Hi, have had COPD for over 20 years and eventually was forced to early retirement. This I can accept and have made various adjustments to my life that keeps things ticking over. My problem now is with my GP and the practice. Bearing in mind that I have had my chest listened to very regulary which includes my back, I have had an area of itchy inflamed skin on my shoulders for about 15 years.It was diagnosed as excema and been treating it with creams. I went in July for another chest check up following a flare up and also said my back was worse and spreading quite quickly.
Diagnosis..an infection and a different cream. It got worse. Went and saw another quack who said it was skin cancer. I've now been to Derby hospital had some cut out but because it has been left for so long they cannot cut it all out and now I face radio and chemo. I have lost faith in my GP's practice and want to change to another but I am half way through treatment a bit worried over lack of continuity. Anyone else been in a similar situation and did changing effect your treatment.
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CornishBrian
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real sorry for your dilemma,wish I could assist you,but if you have been with said gp so long/ would it not be wiser to stay and see chemo and radiotheraphy throw,less stress now would be wise, can you not see the other gp who found the cancer and not your gp,case of devil if I do devil if I don't,catch 22 again,only advice I can offer is,take chemo and radiotheraphy if its on offer,carrotts,
Confused here if a quack told me I had skin cancer I wouldn't consider having radio therapy or chemo. But if it was a professional skin cancer specialist I would.
If you really think the person who diagnosed the skin cancer is a quack, I would definitely ask for a 2nd opinion from a doctor who is a professional skin cancer specialist.
I have changed both specialising consultant and GP with continuity to treatment. I changed doctors within the same GP practice and I changed consultant within the same hospital. The BLF helpline may be able to assist you with this.
Hope things work out for you and you begin to feel more confident with any change you may make.
All good wishes to you for successful ongoing treatment.
Worrying isn't it? I remember a member called Wiggins being misdiagnosed for years and then being told it was cancer. I would say that if you are pleased with other treatment then carry on but if you have lost confidence then change doctors. The treatment should continue without problems if you decide to change. Good luck Brian. x
We don't get a choice in doctors at our surgery...you get who is available. Sorry if I mislead you. The GP did tell me it was skin cancer but he referred me to the specialist skin cancer unit in Derby. They are the ones who have made the decisions and incisions and have told me that because it has been allowed to grow unchecked for so long, it is impossible to remove the entire tumour with surgery. Bearing in mind it's on my back, I have never seen it, only felt it. The consultant filmed it and screened it for me. Now my wife has to photograph it ever day. It goes from one shoulder blade to the other.
Thanks for your reassurance. I think I will make the change on Monday.
make the change,as you 1st stated you had been hospital and ad it confirmed /no thanks to the imbecile of an alien nob gp,you will now be under the hospital so ask them all you want to no,also state to them ur gp as failed in his or her duty of care,have you taken legal advice on this matter,carrotts,
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take whats on offer chemo and radiotherapy ,some don't get that chance,hope its well for you,carrotts,
Thanks. I fully intend to take what the specialists say. My dilemma is, now that I have absolutely no faith in my GP practice, is it the right move to change practices half way through treatment. I have already contacted one other surgery about joining them and they have warned me that my practice are very slow in releasing medical notes. I had thought with the new computer system, that unless I had opted out, my medical notes could be seen by any authorised health care practice. Apparently, the new system didn't work and has now been postponed/delayed/scrapped.
cant answer that,but I changed as was seen same time,but all areas are different,listen yeh,u are now under the consultant for treatment,save you any stress could you not have a word with hospital team on this 1,when push comes to shove ,u shove ,good side is,u now will get treatment,take it,carrotts,
It's not a good situation Brian and I am so sorry you are having to go through this. I personally don't think any doctor much different from the rest of them. I have heard so many stories of misdiagnoses and missing cancer until it's serious that I have lost faith in all doctors. I have an acquaintance at the moment who had pains in his stomach for years. Doctors all dismissed it then he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given 3 months to live. I would stay where you are at the moment because it would be easier for you then think about changing later. You have got enough to worry about at the moment. Good luck with it all.
Our surgery has a weird and wonderful appointment system. You can only make an appointment on the actual day. After 8am for the morning and 12:30 for the afternoon. No advance appointments at all. When I was HGV driving, I would have to lose a days pay in the hope of getting an appointment. If i didn't manage to get one it wa another days pay. I went on to the patients committee to try to change things but to no avail. I often joke that we can get an appointment at the crematorium earlier than you can see a doctor. Even if the quack says he needs to see you in 7 days time, you can't book that appointment and you end up seeing another whenever you can get an appointment.
that's a rubbish system Brian and I think if I were you I'd be seeking legal advice. This just isn't good enough.
Having said that I am so very sorry you're in theis situation. I hope you have close family and friends to support you throughout the treatment.
i would also ring the BLF helpline regarding the pros & cons about changing your GP practice at this stage.
My practice is now 'Commissioned' what ever that means. They encourage me to put ina complaint about my rude horrible con. I've always been able to have an emergency appointment on the day, ring in from 8am onwards in the morning & it's pot luck who's doing the emergency appts.
At other times we can make an appt with doc of choice. They have a couple of late evenings now for people who cant get time off work. Seems to work very well
I sincerely wish you all the very best and a speedy recovery. xxx Peeg
Hi a changed my GP to new practice and is strait forward its all updated by computer ..
Change doc before you have cancer treatment as you dont want to be pissing about
I to have pic of not a regular docs but at least there nit fixed in there opinion which as to be a good thing when it comes to your health
Brian I am so sorry for the experience you have and are still having. As you can't guarantee seeing the GP who helped you and you will not now feel confident in the others, it might be best to move sooner rather than later.
My advice to you would be to change your GP if that is what you feel would be best for you. I am like some of the others above in my sentiment of having no trust or faith possibly because like you I had an illness misdiagnosed but remained with my GP. Hope you get the proper treatment now and do not suffer too much due to delay in correct diagnosis. Every best wish what ever you decide
i think there is a underlying problem with moving GPs or complaining to them that you feel the new one will not look after you and look at you as a troublemaker etc. or can cause other problems, well that is how I have felt in the past, every time I have changed you seem to get good service, a serious check over, I have moved in 60 years 4 times, but I will say this that I find the old partners in the practice's not so good and to bad and the younger ones and news ones very variable, but I do believe it is good to change, moving and your notes not moving straight away means that you get the opportunity to tell the GP what is wrong with you and he has to be carful to check you over to make sure, instead of just reading the notes,
your notes take time to follow as they have to go to the local trust and then on to the new GP, it takes 6 weeks plus so I am told,
the old adage of do not bite the hand that feeds you, could be you do not bit the hand that heals?
hi,you definitely need to get legal advice, brian, and i would say get your lawyer to get a copy of your notes urgently, then change doctors and give the new one a copy of the notes. that way there can be no delay in the notes being released. the practice should be a bit wary of treating you anyway as you have a potential claim against them for medical negligence. good luck sorting it out.
wishing you all the best but/and how maddening that your GP let you down so badly with failure to diagnose. As to changing your GP, it very much depends on where you live, what other GPs are available in your area and if they have room in their practice for new patients. It was on the news in yesterday that 50% of patients who were dissatisfied with the care they received/or did not recieve, did not complain..............is there any point? All ones efforts need to be put into getting the help you need. Again, I wish you all of the best.
I definitely think you should change doctors, it isn't too difficult. Iif you go to a Breathe Easy Group ask amongst the other members for their experiences and recommendations with different doctors and then make an informed choice. For a cancer, of any sort, to be misdiagnosed is terrible and you should follow up with some sort of complaint. Ring the BLF Helpline for their advice. Good luck and take care. Lizzy.
Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I have decided to change my GP as I don't go back to Derby Hospital for a few weeks now. I've had some cut out and so they have to wait for that to heel completely before the next stage. I have two things in my favour.
1. I have 100% faith in the team at Derby
2. Only the good die young....so I should be around for quite a while.
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