I’m having trouble getting the medical care I need and I just wondered if anyone knows my rights or what to do about it.

A few months ago the endocrinologist lowered my thyroxine dose as she said the high dose was putting me at risk of another stroke. However over the past few months I’ve become more and more unwell on this lower dose. I’m so tired I can barely do anything, so brain foggy I can’t concentrate on anything, my cardiac symptoms have significantly worsened, my mood is much worse - I feel more depressed and frustrated than before, along with a load of other symptoms. These are all symptoms of my thyroxine dose being too low. However since then the endo has discharged me, so I can’t get any help from there, at least not without spending another year on the waiting list and I can’t wait that long.

I can’t get a GP appointment either, it’s impossible. They no longer give appointments in advance, they tell you to phone or come to the surgery at 8.30am and ask for an appointment. I have done this multiple times and there are always so many other people clamouring for an appointment that by the time I’ve been on hold on the phone or waited in line at the surgery (even if I turn up before 8.30) by the time I get to the front of the queue all the appointments are already gone. This has been happening for a while, even before these thyroid issues started again, when I’ve tried to get GP appointments for other issues it’s been impossible and I’ve given up. But I can’t give up on this, it’s too severe.

People here may remember I ended up writing a letter to the doctor when I was having issues with my other meds because it was the only way to contact them, it took weeks for a response. I can’t write a letter about this and wait weeks, I need help now.

I don’t know what else to do, I am so desperate and frustrated. Why is it so hard to get medical help now?