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I hate the NHS part deux

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I do not understand how the NHS [mal]functions in this country and that everytime I have to deal with it I come away hating it even more.

I have been living in the UK for over ten years now, I’ve got a well paid job from the salary of which the government takes a nice percentage off for National Insurance contributions and taxes and yet whenever I need medical attention I get treated like I’m asking for charity and I have to jump through hoops.

Yesterday I finally took the time off work to go to the doctor’s surgery mainly to have my thyroid test which were well overdue and secondarily to check with the doctor about a constant headache and flickering of the eyelids I’ve had for over two weeks now. While she was checking me out she took my blood pressure and found it 160/120 which is waaay high for someone of my age and nutritional life style. She gave me some advice and she told me that we need to monitor my blood pressure for the next six weeks or so.

With the headache and flickering in the eyes intensifying today I got even more worried so I popped into a pharmacy to ask if it’s possible to have a quick checkup. The assistant there said that they do not offer free blood pressure tests and I should go to a specific pharmacy chain that does them or go back to the doctor’s. With my mom having worked in a hospital in Canada for years and with a history of heart conditions in the family I got a bit worried. When the headache not having shifted after 4 extra strength iboprufen I decided to pop into the hospital after work to ask them if they could check my blood pressure.

I walked in, no other patients waiting in the reception area, a few members of staff hanging about and I though “right I’ll be out of here in about 10 mins” Well I was so bloody wrong! When I asked for the check the receptionist smartass-edly informed me “This is an AE, madam” Like I thought I walked into the butchers or the supermarket. So I explained the situation and she repeats the same smart ass line. She also informed me that I could go to an emergency out of hours doctor about 2 miles away [I don’t drive btw, and do notice the word “emergency”] or wait to go to my GP when it’s open. I did point out to her that apart from “this being an AE department” it is also a hospital and I should be treated. She became very sarcastic with me and pissed me off immensely.

After having been to the hospital on a couple of occasions in the past and having seen them treating the dumb asses that go out to drink themselves to death on a weekend I came to the conclusion that the easiest way to be seen is to collapse with a heart attack in the middle of the street or drink yourself unconscious. I know I could go to my GP but I also work outside town and need to leave home half an hour before the surgery opens. Being late whenever I feel like it is not on also. If I don’t manage to get seen to by someone soon I will be making a formal complaint to the relevant authorities.

I might be making a big deal out of it but dropping dead in the middle of street is not in my immediate plans. And even if I’m getting paranoid I do think that medical attention should not be available at one point of contact only between 9-5. Hmf rant over, headache still here. Damit!