God bless the NHS. It is an incredible institution. Powered by incredible people, which saves countless lives every single day. But let’s be honest – why is getting through to your GP surgery harder than getting Oasis tickets?
C U Next Tuesday, a short film by Eden Sandy, hilariously captures that familiar and frustrating experience. Meet Nora (Maeve O’Haire), a young woman on a mission. To book an appointment with her GP. Seems easy enough, right? Not quite.
First, she is derailed by a poorly timed incoming call as the clock strikes 8am. Meaning by the time she dials the number all she gets is the automated message saying to try again later. Frustrated, she dials again. And again. Finally, she gets through, but just when you think she might have cracked it, she is only offered one time slot later that day or she will have to call back on Tuesday to repeat the process again.
I can hear you sighing and trust me, I was too. But then the real tension kicks in. Why does Nora need the appointment? In what can be likened to a bizarre form of medical speed-dating, Nora is expected to disclose deeply personal information to the receptionist, a stranger, and state what the reason for her appointment is. Why? To make the appointment shorter.
C U Next Tuesday isn’t ungrateful for the NHS. But it does spotlight how flawed and frustrating the process can be for patients. It captures the absurdity of a system where patients play phoneline roulette so see if they will pick the winning time to call. And are expected to divulge personal health details as if you’re commenting on the weather. Even if you are successful, there is no guarantee of a timely appointment. And you will simply have to try again.
Demand for appointments is intensifying, with GPs and practices seeing more than half of the UK’s population every month (BMA, 2025). Despite how hard GPs and staff are working, it’s no wonder the cracks are starting to show. Yet, there is another topic the film deals with in a hilariously familiar way – female health taboos.
Nora is clearly uncomfortable, and struggles to say the word ‘vagina’ on the phone. So much so that she runs through a carousel of colloquialisms, euphemisms, and everything else under the sun, to avoid saying it. I’ll let you realise what C U Next Tuesday spells out in case you haven’t already. Her discomfort and choices of “lady garden” and “front bottom” is hilarious and painfully familiar.
But why does Nora feel embarrassed to say that word? Why is she embarrassed to mention “down there”’? Well, Nora is not alone. In 2023, Vitality discovered that 21% of women surveyed were too embarrassed to seek help for female health concerns (Whitton, 2023).
Although C U Next Tuesday is for the most part a comedy, no one is laughing at Nora or people like her. We are laughing because this is the reality many of us face when trying to seek help for reproductive health. If we don’t laugh, we’ll cry.
Overall, C U Next Tuesday is sharp, relatable, and very funny. It is satirical but never loses focus on the real issues that reproductive health (specifically female) is still a taboo and how difficult it is to get medical attention. It highlights how GP access is often a complete lottery and hinges on the smallest variables: timing, luck, and how brave you feel speaking to a stranger about your “hoo ha” before your first cup of coffee.
C U Next Tuesday is nominated in the Competition Selection (Shorts) as part of the 10th Femme Filmmakers Festival and will be available to watch as part of the festival this September.