I have today successfully reestablished the hearing in my left ear - after a fortnight.
When I first arrived in Stafford, in the mid-70s, I registered at Weeping Cross, when it was still in the garden on Stockton Lane.
Eventually, they opened the Beaconside surgery and noticed my more northerly location, moving me there - this suited me at the time, as Weeping Cross had become rather less patient-friendly, I felt.
For the first few years, Beaconside was great - very efficient - but then it seemed to get less so on each of my rare visits.
I only attend about every five years and 80% of those are for this ear situation. It has been taking longer and longer to get the necessary prescription each time, and has been close to an A&E situation a couple of times.
When I investigated Beaconside's current appointments situation, I was initially very happy to see that they now like to resolve as many treatments as possible via a telephone consultation. This sounded great, it's all I've ever really needed, but the inevitable wait to go through the following face-to-face conversation has been getting longer and longer each time.
My ear's infected and blocked.
Is it the same as last time?
Yes.
Did the treatment last time work OK?
Yes.
Shall we do that again?
Yes.
Tap, tap, tap - click.
Unfortunately, my happiness was short-lived. As, in order to get as far as a telephone consultation, you have to be lucky enough to win the daily phone lottery. If you fail to win, you get another chance the next day - ad infinitum...
I assume they rely on you adopting a Plan B scenario, and eventually dumping the situation on some innocent person in A&E.
However, as this has been brewing for years, I have a Plan C. Some time ago, I obtained a stash of the necessary medication, prescription only in the UK, from another jurisdiction, where it is not subject to the closed-shop arrangements we have here. Infection quashed quickly and I've successfully removed most of the accumulated debris over the last few days.
I found a few "reviews" online and I am not alone, it seems.
I don't really have a GP.