A dad is terrified he will not live to see his daughter's wedding as he claims he cannot book an appointment at his local GP.
Paul Reddington, from Birmingham, has been diagnosed with ischaemic heart disease, meaning his blood supply is blocked by a build-up of fatty substances in his coronary arteries.
Medical treatment can help reduce the chances of heart attacks in patients suffering from the condition, CoventryLive reports.
However, the 56-year-old claims he has not been able to book an appointment at Tanworth Lane surgery, his local GP in Solihull, because they are too busy.
The life expectancy for men in their fifties with ischaemic heart disease is around six-and-a-half to seven years, Paul said.
It comes as hard-working GPs are under unprecedented pressure due to chronic NHS staffing shortages.
Carer Paul said: "I have phoned up at eight o'clock in the morning [and] by quarter past eight they keep saying 'it's full, you can't get in'.
"They don't ask me why I need to get in touch. My daughter is getting married next year.
"I want to know if I'm going to be here to actually see that wedding."
Paul, who works as a full-time carer for his mother, said the situation had left him confused and worried.
He told of not knowing what was happening with his health or "how long I've got".
Now, the Birmingham dad said he had "given up on them" and even been forced to complain.
He claims the surgery would not see anyone without a telephone conversation first.
"You have to ring up at eight am and go into a queue on the phone," Paul explained.
"The phone queue allows you to put the phone down and when you are near the front of the queue it rings you back.
"Three times the other week I rang at eight am, got the call back at around 8:15 am only to be told by a receptionist there was no more vacancies and to ring back again."
"It is a total bl***y shambles. I wish to speak to my doctor about a serious condition I have and still nothing. I really have given up."
Paul - who wanted to speak out - said he had been at the surgery his entire adult life.
He claims that while it used to be fine "you've got more chance of meeting the pope than getting to see a doctor".
He went on: "Before the pandemic, you could speak to a doctor."
Paul added: "Worried is an understatement. I don't know whats going on with my own health.
"I want somebody to reassure me I will be there for my daughter's wedding. I could cry at the moment."
Tanworth Lane has been approached for comment.
Earlier this year, the Royal College of GPs gave evidence in Parliament on how chronic staffing shortages were worsening workloads treating an ageing population.
Chair Prof Martin Marshall told the Health and Social Care committee: “The kind of problems that we’re seeing in general practice, as well as medical advances, are far more complex than they were when I started my career.
“As a consequence of that, that makes each consultation more and more stressful.
“We know that the average consultation length is 9.8 minutes, and the average number of problems is just about three.
“So you got a complex problem and you’ve got two or three minutes to deal with it in a consultation. It doesn’t work.”
MPs also heard GPs are being overloaded by the impact of record Covid hospital waiting lists.
Dr Kate Fallon, a GP at Somerton House Surgery in Somerset, explained: “We have a 63-week wait to see a gastroenterologist at the moment.
“And what are all those patients doing? Well we’re holding them, we’re taking the risk, we’re trying to support them through that.
“So that is causing us an awful lot more patient contacts (compared to) if the service was more timely.
“It’s not just gastroenterology, but that’s the worst example.”
