"You couldn't make it up"

Initially nasty cut from a dog's claw, wasn't too worried had cleaned the wound thoroughly & dressed it.On  2nd day I could see the redness spreading out further , it was swollen & hard. Popped to Pharmacy, he took one look at it & said I can't touch that, you need to see a doctor asap. He made me promise I would ring my G P. Rang G.P's and explained what the Pharmacist said, point blank refusal.

Rang 111 (never used or accessed before). Went through the 'questions, said that I was down as 'needed to be seen in under 4 hours' (just before 2.00pm when this conversation was nearing the end). He said he was struggling to access services in my area & said he would get a clinician to call me back, who would be able to access some sort of appt. A lovely nurse rang me 4.20p.m, apologized about the wait. She was very good and asked for pictures of the wound when it 1st happened & 1 from now. Sent the pics to her whilst we were still connected. The nurse said oh dear you need to see a doctor (understatement) & bless her she said I'm just going to see if I can access a G.P for you & she did. She told me the G P would ring me back straight away.

Great G.P rang me, asked for the pictures again (because of course none of said services are linked). Said G P was some 20+miles away from where I lived,  I didn't mind. G.P was excellent! She  issued antibiotics upon receiving my pics and sent them to my local pharmacy. G.P went on to say to me that although the antibiotics had been sent, she was more concerned that I needed a tetanus booster & that I needed 1 asap as my window of opportunity would be closing that evening? She told me to ring my G.P. I told her there was no chance I would get an appointment. G.P said ring them, they are still open for another 1 & half hours & that we weren't asking for a G.P appt, just for a nurse to give a booster, to give them her name & number &  made me promise to do so.

Rang G.P, point blanked refused any type of appt & told me everyone had left. Asked receptionist what I should do, she told me to go to PCP24 at Kings Mill. I told her that both 111 & said G.P had already told me that there was no longer any PCP24 at Kings Mill, she basically said they were wrong & there was. They were right, said receptionist was wrong, there is no PCP24 at Kings Mill. Everything is trialled via A & E.

Phoned A & E on the advice of another 111 phone call, after answering all the same questions as the 2 previous times. 111 said if I explained to A & E receptionist she would probably be able to triage me, because I didn't actually need to see a doctor as had already been diagnosed by a G.P. Rang the hospital, asked to be put through the A & E receptionist, explained everything, said receptionist said asked what do you wish me to do, I'm not a medical professional. I asked if I could get an appt for Primary Care & that I had been through the 111 service, spoke to a Nurse & G.P, was abruptly told that she didn't care who I had spoken to & who had advised me on anything & she put the phone down. Throughout all this I never got agitated and was courteous to all.

This is now running into 6 hours o continuous phone calls. I had to go back to 111 to be trialled again (because apparently as soon as they put the phone down your case is closed & they cannot access previous history?) Went through it all again, lady on 111 apologized on everyone else's behalf & said that she had put me down on the E.D validation service. I asked what that meant & was told that someone would ring me back within 20 mins, but that if no one did I was to make my way to A & E. I said O.K, but would I have to explain everything to A & E again & was told no I wouldn't, due to this E.D service all my notes would be on the system.

Needless to say I was called back by the same nurse who had previously spoken to me. I was talking to the nurse via blue tooth whilst driving. The nurse who was from the 111 service said that I had been told wrong & that her hands were tied & that I had to go through A & E.

8 hrs after initial call, arrive at hospital, explained, waited 90 mins through to triage. Was promptly told to go sit on the other colour chairs & that Doctor was needed because it was a prescription! And that mu wait would be at least 6 hours but more like 10. I had been trying to deal with this for over 11 hours!. Only went because of the G.P's insistence.

Fwd another 16 hours & still waiting & at home. I have had 4 triage, 2 nurses & 2 G.P's & Kings Mill Hospital are an absolute disgrace. I can book a tetanus booster at quite a few pharmacies & would have done so quite happily if any were accessible. My husband had been ringing around & it was a 6 day wait. So I am now at home some 30+ hours later. I am a carer for my 92 year old mum & had to get back to administer her injections, because the Surgery can't & never provided a Nurse!. You couldn't make it up!