Reader's letter: Self-medicate during jubilee bank holiday weekend?

I recently received a text message from my local GP surgery to inform me that the surgery would be closed over the Queen’s jubilee extended bank holiday weekend and that in an emergency call 111 .

No change then!

It has been almost impossible to make an appointment to see a GP since the Covid pandemic began well over two years ago: the best you can hope for is a consultation over the phone or possibly Zoom – and even that can take a couple of weeks to secure.

We know the NHS has and is under severe pressure and it doesn’t look like the situation is going to change any time soon, but further excluding patients from seeing a GP only exacerbates an already dire situation.

We know NHS staff work incredibly hard and I’m not carping about them but I really don’t understand why GP surgeries should be closed on weekdays to facilitate the Queen’s jubilee celebrations.

After all the formal anniversary celebrations are not until July.

Plenty of communities up and down the country will be getting out the bunting and having street parties during most of the summer and good luck to them, but I’m sure if Her Majesty fell ill over the bank holiday w eekend, she would be surrounded by medical professionals in an instant.

As for the rest of us – self medicate!