"I feel like I am just an inconvenience to the NHS"

I rarely go to the doctor, I had a bad experience with the NHS 30 years ago having a baby, so since returning to the UK, have avoided doctors but I have a condition that had not been monitored for 9 years so I took myself off for some bloods and at the same time asked to see a Haematologist. They got the bloods wrong twice, and in the mean time appointments are being cancelled and remade, and the Haematologists secretary just rang me and asked me to go to the hospital. I went but at that time I was poor as a church mouse and did not have the money to put in the meter when I got there and I cannot walk as my condition affects the feet, so I just came home and forgot about it.

I never went back to the surgery until two weeks ago, when I made an appointment for a very sore swollen knee, I was asked directly by the receptionist what was wrong with me. When I refused to discuss it with her she argued with me. I rang off without making an appointment. I changed doctors that day, I went for my little check-up when you join and told the lady about the blood tests and thank God she rectified the problem and I now have a very satisfying result. There was no way I could see a doctor until this process was finished, so to hell with my sore knee, I just went on drugs. Nurofen. Two weeks later, yesterday, I went to the doctor about the knee and about another repeat script that I take, he gave me the script and then when I asked him to look at my knee he explained he could not because my ten minutes was up and I had to make another appointment. It is all just so negative, I feel like I am constantly inconveniencing the NHS. I feel deeply afraid of the NHS.

Further to this story, my daughter has been ill with stomach problems for about 4 years, she took every patent medicine for her problem during this time, but at my urging she went to see a doctor at the first doctors surgery that messed up my bloods. She was treated for 6 month period and got a little better, but no sooner did one problem rectify itself than another appeared in its place. The last time she went to this doctor, I begged her to ask to go and see a specialist. On arrival for her appointment the doctor was not feeling well, seemed to have a very bad cold and was in a very bad mood. When my daughter described new symptoms to her, she indicated that she felt my daughter was a drinker. Long story short my daughter left with nothing that day, she came home to me told me the parting shot from the doctor had been and I quote "Come back when you are cured". I have watched this for so long I took matters into my own hands, I arranged a private appointment in London for and all over body scan and consultation and guess what, she has a wheat allergy. We left there, changed her diet and in two weeks she is a different person.

I am opting out of the NHS, like I said at the beginning we so rarely go to the doctor that it is worth paying for a private consultation to get a 1/2 hour appointment and hopefully a more positive result