😪😡😪 Need to vent.

[Karenanne61]

So palliative care and the transplant team have asked the gp to provide particular care and meds, have they NO!!! Can I make an appointment to speak to a gp? NO!!! The only thing to reduce me to tears is trying to deal with the incompetence of my gp surgery.

[sassy59]

That’s disgusting! Keep trying and don’t take no for an answer. If all else fails, get in touch with your palliative care team. You shouldn’t have to go through this.

Hugs xxx🤗🤗🤗🤗

[Karenanne61 in reply to sassy59]

Thankyou for the suggestion. If we can't get an appointment I'll do that. Palliative prescribed oxycodone to help with the breathing difficulties but gp have sent a letter saying, amongst other inaccuracies, that they have removed it as opioids have no affect on pain! If they had read the letters, (several!) they would see the small dosage would not touch pain anyway and I'm not on it for pain! Oooh I'm so cross and frustrated!

[sassy59 in reply to Karenanne61]

Thinking of you and hope things are resolved very soon. Xx❤️

[Patk1 in reply to Karenanne61]

U might well be.thats appalling.do contact palliative care - u don't need the stress xxx

[Thepainterswife]

I agree with Sassy , it’s just not acceptable ! You don’t need this stress , contact your palliative care team and let them deal with it , if they are anything like my husbands team they will soon sort it out , that’s their job .

[Karenanne61]

Thankyou. If we get no joy from the surgery I will. This is why I try not to deal with the gp surgery.

[BronchyBronwen]

I can’t tell you how sorry I am to read this. ‘Appalling’ doesn’t even touch the sides of what I want to say. The hospital should/may also have an End of Life Board/Team as well as Palliative Care and it may be worth emailing them too, as well as phoning (writing always better than phoning even though probably last thing you feel like doing). Can you get hold of Patient Rep on those teams and maybe the PALS team too? Fault with GP surgery not them, but you need all the help you can get. Sadly, even many previously good GP surgeries going downhill currently. Maybe GP Manager worth contacting too, if you have any faith in your particular Manager (sometimes I do this with mine as she’s a pretty decent person who listens when receptionists don’t get it). Please keep us in the picture.

[Karenanne61 in reply to BronchyBronwen]

Thank-you, it sounds as if you have experienced this 'misunderstanding ' by a gp before! My husband, (what would I do without him?! ) is going to try once more for an appointment to discuss the care plan, meds etc with the gp. If no joy - pens at the ready! Well, keyboards now. (I don't have an end of life team, I have long term palliative care. I didn't know there was a difference so imagine my horror when initially referred! They are the experts on medication! )

[Biofreak]

Your palliative care team would definitely help you with this. I know this from experience with my husband's palliative care team. In my husband's case,a call from palliative care stopped the GP surgery shannanagins and made them jump to it.

[Karenanne61 in reply to Biofreak]

Thankyou. I will be contacting them.

[Ergendl]

This is probably an assistant at the GP surgery following the instructions they've been given to the letter, without the medical knowledge to understand the different uses this medication has. Does your surgery have a Patient Participation Group? Could you complain to a member of that as well.

But as others have said, the Palliative Care Team will have the most clout. And PALS can certainly help you.

[Karenanne61 in reply to Ergendl]

Thankyou. Sadly I think you are right. 'Highly trained call handlers' are now triaging and assessing our needs. The same ones who didn't know it was impossible for me to have had TWO hysterectomies, or understand why my Dad could not have polycystic OVARIES!🤦‍♀️ They are now obviously in charge of responding to consultant's letters.

[Alberta56]

I've never known you moan before. Your surgery should be ashamed of themselves. Unhelpful and ignorant are two words that come to mind. (There are others.) I hope it doesn't take long to sort them out. Love and hugs, Chris xxx

[Karenanne61 in reply to Alberta56]

Thankyou. I do try not to moan and to remain positive but the gp surgery get me every time. Only they manage to reduce me to tears. I knew our members would understand and lots of support and advice is being sent. Hopefully it will soon be sorted.

[Alberta56 in reply to Karenanne61]

🤞🤞🤞 for you. Hope you have a lovely time at the safari park.

[Karenanne61 in reply to Alberta56]

Thankyou. Fabulous day out! I can recommend it. My grandson chose it because he said 'no walking for Nan.'

[Alberta56 in reply to Karenanne61]

So glad you had a lovely time; you deserved it. What a thoughtful boy your grandson is. You must be proud of him.🥰🥰🥰xxx

[Karenanne61 in reply to Alberta56]

I'm very proud. ☺️ He's a typical teenager, monosyllabic a lot of the time and funny and thoughful the rest of the time.

[Izb1]

Doesn't it make you so mad and you really dont need to be stressed at the moment. Do as suggested let the pallative care team know then step back let them deal with it and keep calm. Gp's are getting away with murder at the moment and it really needs to be dealt with x

[Karenanne61 in reply to Izb1]

Thankyou. I am taking a step back today, off to West Midlands safari park for my grandson's half term treat.

[Izb1 in reply to Karenanne61]

Good for you, enjoy your day x

[Homely2]

I had this trouble in December. In the end a senior nurse from the hospital had to ring my gp practice to sort them out.

[Karenanne61 in reply to Homely2]

Thankyou. I will be trying again tomorrow but if no joy I will be contacting the palliative care team.

[JetJet]

That is shocking and to not issue or refuse what your team have requested is awful. I am so sorry you are having to sort this out.I don't know what your GP system is like but when I am 30th in line for an emergency appointment for my Mum and can't get through then I will email them. At least that way it is down on 'paper' and you can address it to the GP or Manager in the hope one of them will read it and respond directly. I am lucky as they usually will assist.

Thinking of you and hope it is resolved.

[Karenanne61 in reply to JetJet]

Thankyou. Emailing is always a good idea then you have a paper trail.

[JJ_7]

How awful for you. It makes me so angry to hear about this neglect. If you really want to get some action, PALS would be a start. I would also have a chat with a no win no fee solicitor. But I understand that all this takes up so much energy and time that you may find this approach a burden. I know what you mean about admin staff acting as a triage service. Really makes me angry to hear their silly questions when booking an appointment. Best of luck Karenanne and I hope you will write here how it turns out finally. xxx

[Karenanne61 in reply to JJ_7]

Thankyou. It's exhausting when we have to deal with stupidity on top of everything else. I am very suspicious of our surgeries 'highly trained call handlers'.

[ghousrider]

good day try rining 111 see what they can do allthe best ghoust rider

[Karenanne61 in reply to ghousrider]

Thankyou.

[Timberman]

Steady on kid! It is very hard in this difficult world and I do sympathise. You tell us you live in fine countryside - call a freind and get them to give you an airing! I find that works wonders. Then I come back and start harassing my recalcitrant GP surgery with new enthusiasm!

[Karenanne61 in reply to Timberman]

Thankyou. I've had a lovely airing today, not in our own country side but at West Midlands safari park.

[Timberman in reply to Karenanne61]

Excellent!

[Mrbojangles]

80% of GP’s are now part time and work on average 20 hours a week.

We pay them on average £86K plus pension.

Here lies the problem.

Overpaid and underworked.

[Izb1 in reply to Mrbojangles]

But why are they allowed to get away with it, we really need some body strong in power to start kicking arxe x

[Karenanne61 in reply to Mrbojangles]

It would be funny if it wasn't so scary. I don't think the gp has looked at my notes or read recent letters.

[Kate124]

Palliative care gave me script for morphine then notified gp who now does the script. I didn't have to wait at all.

[Caspiana]

How annoying. May I ask what their excuse was?? I really hope you can speak to a GP This is totally unacceptable. xx 😔

[Karenanne61 in reply to Caspiana]

The letter I received seemed like the gp had completely misunderstood what was being asked of them. E.g. I have been prescribed oxynorm to help with my breathing. It's not an uncommon med to use for copd and I find it helpful. The gp's response was that she could see opiods had 'crept' onto my prescription, they're 'not helpful for pain ' (!) and she has 'taken them off the prescription . . . out of temptations way'! It's so hard to see a gp here but my husband wrangled an appointment. That gp made another appointment to see another gp next week! Fingers crossed for next week. It's very stressful and really makes me anxious. I hope you are well.

[Caspiana in reply to Karenanne61]

Well obviously she is quite oblivious. Good grief how very annoying. 😠 I really hope things get sorted Karen. This stress is not good for you at all. Luckily your husband is supportive. Do keep us updated. xx

[Karenanne61 in reply to Caspiana]

Very annoying indeed! Kevin is very good, fortunately he volunteers for a wild life charity which gets him out and about in the fresh air and away from me. 😂 I hope you and Chom are well.

[peege in reply to Karenanne61]

i missed this post of youryours first time round and I'm absolutely appalled at the ignorance. No wonder you needed to vent! Grrrrrr.....out of temptations way" it buggers belief

[Karenanne61 in reply to peege]

It's awful! The gp has now apologised for 'the confusion' and her misunderstanding. She also admitted she doesn't always read letters! And breathe 🙂 We went to see the comedian Zoe Lyons last night at our local theatre so I now feel a lot better.

[watergazer]

Sorry to hear of your experience. Keep pestering. Contact the practice manager. Xx

[Karenanne61 in reply to watergazer]

Thankyou. We will if it can't be resolved.

[Albertisadog1991]

I know how you feel Karen - I have been hospitalised on a number of occasions due to my COPD at 86 years old. At My last visit to see my consultant at the hospital - he suggested I needed a 24 hour BP monitor and wrote a letter to my GP to provide this machine.

I have checked with my Surgery every week since -and have been told 'it was out' 'it was broken' ' it was again out' now they 'don't know where it is' ......finally I was told 'as the consultant requested it-ask him to provide it'......?

Of course the Nurses are on strike and I am unable to speak to the consultant or his secretary..it is now coming up to three months - if i have a BP problem that needs attention - on top of my COPD .......no ambulances/paramedics ......?????

One couldn't have made it up....!!!!

[Karenanne61 in reply to Albertisadog1991]

It beggars belief! They only have one bp monitor but don't know where it is ?! I worked in a library and we knew where the thousands of books, dvds etc were. If we had made it up and were pitching for a film it would get rejected as too far fetched.