Question 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Breathless1943]

Could anyone on here give me an answer to this question.

Do you now have to go through a GP/ Consultant to get a general urine test.

I have go through quite a lot of stomach pain,and on the odd occasion it’s been due to a water infection. Now when I get pain that I feel is different or unbearable my hubby will take me a urine test to my GPs and they usually test it,and get back to me with the result. Today he was told I have to have a doctor tell me I need one,and for this I have to have an appointment,or go to a walk-in centre,A&E,or 111. Now considering the NHS is struggling to me this is an utter waste of money and time that could be better spent on someone more in need.

So can anyone tell me what I’ve been told is right across the U.K.??

[Waiting_for_godo]

I've had the same so it is the case then. Not nice.

[Breathless1943 in reply to Waiting_for_godo]

It’s not so much not nice,as to me plain stupid taking up appointments for others just for a 2 min test.

[mistyboo]

I get recurrent utis, so what I do is buy my urine test strips online there are two popular sites that sell them. They come in tubs of a 100 about £7 to £10 pounds.

If it tests positive for nitrate, leucocytes or protein I ring the docs and get an appointment, as they have to send it to biology to find out what bug it is and what drug will kill it.

hope that helps

[Breathless1943 in reply to mistyboo]

Thank you for your reply. I’ve had a box once before but didn’t really know what I was looking for,then when I came to try again the date had ran out.

My point actually was the GPs since the covid scare,don’t seem to be doing their job,it seems like they’re just throwing everything to any other professional or Pharmacy. I’ve been to A&E twice for something else related spent 8hrs there,because they’re run off their feet. I had paramedics here for my hubby,and they said the same there doing the job a GP could sort out in 5 mins. Sorry for the rant.🙄

[Luisa22]

Maybe the best thing is to monitor your urine tests via a reliable home test dipstick-thingy. And as said above, only if you see something untoward on 3 consecutive morning urine tests, then phone your GP? I found that the GP doesn't laugh at those tests, they do take them seriously, but may need to cross check and run another test also.

It's quite easy to see the results compared to the colour chart on the tub. So long as you are okay discriminating colour differences, have good light to see it and have a clock standing by to time each one on the list.

For urine infections you want to be looking at "leukocytes" (which I think are right at the top of the chart and dipstick.) and for any possible kidney effects look at protein in the urine. It goes more greenish, the more protein there is. The first one isn't so troublesome, but if it goes greener than that make an appointment.

I heard today that there is to be a change in booking GP appointments. I hope it works as they say. It should be much easier apparently than it has been for 3+ years!