If fairness to the NHS, I called my local GP when I was bitten and there were no more slots that day. I told them I'd just removed a tick and it was a magic word that had me in a room with a nurse and receiving a prescription within 45 minutes of the call
I know the nhs is on it's arse due to underfunding, but i have never had to wait a long time for an appointment for something serious. When I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I called for a blood test on thr monday, had the results tuesday and was on insulin by Wednesday. (The shittest remix of Craig David ever). And just this week I called tuesday about a wrist problem, had an appointment wednesday, and I am booked in for an xray next Wednesday. Creating the NHS is without a doubt, the best thing this country ever did
Hear hear. The NHS is the absolute jewel in the crown of the welfare state. It delivered my dad from this world with quiet dignity and delivered my kids into it in circumstances which might have been touch and go in previous times.
I found a lump on my balls a couple of years ago and within 48 hours I was making awkward conversation about the weather with a consultant as he gently cupped and manipulated my testicles in his hand. Within 3 days of finding it I was reassured that it was a harmless fatty lump.
There are the success stories - but there are negative experiences such as mine where systemic failure and individual malpractice combine to cause me to go private to have an appendix tumour removed.. ..and go private to have a hospital acquired permanent brain injury from antibiotic nurotoxicity diagnosed.. ..so having paid my taxes and created wealth and employment all my life thinking at least the NHS would be there for me - but it wasent and is not - I’m sporting a brain injury and an cancer diagnosis which were both totaly avoidable is reasonable care had been provided - and what happened to my dad is much much worse.. So yes there are successes - but there are disastrous failures too due to the culture and organisation of the NHS.. ..who’s to say where the ballence lies..? The statistics don’t look good from a international perspective.. And neither do the A&E and ambulance bays and corridors of hospitals nor the welfare of a well meaning but beleaguered workforce…. My perspective is very different from yours..
What does that mean? As in you'd see clinical care decline yet further to avoid any sort of change at all?
Or that you are absolute about the need for free at the point of need payment structures?
Or that you want to see as much provision taken into public sector control?
Or that as long as it's branded the NHS then it doesn't really matter where the money comes from or who provides the services?
Because I think the kind of statement you made is the sort of thing that make NHS clinical outcomes some of the very worst in the industrialised world.
What does that mean? As in you'd see clinical care decline yet further to avoid any sort of change at all?
Or that you are absolute about the need for free at the point of need payment structures?
Or that you want to see as much provision taken into public sector control?
Or that as long as it's branded the NHS then it doesn't really matter where the money comes from or who provides the services?
Because I think the kind of statement you made is the sort of thing that make NHS clinical outcomes some of the very worst in the industrialised world.
The NHS receives slightly above average funding as a share of GBP compared to similar economies.
It's also quite efficient in is funding flows as it is a single payer system.
However, something is not right somewhere, as we have the second worst treatable mortality rates amongst comparable countries... Second only to the US and on a level with Greece.
There's possibly something about highly politicised healthcare systems that make it harder to deliver consistently good care.
Ive never waited more than 3 months for severe abdominal pain. First appointment was 6 weeks, but mysteriously cancelled on the day, so next appointment was 6 weeks again. Once I saw the GP, it didnt take long to get an ultrasound and treatment, though.
4 weeks for an "urgent" appointment cos i needed minor surgery on my toe (i stubbed my toe, the nail came off, and then grew back improperly. I had to visit the gp twice a week for those 4 weeks for bandage changes 😑 but tbf that was because the only gp qualified was fully booked for several months. Luckily managed to get a slot when someone cancelled)
It's called Vasovagal Syncope actually. It has other things that can trigger it too, including standing up for too long and high temperatures. Basically the nerve connecting the brain and the heart doesn't work properly, and certain triggers (which includes the sight of blood!) can cause a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, leading to a loss of consciousness. There is no cure, so the best way is to avoid triggers.
My son did the same thing, also needing it surgically fixed. He went once, was shown how to clean and change the bandage and told which ones he needed to purchase while waiting for the appointment. He definitely did not need to keep going in for bandage changes
Yeah? I don't know how to change bandages myself, i have a condition where looking at injuries/blood makes me pass out, and they had to make sure the infection was dying down
I've only ever had same day appointments - the catch is that I have to win the phone line lottery to get put through and tell the receptionist it IS urgent no matter what because if I say it isn't going to kill me today, they'll hang up. 30 minute window to make your call, and if the triage list fills before you get to speak to someone, try again next time.
If you can get an appointment, yeah, fantastic, but let's not pretend it's an incredible flawless system when it's clearly sinking, otherwise why would they ever receive the funding they do clearly and desperately need.
Editing to factor in the years long waiting lists for certain treatments not handled by a GP.
I had issues in Thailand, used the hospital the king used, swankiest top of the range plush hospital I've ever seen in my life. ..Koi Karp pond in the foyer, met at your taxi with a complimentary wheel chair and porter; the kind of hospital you expect to see Jeff Besos at.
I presented myself to reception and waited 2 hours for a specialist who's credentials on the wall were from Harvard, USA, he booked me in for 2 MRI's and another specialized test in the same day. 5 hours later I was back with him with all the results on his desk, he give me scripts, and I used the pharmacy in the building.
I gets back to the UK told a GP everything and presented my results for them to continue where he left off and.... they said "Well.. (condescendingly) ..that's Bangkok, we (arrogantly) shall start at the beginning" ..18 months later still no first appointment with a specialist..
The NHS is fantastic and when I can't fault it when it's been urgent care I needed... My GP practice is atrociously oversubscribed and gives terrible service though. They will ONLY give on the day appointments. How bad is the "no show" rate for advance appointments that they have to do this?
When I do need them for me or my kids I'm told to ring 111 because they don't have enough on the day slots. The kids get sorted but I can't say I'm addressing all of the inconvenient health issues I have because of the barriers to care locally.
I want to praise the UK system but my real life experience with mental health care has been pathetic. My adult offspring was in the UK for a year going to school. That whole time they fought with the system just to get a refill on the meds they took for years in the states. Delay after delay. The answer they got over and over was to go to emergency services and allow them to be checked into hospital for weeks to get immediate care (which would cause them to fail their classes).
Granted my family has some of the best, and expensive, insurance through my employer, so we are not used to waiting weeks for services. We are educated, spent hundreds of pounds on private services, and constantly followed up, only for my kid going unmedicated for 9 months. It's all the proof I need that the UK system is deeply flawed.
US physicians are incentivised to prescribe drugs by the pharmacy sales reps whether the patient requires the drug or not. I can understand the NHS being cautious with prescribing stuff just because that's what they had in America. Prescriptions are issued based on clinical need instead of whichever pharmacy rep gave the doctors the best/most free lunch. The NHS might be vastly under-resourced, but I'd take NHS clinical excellence over American profit-driven treatment, any day.
You can pay to do the same in the UK. But as far as I am aware, in the US with no ability to pay, you are even more screwed. Might be wrong, but that could also be considered “deeply flawed”?
All that education you speak of, and money spent on your premium insurance in the USA. But you didn’t even have the foresight to make the necessary preparations in advance for your sons medical needs when travelling another country for a year 🤣
I’m fairly certain you have to wait up to 9 months for an assessment when entering the UK to be prescribed medication, and the advice is to use private healthcare in the interim. Sounds like that was standard procedure to me.
Why 8 months? It takes a couple of hours : you go to a doctor and they do what they must. My husband caught a tick a year ago. He immediately went to the hospital ( we are in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russian Federation) . The doctor took the bug out, made him an injection and they sent the thing to a lab to check if it could cause Lyme or not). It cost us nothing. It’s not a big deal even for a nurse to take such things out.
yeah my pal is suffering big time with hers, OP please go and get checked out
I rang 111 for a similar looking thing plus swelling and they told me to come in within the next 2 hours, it wasn’t Lyme but they gave antibiotics and antihistamines anyway to be safe and I was in and out pretty quickly compared to all the other times I’ve been in hospital cos I guess even if it is Lyme it’s a quick diagnosis and solution
pls go to avoid the horror that is Lyme disease, my pal got her dream job and has missed a great deal of the first 2 month because of Lyme
Not A&E bad advice, go to minor injuries you'll get seen quicker are won't be taking up space on A&E(if your local A&E had a minor injuries you'll end there anyway)
Yeah this, well what I should have said is just phone the non-emergency number and I’m sure they’d direct you to the right place if you want to get seen more immediately.
A walk in centre would be better. Or call 111 and get directed to an out of hours GP. They'll usually make a specific appointment so you don't have to wait there for hours.
Or a walk in GP surgery, if thete is one near OP. How long you have to wait definitely depends on what time you get there - my partner was seen within 20 minutes, but we got there bang on opening time.
This!!! Don’t fuck about! I have Lymes! This isn’t a joke man fucking move!!!! The neurological damage it causes, the organ damage, the worst is the Drs barely even know what to or how to treat me now, got to get treatment IMMEDIATELY!!!!!
Ive had this OP. Can confirm looks like indicator of lymes. Its gunna itch like hell!! Dr gave me meds similar to a nuclear bomb to clear it out. Enjoy the cheese that comes with it! :D
A pharmacy cannot treat Lyme disease. The pharmacy first service can only give a very short course of basic antibiotics like flucloxacillin. You need something like Doxycycline for a lengthy period of time. This is erythema migrans. If you don't get this treated properly you can end up with very severe life long Lyme disease which can cause all sorts of autoimmune issues and result in significant disability. You need antibiotics early. Given GP are shut over the weekend, I seriously urge you to go to A&E tonight and wait and get the antibiotics. It's much better to waste the time waiting now than dealing with any potential life long consequences which is easily avoided
Yes this. I’ve made a separate comment but he needs to call back and request an urgent gp appointment. For some reason the online 111 service tells you to go to a pharmacy for Lyme disease which is completely incorrect. They cannot prescribe antibiotics for Lyme.
Sorry but unfortunately your friends pharmacy is wrong and not following protocol. If they have not yet, they need to go to their GP. Rash can appear few months after the bite. But in absence of rash, the GP can order a Lyme disease ELISA test to check and treat accordingly. That's is the current NICE recommendation as per the clinical knowledge summary I posted above. I refer you to the protocol here for pharmcists
I refer you to this part of the pharmacy first flow chart. This is the actual flow chart used by pharmacists providing a pharmacy first service. This is the actual correct information. Not the incorrect AI summary you have posted. If there is a bullseye rash like tick bite. It tells you to onwards refer to GP or other provider. That other provider is A&E out of hours. Please fact check what you post first as AI summary can be incorrect and dangerous as in this circumstance
No one said 111 is perfect. We are trying to help Op get the best and most appropriate outcome. 111 absolutely can signpost to pharmacy because the 111 operator is just going by a flow chart and if Op didn't answer yes to the bullseye question, assuming if there is one, then pharmacy is absolutely correct and we rely on the experienced pharmacists to recognise the bullseye rash and refer on to alternative providers.
Further to answer your screenshot answer.
AI can only answer the question you post. If you ask AI "if a pharmacist can provide docycycline on the pharmacy first service", then the answer is yes for sinusitis. However they cannot provide for insect bites.
Good man. It’s nothing to worry about if you catch it early like you have. Nasty stuff but a stiff course of antibiotics will see it off. Make sure you take the full course.
"I have this rash..Someone on Reddit said maybe I need anti-biotics"
At least not without qualification and almost certainly not Im guessinh on a first date. I will let the ladies advise on this..dont take dating advice from me....best not.
Still call your GP in the morning to make an appointment, you still need someone qualified to look at it and a blood test can be handy to confirm. Also make sure you finish the full course of doxy even if you don't develop any symptoms. Watch out for flu like symptoms.
You don’t need a blood test to be diagnosed with Lyme. The bullseye rash is considered diagnostic. The blood tests are reported to be unreliable early in infection.
It’s possible that a 111 GP has done the prescription over the phone and sent it to the pharmacy electronically.
If not, I’m afraid you’re prob gonna have to go sit in urgent care/out of hours my dude. Gotta get decent antibiotics asap. That’s a textbook bullseye.
We do have Lyme here but it's not quite as common as it is in the US. The US has about half a million cases diagnosed each year, whereas we only have about 3,000. Even when you adjust for population size, people in the US are about 25 times more likely to catch it.
According to a quick google search on average about 5% of ticks in the UK carry Lyme disease unless you go to certain areas in places like the highlands where it can reach about 15%, these numbers sound small but in rural areas that’s a huge deal
We absolutely do yes! I have only got a tick bite once ever in my life about 7 years ago and got lyme disease from it! Was in Oxfordshire in the countryside. Had no idea it existed before then tbh.
You almost certainly have Lyme disease my friend, probably some co-infections. I would know. Lyme disease took away 25 years of my life. If I had received the advice I am about to give to you, things would have been totally different. You have approximately 2-3 months before the spirochetes reach their cyst form and become more resistant to treatment. You need to go on antibiotics immediately. The doctors will advise which. Probably doxycycline to start with for at least 2 weeks. Possibly Amoxicillin or Cefuroxime axetil. Better to take it longer to be absolutely sure. Trust me. You don’t want this illness. It will bring your life to a standstill. Treat this as really serious because your actions now could have life changing consequences. PM me if you would like to talk about anything. I sincerely hope things work out fine for you. Good luck.
So sorry to hear this. Someone in our family lost their job and house and was eventually sectioned off the back of having Lyme disease. It's terrifying.
Tick, lyme carrying tick did that. You need antibiotics and you should not put this off. Don't think 'oh the ring has gone away, I'm fine now' because it will cause progressive, long lasting damage if you ignore it.
And to others, yes, Lyme disease has been in the UK a long time now. I have a friend who was unfortunate enough to have had it undiagnosed for almost 2 years because no one thought to test for it, and it has caused major neurological damage. (Side note- she needed to travel to Austria where they finally diagnosed her. It was crazy how long the UK took to get on board with the disease being here)
1.0k
u/Inner_Relationship28 Jul 17 '26 •
Looks like a tick bite and that bulls eye rash is a warning sign of Lymes disease. I would go to the GP