"Difficult"

I recently decided to contact Alistair Ross surgery due a groin pain which had been getting worse over a period of 2 weeks.  I did not hold out much hope of a quick appointment but was pleasantly surprised by the helpful receptionist who provided an appointment that afternoon with a doctor. After a brief examination it was decided that I should have a scan for a possible hernia and the Gp would organise this. A few days later I received a text from appointments to contact them to arrange a date for the scan. When I contacted them they gave me a date a month later with no ability to improve it. Obviously the doctor had not attached any note on the urgency. After trying to get a more timely appointment with no success I had to go to the A&E department. I was eventually admitted for 3 days and 2 nights while a scan was organised. The hernia was diagnosed, was put on the priority waiting list and discharged.

I was then contacted by a clerk from Alistair Ross asking if a doctor could have a telephone conversation with me. I naturally agreed and had a useful conversation later that afternoon on why I had had to go to A&E. The conversation finished with the GP pointing out that if the symptoms got worse to contact the surgery without hesitation.

The symptoms became worse and I contacted the surgery for a telephone conversation with the same doctor as he had started the process by calling me. I explained my situation to the clerk who said the earliest telephone appointment was in a month. I expressed my disbelief in the circumstances which I attempted to explain to the clerk but it was clear she was not listening and started to trot out the well known lines regarding the inflexible GP appointment process. I knew these very well. She attempted to stop me speaking but I refused to stop my explanation. I brought the conversation to an end abruptly. The clerk had no ability to listen and there was clearly no professional available who could triage my situation.

Docroes are not god like entities who require protection by untrained individuals in what can be demanding medical situations. They are normal humans who have chosen a particular career path for any number of reasons and to serve unfortunate members of society. For the GP service, this fact seems to have become lost in the mists of time.