"Belfast Phone First - waste of time"

I spent 3 days trying to get through to my GP as I had injured my hand. Eventually spoke to my GP who wanted me to get an x-Ray on my hand and told me to phone ”Phone First”. After waiting almost an hour, a nurse called me back. The nurse was lovely but the service seems a complete waste of time. I must have spent easy 30 minutes on the phone as she asked me question after question after question. At the end of all that, she told me that they can’t do a referral or appointment for ED. I was told just to “turn up as you normally would and wait your turn”. 

Seriously, what is the point? I wasted an hour waiting on a call back when I could’ve just turned up?! I already got advice from my GP, what was the point in a nurse asking me a million questions if they weren’t able to do anything?

What a waste to everyone’s time. 

Also, all you hear is how the health service is in “crisis”. Seems to me that the “phone first” service is a complete waste of nurses. Surely they can be used better in a hospital where they are needed.

I attended the Royal A&E and got sorted. the staff were all lovely. I appreciate all the staff do in the hospitals