[Cyclefrance]

Well, I hope our health system doesn't end up going that way. It has plenty of faults, but I've yet to be registered with a practice where I couldn't see a doctor within a few hours of phoning the reception (no recorded message disaster systems in place yet either).

I've had a total of five practices in my lifetime - reasonable enough as a cross-section but nothing remarkable. Some have been better than others, but nothing ever near the experience you have just detailed. These days we don't seem to have a dedicated doctor, so you get to see whichever one is available. Although it's nice to see the same person (if you get on with them), this arrangement hasn't presented any major problems.

The only real problem we do seem to have is with getting home visits. This was the blight of my father's last few years. He was virtually house-bound, and whereas the doctor would happily see him at the surgery, emergency calls requiring a home visit took an age to fulfill. But I think that is not unusual for our old folk.

Sorry that you have to suffer the way you do - trust that checking blood pressure is the first thing they do when you finally get seen - seems as though it should be an absolute must!