every single time after waiting over an hour to see someone they've then told us to go to A&E which is 20 mins away and more parking charges. Last few times we just went straight to A&E. If we go via the Drs and he decides an xray is needed then we CAN get an xray in the same building as the minor injuries unit! Makes no sense to us. As with most Drs surgeries it can we a week+ before there's a free appointment so not really an option when we suspect they'll suggest an xray.
 
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Sort if agree

When I developed ulcerative colitis the doc just kept giving me pile cream. Very luckily I had private cover through my wife's work and one day was in so much pain I demanded to be referred. Two days late in bupa and a camera up the wrong end and I was walking out with a bag of pills.


Now I see a specialist once a year yet my doctor has to write the prescription and hasn't a clue I tell him what I need and he writes it all out.
 
Sorry op if I misunderstand what you are saying. However a fasting glucose test is done by still taking blood the as you refer to as the standard way its then written on the form fasring blood glucose and sent to the labs.
 
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