Absolutely disgraceful (some adult content)

[florida-again]

Firstly I should say, I live in the UK, where we admittedly do have the luxury of free health care....so....

I've recently decided that based on my kind of wild teenage years, I should go and have a full sexual health check-up. (I'm now 21 and as un-wild as it gets, but thought I was invinsible at 17)

I've never experienced any symptoms and have already had an HIV test (which was clear) so its mainly just for peace of mind and of course to get any medicines I may need.

So I called our local hospital that has a clinic for these things and after a million 'call back tomorrows' I've now been told the next appointment I can get is DECEMBER!!!!

So I called my doctor surgery and asked if they could do it instead but they said not unless I actually had any symptoms! Keep in mind of course that most STDs are symptomless.

I'm so angry, this is such a disgrace, I live in a town mainly populated by students too. And with sexual health such an issue in the press at the moment, I think it is totally unacceptable!!

Sorry...wanted to get that off of my chest.....

 

[phillybeth]

I would stretch the truth a bit so my doctor could do the tests- say you having itching or a discharge or something.

 

[holycow]

Don't feel bad although you may have free health care we have to pay for ours and still wait. My father needed attention and they told him to wait a month for his appointment well unfortunately he died in the mean time! (of what he would have been treated for)

Good luck with you appointment and getting yourself checked out. I hope you get a clean bill of health.


Holycow

 

[florida-again]

I would stretch the truth a bit so my doctor could do the tests- say you having itching or a discharge or something.

I wish I'd thought of that! It's genius, unfortunately I've already told them my name and that I don't have any.... :-(

 

[Horseshoes]

I dont think thats disgraceful at all, it takes 3 months to get an appointment for a checkup here too.

And I wouldnt make up symptoms if I didnt have any just to get in sooner.

 

[mickeyboat]

It would probably take that long to get an appointment here, too, if you are not having any symptoms. It was going to take almost that long to have a questionable mole removed from my nose, but something opened up.

See if the doctor will put you on some sort of wait list so they can call you if there is a cancellation.

Denae

 

[CathrynRose]

I wish I'd thought of that! It's genius, unfortunately I've already told them my name and that I don't have any.... :-(

Well, today you didnt have the itchies.... but *tomorrow* they may just start up <wink wink wink>

Good Luck...

 

[Free4Life11]

Ugh don't get me started on "waiting." It's so annoying how you always have to WAIT! And for a simple STD test?? This isn't brain surgery.

I went to see a "specialist" at the University Health Center regarding something. He didn't know what it was so told me to "wait" to see if it went away. Well it didnt so I made an appointment. He cancelled my appointment so I rescheduled for the next week. He cancelled again. Suffice it to say, six months after my initial visit my problem never went away and I ended up needing surgery that cost a lot of money.

I'm surprised they couldn't find time for you to go in and give some samples. I had some STD tests and it took about 5 minutes. All I did was pee in a cup.

 

[PneumaticTransit]

My Dr. found a lump in my breast during a check up and I had to wait 4 months for a mammogram. And I had to pay for it.

I raised a fuss, but it didn't help. You would think they would want to reschedule some patient's with routine mammograms to check on someone who found a lump... how naive of me.

 

[Keggy]

Geesh - I never have to wait 2 months for a dr's appt - Dentist, yes - but not any of my drs.

I would find a new dr that is more readily accessible.

In the UK I can understand since your healthcare is free - I would suddenly develop a symptom...

Kelly

 

[poohandwendy]

My Dr. found a lump in my breast during a check up and I had to wait 4 months for a mammogram. And I had to pay for it.

I raised a fuss, but it didn't help. You would think they would want to reschedule some patient's with routine mammograms to check on someone who found a lump... how naive of me.

Why didn't you just go to another doctor? There is no way I would wait 4 months to find out if a lump in my breast was cancerous.

 

[PneumaticTransit]

Why didn't you just go to another doctor? There is no way I would wait 4 months to find out if a lump in my breast was cancerous.

HMO Referral. Gotta love it.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Why didn't you just go to another doctor? There is no way I would wait 4 months to find out if a lump in my breast was cancerous.

I agree. If I had to, I'd pay for it out of pocket and let the insurance company work it out later. With my health plan, an HMO, all I need is a referral from my doc. I don't even need to go in to get it , I can just call her up. She always takes people same day anyway, unless it's for a general check up.

I can't imagine a doctor making someone wait 4 months if there was seriously a lump in their breast. That is insane and possible grounds for the patient to sue if something happened.

 

[poohandwendy]

HMO Referral. Gotta love it.

That is just flat out insane. Wow.

 

[mark&sue]

I would just like to add that our health care here in the UK is not free for those who work!!! I believe We pay 9% of our salary towards the National Health Service.


Susan

 

[4myson]

My Dr. found a lump in my breast during a check up and I had to wait 4 months for a mammogram. And I had to pay for it.

I raised a fuss, but it didn't help. You would think they would want to reschedule some patient's with routine mammograms to check on someone who found a lump... how naive of me.

Find another doctor. They are not properly taking care of you.

 

[Pam]

I would just like to add that our health care here in the UK is not free for those who work!!! I believe We pay 9% of our salary towards the National Health Service.


Susan

DH and I are self-employed. We pay 100% for health insurance - over $540.00 a month for the 4 of us. Every doctor's visit is $75.00 out of our pocket. ($500.00 per year deductible per person.)

We have no dental or eye insurance. 2 pairs of glasses for DS and I cost $1,000.00 in August. We won't even discuss the cost of dental work.

To the OP - not to be mean, but if you waited for 4 years to schedule a doctor's appointment, is 1.5 months more wait time really that bad?

 

[florida-again]

To the OP - not to be mean, but if you waited for 4 years to schedule a doctor's appointment, is 1.5 months more wait time really that bad?

Fair point of course! I don't really have an answer to that, I guess it took my four years to realise I'm not immortal!

The thing that I think is worse in all of this is the fact that the most prevelant STDs don't have any symptoms, yet a doctor will only see you if you have symptoms! That's just ridiculous.

Also, in the UK everywhere, the government and the press are encouraging people to get checked out of STDs....yet its near impossible to get an appointment, a lady at my doctor surgery told me 'we just don't have the funding!!'

 

[pattyT]

9% thats IT
I pay OVER $600 a month - NO prescriptions, NO eye care, NO dental, 25$ per visit co-pays!
I am amazed that this thread is still here... that is what is absolutely disgraceful
talk about adult content - I am so happy I don't let my DD DIS

And they never said they WOULDN'T see you -
You just have to wait for an appointment -
i think those with SYMPTOMS SHOULD take priority over your sudden realization that you may have introduced yourlself to ailments that don't show symptoms.
Go find another Dr. Or go to a clinic...

 

[dazeddaisy]

Hold on hold on. This is not comparing US to UK health systems. Different countries, different governments, different rules.

UK healthcare is not free, you pay 9% on your wages no matter how much you earn (and no it does not cover dental, optomitry or prescriptions). My fiancee and I pay pay around £400 a month in free health care and in all honesty get nothing from it. We are put on long waiting lists, can never get an appointment at our doctors (and no you can not change easily here). You go to A and E and get sent away and told if you worsen come back.

The OP was complaining that she wanted a check up but was told to wait a few months. Its not fair. You expect health care to be better. You expect that when you are ill or want a check up you can go and do it. But unfortunatly you can not do that.

Both countries health care sucks .... someone needs to come up with a real solution to it. But say the UK is free and thus good is wrong. Saying the US is pay per use makes it good is also wrong.