Published on 12, July, 2020
A few days ago, though my GP surgery officially only has the '8 o'clock phone lottery' method of getting an appointment, I sent an email to my GP surgery describing my worsening bowel problems (in great detail). Yesterday, the surgery phoned me offering an appointment next week. I strikes me that, once you have informed a surgery of a medical condition, that they have to respond. Because otherwise, if a patient developed a serious, or life-threatening, illness, they would be open to NHS disciplinary procedures, or to being sued for negligence. It may be worth others trying a similar approach; if it is generally applicable, it will make access to medical care much easier for autistics.
It will depend on the GP, unfortunately.
For starters, my former GP doesn't have a contact email address.
Secondly I wrote to them about 6 weeks ago asking for an operation because my symptoms have become much worse.
This is an op that's previously been discussed at my local hospital.
After a month I visited the surgery to ask what was being done about the letter.
I was told that it hadn't been dealt with and that there was a '3 month' wait on letters being dealt with.
Also, that surgery still doesn't have face-to-face appointments (as far as I know).
So, I've luckily managed to change GP to one in a village near my home town.
I will, however, have to start the process of asking for a referral again but hopefully at my new surgery there will be an option to talk to an actual live GP.
Useful leverage if an email address is available, however. Like all forms of communication, it is dependent on it being looked at in the first place.