Over the last couple of days I've been having a Twitter discussion about availability of GP appointments....in England. I must be honest and say that I have had no problem here in Scotland where Health is devolved....so far! The local Service is falling apart but appointments seem available. I live on a small island and this is a great advantage. I suspect in many Scottish urban areas the picture might be different.
However I am concerned for my fellow citizens even though they live over the Border and my MP tells me I shouldn't bother (not quite....'my pretty little head' but almost!) 
I worked in the NHS for about 40 years on both sides of the Border. I campaigned for better conditions for patients & staff, to the detriment of my career and for all of it. 
I have enormous respect for the GPs on Twitter. As one of them said we rarely disagree. My worry is that this government, ideologically committed to dismember the welfare state, is running down the amazing service provided by GPs so that the unscrupulous Jeremy Hunt can say 'it's not working' and can hand what's left of it over to greedy privateer pals so they can make as much profit as possible from the sick and disabled in our communities.
My GP contacts seem to have been persuade that waiting times can be managed better if patients' health worries are triaged better....in other words: if you 'just' have a cold or a verucca you should wait 3 weeks to see a GP. If you have a 'serious' complaint you should be seen as soon as possible. Here lies the crux of my argument.
I reckon GP training is intensive and a vast amount of information is absorbed by these excellent providers. This qualifies them to diagnose health problems and decide if further action or help is required. Great! 
The rest of the population are not qualified in this area....and why the heck should they be? Each to their own....surely?
So ....if I have an irritating cough or a rash I can't explain should I be allowed to consult a GP asking for advice and reassurance as soon as I can or should I be denied an appointment for 3 weeks because it's not life threatening ? Who knows if it might be TB or meningitis or myriad other dangerous diseases....not me?