How the hell am I supposed to get to a doctor? None of them take new patients.

JackieChang

I've moved to a new town and have managed to **** up my leg somehow, I may have sat on it funny while crossing my legs.

I can't feel the skin on my foot and it's difficult to twiddle my toes. From a bit of googling it could be a compressed peroneal nerve. Obviously googling medical issues isn't safe, which is why I want to go to a doctor.

None of the doctors in this town are taking new patients, except for one. And there's a two week waiting list for that one.

I tried to call my old doctor, about half an hour's drive away. But their phone doesn't answer ever.

My leg is about to fall off. Should I go to a physiotherapist? Do they deal with potential pinched nerves? What about a sports massage?

KaneToad

JackieChang wrote: »

I've moved to a new town and have managed to **** up my leg somehow, I may have sat on it funny while crossing my legs.

I can't feel the skin on my foot and it's difficult to twiddle my toes. From a bit of googling it could be a compressed peroneal nerve. Obviously googling medical issues isn't safe, which is why I want to go to a doctor.

None of the doctors in this town are taking new patients, except for one. And there's a two week waiting list for that one.

I tried to call my old doctor, about half an hour's drive away. But their phone doesn't answer ever.

My leg is about to fall off. Should I go to a physiotherapist? Do they deal with potential pinched nerves? What about a sports massage?

Are you a medical card holder?

JackieChang

KaneToad wrote: »

Are you a medical card holder?

Nope

Gregor Samsa

Can you get to a local A&E?
Does your local hospital have a Local Injury Unit (like a cut down A&E)?
Is there an out-of-hours doctor service (WestDoc, ShannonDoc, DDoc, EastDoc, etc) in your locality?

JackieChang

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Can you get to a local A&E? Does your local hospital have a Local Injury Unit (like a cut down A&E)? Is there an out-of-hours doctor service (WestDoc, ShannonDoc, DDoc, EastDoc, etc) in your locality?

There's a south doc. Never used them before. Aren't they out of hours only? I'd rather not go to an A&E. Wouldn't I be waiting there for like 12 hours? As it's not an emergency really. It's "only" a pinched nerve.

Sam Quentin

That's a straight to the hospital job..

Man with broke phone

Have you got a Dublin accent and have you moved to a rural town?

Gregor Samsa

JackieChang wrote: »

There's a south doc. Never used them before. Aren't they out of hours only?

Yeah, they are. Their hours are:

Weekdays 6.00pm - 8.00am (next day)

Weekends 1.00pm * (Saturday) - 8.00am (Monday)

* (cover starts at 9am in Cork City & select centres) Please check the opening hours at your local centre

so you'd be waiting until at least 6 to call them, then it'll be a while before they see you - but you'd be seen tonight.

A&Es are probably quieter than usual at the moment. Get there before the Friday night rush would be my advice. Download a couple of movies* and bring a battery pack for your phone and headphones if you're concerned about waiting times. Some snacks. Make an evening of it.

* I'd go with My Left Foot and Numb

JackieChang

P.S. I can still walk and it's not painful. It's just very annoying and uncomfortable and a strange feeling. If I need to go to an A&E I'd rather be referred by a doc.

Mrs OBumble

Avoid sports massage and physical therapists.

Try a chartered physiotherapist.

Keep phoning doctors anyway, including in surrounding towns: you don't want to be trying to find one if you're seriously ill.

Sam Quentin wrote: »

That's a straight to the hospital job..

This poster liklely is being funny. But there's something in the back of my mind about lack of toe control being potentially serious.




And the accent question is a good one. Try and get a person with a local accent to phone for you.

Brian201888

Tell them you are a private patient, they probably won't ask.

Never occured to me until I moved a couple of years ago and rang 6 GP's being told they were full until I finally asked one of them what the **** was going on and they asked me if I was a medical card holder, I said no and they said they could get me in immediately.

wonga77

It's almost impossible to get a doctors appointment where I live. Even if you ring they just advise you to wait till the evening and go to South doc. Twice last year my kids were quite sick and they flat out refused to see them.
I'm 50 miles from the nearest hospital unfortunately so we just use South doc most of the time now

JackieChang

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Does your local hospital have a Local Injury Unit (like a cut down A&E)?

How do those Local Injury units work? Just arrive at any time? Are they usually quieter than A&E?

Also it turns out my previous doctor is retired, that's why I can't get through to them.

Navy blue

Do you have health insurance? My VHI policy includes 6 free video call appointments with doctors. My daughter had a rash last week and I was able to have a consultation with one of the VHI docs in a couple of hours. They might be able to give you advice if nothing else.

Gregor Samsa

JackieChang wrote: »

How do those Local Injury units work? Just arrive at any time? Are they usually quieter than A&E?

I had to use my local one twice during the Spring lockdown (and bring my daughter another day).

You just rock up and give your details at the reception desk. Then you wait, and they call you and see you. Then you're sent to another desk to give your details for the bill, which they send out in the post.

First time I was in with a badly sprained shoulder. They checked it for dislocation, and gave me a sling. I was in and out within 2 hours - but that time I actually arrived before they were open, and there was some time while they had to get set up. Second time, I sliced my finger open, and it was still bleeding the next day. They assessed it for stitches, but decided it just needed a decent bandage and a tetanus shot. That whole trip was about an hour.

_Kaiser_

OP raises a valid point though. When I moved to where I am now, I rang all the GPs in the town and surrounding towns but none of them were taking new patients

Subsequently had to go to A&E 3 times at one point for the same issue but thankfully only charged for the one visit. Spent hours (9 on one occasion) waiting to be seen.

Luckily I rarely get sick enough to need a nurofen never mind doctors and hospitals but it is a real problem alright.

JackieChang

Managed to get a doctors appointment finally. In the waiting room now. Literally took me four hours of calling around to get one.

MarkR

JackieChang wrote: »

Managed to get a doctors appointment finally. In the waiting room now. Literally took me four hours of calling around to get one.

Try to limit the amount of boards you kick through. Good luck.

Graces7

JackieChang wrote: »

How do those Local Injury units work? Just arrive at any time? Are they usually quieter than A&E?

Also it turns out my previous doctor is retired, that's why I can't get through to them.

They are not 24/7; I used the one in Bantry a couple of times and they were excellent. Little waiting time etc. And yes, quieter than A and E .

JackieChang

Wasn't impressed with the doctor. He couldn't tell me what was wrong with my foot.

Tapped my knee with the little rubber tappy thing. It worked. Scraped my foot where the skin was numb. I could feel it, but very reduced sensitivity. As if my foot had been in ice for the last 10 hours. "You're fine" he said. Of course I'm not going to die, but what the hell is wrong with me foot?!

I showed him how I couldn't lift it, and how it is literally impossible to walk on the ball of my foot. It's like the muscle that lifts the foot doesn't exist and I almost fall over. I can only move my toes in slow motion.

I don't want to have this condition forever so I asked him what he thinks is going on, and can he explain the numbness and inability to move it. Maybe I can bring this info to a physiotherapist? He said "I am not God".

He asked "do you want to go to A&E?" Shouldn't he be telling me that?

I got a referral note anyway for A&E if it doesn't get better.

Gregor Samsa

It would be one thing if he could explain why he thinks you are fine, but given that you asked and he replied "I am not God", that doesn't inspire confidence. :eek:

Good luck! Hopefully it either goes back to normal quickly, or you get better service from A&E. Once that's sorted out, maybe try and find another doctor at your leisure.

Graces7

JackieChang wrote: »

Wasn't impressed with the doctor. He couldn't tell me what was wrong with my foot.

Tapped my knee with the little rubber tappy thing. It worked. Scraped my foot where the skin was numb. I could feel it, but very reduced sensitivity. As if my foot had been in ice for the last 10 hours. "You're fine" he said. Of course I'm not going to die, but what the hell is wrong with me foot?!

I showed him how I couldn't lift it, and how it is literally impossible to walk on the ball of my foot. It's like the muscle that lifts the foot doesn't exist and I almost fall over. I can only move my toes in slow motion.

I don't want to have this condition forever so I asked him what he thinks is going on, and can he explain the numbness and inability to move it. Maybe I can bring this info to a physiotherapist? He said "I am not God".

He asked "do you want to go to A&E?" Shouldn't he be telling me that?

I got a referral note anyway for A&E if it doesn't get better.

Please go to A and E. That is just not good enough and not wise to take risks .