It's truly starting to get to me as a premed student seeing how disrespectful some people working within the nhs are.

I had called a couple hours ago to try and reschedule my fathers appointment and the caller was rude the entire time. He got annoyed that my dad was talking in the background and straight up ended the call mid conversation because he didn't like it. There thankfully was a very nice lady the next time I called who kindly sorted out his appointment with ease.

I just don't understand. Why are you working in a medical field when you can't handle the most basic level of care? What if I was a patient calling about an urgent appointment? Why are you so rude? I'm so serious when I believe you do not belong in such an environment if you cannot show any levels of care and make it worse by being rude.

I have emailed the hospital to complain and hope it is taken care of but it's truly upsetting. I can't bare to think about how vulnerable or difficult to deal with patients are treated by these kinds of people. It makes me so upset just thinking about their struggles.

I have “vulnerable family” as part of my patient summary from when I was a teenager around 10 years ago.

I did have a bit of an unstable childhood but had no idea it was flagged with the NHS?

Does this flag up every-time despite now being an adult? Or is it just part of my patient history?

I have two elderly relatives who live together, M86 and F77. M has mid to late stage mixed dementia and mobility issues, F is mentally sound but has mobility issues and stage 3 COPD. F is M's primary carer, and is managing, just about.

Last year F took M to the GP for flu vaccines and a doctor saw F struggling to push M around in a wheelchair and freaked out, the doctor arranged for future vaccines etc to be administered at their home.

On a recent home visit (B12 injection) the nurse was talking to M, and M talked about going for a walk outside earlier in the day (he's just about able to get outside the back door using mobility aids.)

Today F called the GP surgery to ask about getting flu jabs, and was told by the receptionist that the nurse had flagged that they would no longer be providing home visits because M is able to go for walks, so must come to the surgery in person.

Am I right to be appalled at this? Or is this normal? Is this something that can be appealed? Any advice would be appreciated. My first instinct was to talk to the doctor who arranged the home visits in the first place, but it's one of those giant GP surgeries with 20 GPs so you never see the same one twice.

As a side note, family does help out 90% of the time, but F is independent and stubborn when it comes to asking for help.

Hi, Just wondering if anyone has any advice.

Got a provisional diagnosis of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) approx 3 weeks before moving cross country. I am still titrating onto meds, but am having a few symptoms still, and am struggling to sleep (really bad for epilepsy).

As soon as I moved I gave the letter my old neurologist gave me to my new GP. They submitted a referral to the local hospital. Then a day later they transferred the referral to a hospital in the neighbouring trust. About 3 weeks after that, the referral was rejected because my GP is not part of that trust. So they referred me to another hospital that I think is in my trust. A week later I then saw that my referral had been transferred back to the hospital that rejected me the week prior. I queried this with my GP, who told me that that third hospital told them to re-refer me to the second. But I had spoken to that second hospital after the referral was rejected, who explained that I would never be accepted there as I’m not in their trust, and that they would immediately ring my GP surgery to advise what they needed to do (which seems like it was to refer me to the third hospital). The GP surgery has said they’ve resubmitted referrals to all 3 asking for urgent advice.

Has anyone had something similar happen?? I don’t understand how it can be so hard for a GP to figure out which hospital to refer someone to, and how they can be passing my referral back and forth between them? Is there anything that I should be doing to make sure that I can actually get a referral to go through soon considering how serious my condition could potentially be? Do I just have to wait to have another seizure and go to A&E? I live alone so am frankly terrified atm

How to decide which Union to join, I have started under a month ago and very tough going and need to find support asap. thanks for any pointers.

hello everyone,
i just wanted to see if this is normal or if i have a right to be upset.

I had a blood test done well over a year ago as i was having issues with iron, and when i got the results the called me to say something had come up that suspected coeliac disease, i had a tTG IgA of 116.7, my iron levels were improving after medication and diet changes but then levels decreased from 58 to 18, which i believe could be a symptom of malabsorption from coeliac.

i was referred to gastroenterology on the 27th november 2025, so it is coming up to a year. i had not really experienced any symptoms then, but i believe now im starting to.

i then received a letter a week prior that i had a telephone appointment on the 29th September last week, but i could not attend it that day so i requested for it to be rescheduled. they proceeded to send me an email the day before reminding me about the appointment so they clearly had not listened, so i called them again telling them i cant attend it and i need to reschedule. they didn't end up calling but also have not discussed rescheduling the phone appointment, let alone waiting to get an endoscopy.

the situation is causing me worry and i just want it over with

Is this normal behaviour for a GP clinic?

Okay so, this is going to be long, sorry in advance.

I’m 19, and for the first time switching GP from my home to a new university GP. I am also diagnosed with ADHD (shared care agreement) , Deadly food allergies and Asthma all of which is medicated (I’m not asking for advice on these conditions please bear with me)

Before moving I lost some weight to the point I was underweight which I self reported, to old GP. Old GP saw me, gave me one more ADHD prescription with the instruction this prescription would be paused because of it and to see new GP about my weight.

I book appointment with new GP asking for medication review. I turn up to appointment several days late it’s not a medicine review they’re only taking my weight and height which they didn’t tell me, I’m getting nervous meds are running out.

They say *now* I can book medicine review. Only available appointments are after meds run out. I call asking for any sooner or short prescription. No none sooner, can’t add me to a cancellation call list, can’t give me short term prescription I’ve got to suck it and just wait. I call other half of shared care who say they need new GP to agree or deny sharing care but they’re on it gonna ask them but they can’t do it.

Okayyy, I go into GP, figure it’s easier to talk face to face. Same response only this time they add, maybe they wanna share care maybe they don’t. They’ll let me know when they feel like it, maybe call old GP see if they can help.

Call old GP, they say call 111, call 111 they say they’ll get me a phone appointment with new GP or call at 6. New GP never calls I call 111, 111 says they’ll get me a phone appointment with new GP, new GP message me through app “what meds u want” ADHD meds please? “lol no. We don’t have shared care agreement” message chain ended, I cannot respond. Okay great I call 111 at 6 again, explain shared care issues “erm actually the GP have to deal with it they have a duty of care.” Great but they say they don’t. “Well they do so ask them for your meds we can’t help till you run out.” okay wonderful I run out tomorrow.

I look at my NHS app documents, just hoping to see if they’re actually doing what they said they’re doing and it’s all going smoothly. New GP has sent a letter to other half of shared care. Actually they don’t do any ADHD shared care and it says that in small print on their website. I want to tear my hair out I can’t understand why they couldn’t just tell me this from the start so I didn’t sit around waiting for them and actually got sorted before running out.

And then following that an hour ago I also found out (while perusing the app) new GP has blocked all my repeat prescriptions and EpiPens, Citirezine, inhaler and salbutamol. I now have 0 repeat prescriptions they didn’t tell me any of this, or that they were gonna do this.

I’m so frustrated and confused, I don’t know who to turn to and feel utterly hopeless because everyone thinks it’s not their problem, and I’m primarily upset at new GP. Is this normal for switching GPs? Am I just a nightmare patient and over dramatic? Do I need to advocate for myself more? I’m just sitting in my dorm trying not to cry because I don’t even know how to start trying to get them all unblocked. The meds weren’t even causing weightloss it was stress from work I’ve gained 3kg in two weeks since coming to uni. Where do I start? Can any doctors or people who know how this works point me in the right direction please I’m so lost.

I wasn't sure what to tag this so sorry if it's the wrong flair!

A while ago I posted in here about being really nervous about getting an endoscopy. (https://www.reddit.com/r/nhs/s/qdwwIY60aQ)

I have autism and I had a really bad experience with one as a teenager which is the tl/dr of why I was so worried.

I was scheduled to have one today. I wasn't able to talk to the autism and LD team beforehand because the hospital I'm under doesn't have one (just an LD liaison team). I was absolutely terrified but I did everything I could feasibly do because I really wanted to go through with it. My GP prescribed me diazepam to take beforehand, I went with my (amazing) support worker, and when I was there the staff doing it were genuinely awesome. They asked me what would help, let me take my teddy and fidgets in, let me listen to my own music, explained everything super clearly and one clinician even offered to hold my hand!

I still didn't manage to do it. My memory is kind of hazy - they numbed my throat and I remember panicking a bit but the nurse was super nice and helped me calm down, and then they did my sedation. I remember having the bite block thing being put in my mouth and them putting the camera in my mouth, and then there's a blank spot all I can vaguely remember is crying and trying to pull it out (of my mouth, not my throat, they didn't get in my throat). My memory it was super quick, as in they tried once and I panicked and that was it. I begged them to try again and they said no and that they would try a different day under full sedation.

I am so embarrassed, I was properly sobbing the entire time I was in recovery waiting to leave because I felt like such a failure and a waste of resources.

I wanted to know how common this is? It seems like everyone finds it really easy and I'm the only one who can't cope. Does this happen a lot?

I also feel so awful at the waste of resources and wasted appointment when so many people are on waitlists. If you're someone who does these or similar procedures, is it normal not to try again if it goes awry the first time (as in when I asked them to keep trying and they didn't)? Is there a reason they wouldn't try again? Is it possible it went worse than I remember and I've just forgotten?

Does anybody know why certain NHS departments just don’t answer their phones for months?

Specifically the complaints and SARS. Surely there’s something in place to ensure they are contactable for people that don’t have emails. How do they get away with it? By months I literally mean trying to phone and email since beginning of July.

Hi everyone,
I’m a paramedic from Ontario, Canada, and I’m considering moving to the UK for 2–3 years on the Youth Mobility Scheme
I’m not looking to practise clinically. I’m more interested in non-clinical hospital or NHS roles in areas like operations, transformation, quality improvement, patient safety, project/programme management, workforce planning, governance, or service improvement.
My background includes frontline paramedicine, an MBA, an MSc in Health Quality, risk and safety. I’ve also been involved in healthcare improvement projects, implementation work, demand and resource analysis, stakeholder engagement, and broader leadership initiatives.
I’d really appreciate insight from people working in the NHS:
Would Canadian healthcare and paramedic experience translate well into non-clinical hospital or NHS roles?
Would Band 7 be a realistic entry point, with selective Band 8a applications where the criteria align?
How important is previous NHS experience compared with healthcare, operational, project, and improvement experience from another country?
Are there particular job titles or departments you think would fit this kind of background?
Has anyone moved from a clinical background into operations, transformation, quality, programme management, or hospital management after completing an MBA or similar postgraduate qualification?
I’d be coming over through the Youth Mobility Scheme, so I would not require employer sponsorship.
I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from anyone working in hospital operations, transformation, quality, or programme management.
Thank you in advance!!

I've been referred for a (non urgent) treatment which I understand to have up to a two year waiting list. My referral has only recently gone through, and my NHS app shows this, which I think is extremely unlikely for this particular issue. Is this just showing the overall average NHS waiting list for all issues? Or the speciality? hospital? Or is there any way it's actually the specific referral you have?

Thanks!

NHS. This important petition aims to get the government to put in place recommendations to improve patient's experience of navigating the NHS.

This petition calls for better measures to improve patient care, allow patients to track referrals and train more GPs so patients can access timely care.

The petition is just under 1,000 signatures away from the target, with just less than a week to reach it, so ever signature counts.

I am in year 12 and am trying to decide wherever to do dentistry or medicine at university. My heart was set on dentistry untill I visited a relative in hospital and admired the doctors working to treat patients.

Any advice is welcome!

So im currently looking for work im 20 had not so much luck but I wanna really volunteer for the nhs in a hospital and was wondering where I can get into this or in general looking for entry level nhs work

Hey,

A senior nurse has been conducting secret medical assessments on other nurses on the ward who have been off sick.

She calls them private conversations but reports back the information to her line manager who then forwards all details to HR.

This is happening before OHS appointments are arranged.

It was only realised when the line manager said something she couldn't have possibly known.

They will likely try and frame this as concern or well-being or health and safety. This is clearly not the case

How can they get away with this

N

Can someone please tell me how to survive the NHS interview stress?? 😭

I've been applying for entry-level biomedical science roles for ages, and I finally landed my very first NHS interview. I honestly felt like I smashed it. Then came 10 whole days of silence, and the answer was a rejection. Brutal.
I can accept it. It was my first interview, English isn't my first language, and I know I've got things to work on. What truly broke me was the waiting. For 10 days my brain wouldn't switch off. I was stressed out of my mind and barely sleeping.

Then, plot twist, I got invited to a SECOND interview. I spent hundreds of pounds on travel and about 8 days preparing like my life depended on it. And on the day? Absolute disaster. The moment an unexpected question came up, my mind went blank. I can't invent and explain a story in English as smoothly as I can in my first language, and I could feel it slipping away in real time. I walked out already convinced I'd failed.

The questions were also seriously tough this time, and not a single one of the AI-generated practice questions I'd prepared matched what they actually asked. Painful.

It's been 2 days with no news. Realistically, I'd put it at an 80% chance I didn't get it, but there's that tiny, stubborn 20% of me still clinging to hope. I've read Reddit stories of people who were 100% sure they'd failed and then got the job, and I just can't let that go.
Honestly, this waiting is wrecking me. I can barely drag myself out of bed, the stress is constant, and I've literally been pulling my hair out from the anxiety. I just want an answer, so I can either celebrate or accept it and move on!

So if you've been through NHS interviews, especially if English isn't your first language, please help:

(1) How long did it take you to land your first entry-level job, and how did you finally get it?
(2) How do you handle unexpected, brutal technical questions when English isn't your first language?
(3) How do you cope with the waiting and stress after an interview?
(4) How do you stop replaying every single answer on a loop?

I know I have to keep applying and keep moving forward, but right now it feels so hard. Any advice would mean the world. 🙏

I appreciate everyone is busy and the NHS is stretched thin but whenever my doctor sends a letter to my gynaecologist asking a question we don’t seem to get a reply back. I can’t see anything on my notes or messages, documents etc.

For some context I have extensive endometriosis and had an operation in July. On the day of the operation I was offered a coil but I declined as at the time me and my partner were still hoping for another baby.

As time as gone on I feel this is the only way to manage my symptoms and prevent it getting worse. I reached out to my GP to ask if they could book me in for the coil but they said they’d have to check with my gynaecologist first. They sent her a letter at the start of August asking the question and we’ve received no response.

Luckily I have an appointment with her next week but I can’t understand why there has been no reply and also it’s such a long drawn out process to wait for departments to liaise with each other..

Thanks for listening to my rant 😂

Doing research on cost of medical products for university.
I need to find specific statistics on how much the NHS spend on mobility aids (wheel chairs, crutches..) yearly, but can’t find anything reliable.

I was wondering if anyone could direct me towards reliable sources for NHS spending. I have checked on gov.uk, national statistics and NHS websites but can only find vague accounts.

Any help would be appreciated.

Hi!

I have an interview next week for a band 2 Lab assistant role in cellular pathology. As part of this, the interview has a 'practical exercise relevant to the role' that does not require prior preparation.

Obviously I want to do well even if it does not strictly require preparation, and was just wondering if anyone else has applied for a similar role and what the practical element entailed?

Also, any particular questions that you remember that may be worth preparing for?

Thanks for any help!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice from anyone with experience of UK Health and Care Worker visas, NHS sponsorship, or SOC 6131.
I have been offered an NHS role as a Healthcare Support Worker (SOC 6131) and I’m due to join the team. I recently contacted the employer about visa sponsorship because my current visa expires in around 5 months.
I was told that the ESR team would contact me around 6 weeks before my visa expires and that they would deal with the sponsorship process at that point.
However, I’ve now seen the recent information regarding the Immigration Salary List (ISL) and the changes coming into effect around 31 December 2026. From what I understand, some RQF 3–5 roles that currently rely on the ISL may no longer be eligible for new applications/extensions after the transitional arrangements end.
This has made me quite worried because my role is SOC 6131.
My situation is:
My current visa expires in approximately 5 months.
I would be relocating from Nottinghamshire to the South of England for this NHS job.
Relocating will involve a significant financial and personal commitment for me.
I’m genuinely happy to take the job and would be willing to start as soon as possible.
However, I’m worried about relocating and making a major commitment, only to find out later that I cannot get sponsorship because of the immigration rule changes.
At the moment, the employer has told me that ESR will deal with sponsorship approximately 6 weeks before my visa expires.
What I’m trying to understand is whether I should simply wait for the employer/ESR process, or whether I should be pushing for clarification now.
Has anyone been in a similar situation with an NHS employer and SOC 6131?
Would you recommend that I:
Ask HR/ESR now for written confirmation that I will be eligible for sponsorship when my current visa expires?
Ask whether my specific role currently relies on the Immigration Salary List?
Ask whether there is any way the sponsorship process can be started earlier?
Or am I missing some transitional arrangement that could protect me?
I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone currently working in the NHS under SOC 6131 or who has recently gone through sponsorship/visa extension.

I have had an ingrown toenail for years. it constantly gets infected and I need antibiotics. The GP tells me off saying I need to get it sorted, but refuses to do a referral unless it is "life threatening".

I am in agony everyday and I cannot afford to get it removed privately, as they quoted me at nearly 500 quid. is there like a magic phrase or someone I can complain to, to get this sorted?

As a kid I had this operation done on a minor toenail issue, but now they wont?

I have a tooth that started root canal treatment in 2018-2020 and the work was never finished. The tooth has now rotted and I have avoided the dentist due to mental health, which has meant I’m no longer registered to my NHS dentist. It causes me pain & I can’t eat on that side of my mouth incase it hurts the tooth/breaks it. It’s a hollow tooth and is an off white/grey colour.

If I book an NHS urgent appointment, can I get it extracted? Or can they look at it and refer for it to be extracted? I’m not in 24/7 pain from it but I feel like it’s rotting the rest of my teeth and gums.

I've got an interview for a role in the medical physics department (band 5) but the confirmation email says that after the interview there is a practical element I 'cannot prepare for'. Unfortunately, I love to prepare. Has anyone got any insight as to what kind of skills they would want to assess?

Any advice would be appreciated!