Socialized Medicine

I don't think I have anything good to say about it other than the doctors.  The doctors are nice, if you can get in past their gate keeper receptionists to see them.  So the gate keepers, yeah, expect the run around, wrong information and forget actually seeing your doctor.  I got in to do a meet and greet with my doctor last week to discuss my medical history because the receptionist couldn't figure out why I wanted to see her and put me on the schedule.  I tried to make an appointment for Gwendolyn at the doctor's request and was told the reason I wanted to see the doctor wasn't a good reason and that I was worrying about nothing.  My doctor said she wanted to see her, I couldn't emphasis this enough with the receptionist without getting the same answer.  Finally I think she gave up after she realized I wasn't going to drop it and finally put her in for next month.  Oh and to top this all off, you can't just call anytime and try to make an appointment, oh no, you have to call at 8:00am and keep pressing the redial button till the automated system picks up your call.  Just yesterday that was a total of 35 calls in less than 10minutes.  This too is frustrating as you are charged for each outbound call, not inbound oddly enough, but you'll never get  a clinic to call you so it's all on your pence.  I am really hoping we never have any real emergencies while we're here.

So here is how things work here as far as we know thus far.  You register with NHS and then you have to wait to get your number before you can even get seen with anyone so you pretty much are an unlucky ducky if anything happens to you before you get that number.  So after you get your number you can call at 8am and if you're lucky or the receptionist is in a generous mood you can make an appointment to see the GP they assign you, no you do not get to choose.  Once you have seen your GP you can see a specialist only if they feel you need to see one and you better have a darn good reason.  For this you have to wait for a them to send over the request to the specialist and then wait on the Royal Mail service to send you further information.  There is no timeline as to when you will get this said information and once you have left your GP's office you can't contact them.  Clinic hours are 8am till 4:30 with weekends and bank holidays closed.  Do not get sick these days and make sure you are sick before 8am or you are out of luck till the next day.

I understand with "free" care doctors don't have time to waste on hypochondriacs and there needs to be some sort of triage in place.  However receptionists have neither the medical training or knowledge to discern what is important and what is not.  They are given absolute power over who sees the doctor.  It's like in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy meets the wizard for the first time but is turned away initially.

Summary, don't get sick.  Don't have any emergencies and prepare to wait, and wait, and wait.  If you are lucky, persistent and patient you just might be seen by a doctor.