"NHS service"

I was suffering from a burst cyst and was worried it was getting infected. I went to the Corby Urgent Care, and was seen quite quickly. The nurse helped to ease some of the infection out and dressed it for me and prescribed antibiotics. She advised me to see my GP and recommended I book an appointment with my GP.

I was able to get an appointment at my local medical centre in Earls Barton the following Wednesday. They said  they couldn't do anything and told me to go to A&E.

I promptly went to A&E, and was passed from pillar to post (triage, nurse, bloods taken, an initial assessment by a doctor, blood pressure taken), and eventually seen a doctor who provided local surgery. Took 7 hours. Was told to book an appointment at my surgery to get the wound re-dressed for the Friday.

Went to the surgery (no point telephoning as can be on the phone for ages) and was told no nurses work on a Friday, have to do out of hours on the Saturday in Northampton. So I arranged this. The A&E doctor provided me with a prescription for more antibiotics and painkillers.

My pharmacy wouldn't accept it because the prescription had an alteration which was not signed. So, had to go back to my surgery, wait for a doctor to check and sign it and then back to the pharmacy. The pharmacy still couldn't accept it because the product was wrong. I had given up by then so I just asked for the antibiotics and bought painkillers over the counter.

The whole morning was taken up with something that should be simple. A whole day if you include A&E. I was absolutely shattered by the whole thing. I would not have bothered if it was not my wife who insisted I get this sorted, but next time I have to be critically or seriously injured or even on death's door before I use the NHS again.