After finding out from my NHS the results of a sputum sample taken on 13th December that said results abnormal contact your GP. The sample showed Pseudo Aeruginosa & Staph Aureus & Non Coliform SP. I posted a photo of the results on 27th Dec I called the GP's to be told the GP had made an appointment for today7th. I tried in vain but the reception wouldn't budge on allowing me a sooner appointment. I then received a text from them to say the GP will call you on 7th to discuss your results as planned. I tried again to get that changed to a face to face but to no avail.
The GP called me this afternoon & said looking at my results he wanted to give me antibiotics but wasn't sure which were the right ones as they had suggested Flucloxicillin & I have a red flag against that. I told him it's been almost 4 weeks since I sent the sample in why hasn't someone spoken to me sooner? He couldn't answer. He said he wanted me to go for an X Ray. I told him I had recently had a CT of my chest wasn't that better than an X Ray? I asked if he or another GP could listen to my chest before being given antibiotics as I'm on Biologic Injections Abatacept for my RA & every time I have an infection I have to stop them So please could someone just listen to my chest. His response was "ideally that would be nice"!!!!!
He decided he would discuss the report with a Microbiologist so ended the call so he could call the hospital. He then called back & said that I should do another sputum sample tomorrow & to collect a form to have a chest X Ray tomorrow too, then if the results still show Pseudomonas he will prescribe antibiotics then. I said I doubt reception will give me a sputum pot as they rarely allow you to have one. He said if they are difficult then tell them to look on your notes. He was really nice so I tried not to get angry with him as it's obviously not his fault. That lies with the reception staff. I came off the phone & cried. How can a GP's surgery leave someone for this long & not act on the instructions on the report. I'm so upset & don't have the energy to be angry. To make matters worse I had my flu jab last Saturday & have been totally wiped out by it. Today is the first day I've got dressed. Sorry I just need to rant. Obviously a complaint will be going in but quite honestly I don't have the energy right now.
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Otto11
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Sending lots of healing hugs your way as you’ve been through so much. I do hope you get the medication you need and are better supported in the future. Bless you. Xxx❤️
Oh what a 'bloody' (sorry Otto) carry on . I'm up late & usually asleep by now & just read ur nightmare day. How the world has changed since we were younger and this is progress? We know better. Probably, because we do, it's very hard for us of a certain age to comprehend the way things are. And it's frightening.
Please know your not on your own & sending all my best wishes to you. 👍🙏
Thank you. Yes definitely for us of a certain age the system is so alien. I went to collect the X Ray form yesterday but it wasn't there & the receptionist couldn't see it anywhere. She looked on my notes but couldn't find anything so she said that I should wait for a text to say its ready. I said no the GP wanted me to go straight away so I waited 20 minutes whilst she messed around & then printed it off. she gave me the sputum containers but when I got home I noticed she had printed off the previous tests which were for TB. I will now have to go back to the GP's today. I asked for an appointment with the practise manager but no I couldn't make one. Apparently I have to speak to the PPG or something then they will decide if the manager should see me. I give up!!!
I’m up early too worrying about our surgery can’t seem to give proper appointments anymore & why we no longer have regular diabetic checks because they can’t recruit nurses. What is going on? So sorry you’ve gone through such madness
huge commiserations Otto, it is terrible that you have had such a poor experience and i hope that GP is able to sort things out quickly now. Do you have anyone who can chase things on your behalf, it is so draining when you are not feeling well. Big hugs, and get well soon xx
Thanks. Hubby helps as much as he can bless him. He took me for the X Ray yesterday due to parking issues at our hospital. I will wait till I feel better. x
Its disgusting how you have been treated. I know it's hard to have the energy to fight when you are unwell but please do. Also dont forget to mention the treatment of the receptionist, get it all in including the difficulty of complaining. Bye for now and good luck with your complaint x
That's a horrible experience, frustration and not being listened to on top of waiting so long for some help, feeling poorly it is not good enough to leave you so long and is detrimental to your wellbeing.
Thanks. I just don't know what is going on there anymore. It's been bad since Covid but nothing like this. I told the radiographer doing the X Ray that I hadn't seen a GP to listen to my chest. She coudn't believe it.
It is so tough getting the right care at the moment isn’t it Otto11 ? I hear your frustration and despair - awful and scary.
Sadly it is the current state of things. I am sure all staff are doing what they can but it must be like climbing Everest! Awful for them too.
Appreciate it is a real struggle to carry on fighting for the right care but I feel we have no choice at the moment. Keep pushing if you can. Have you spoken to the local primary care network pharmacist about these meds ? My experience is that they are super hot and helpful on meds - for that is their role.
Email your MP and make sure you add your post code to it otherwise they won’t bother to read it.
Yes the role of chemists seems to be expanding. I hadn’t quite realised, we haven’t had flu/covid jabs as ran out of stock. No one told us chemist could do it! I hadn’t quite realised. I had UTI but could not get gp appt - but chemist can test! Not for people over 70 like me tho
it's so depressing and demoralising isn't it?! My previous surgery in Wales used to close one afternoon each month for "staff training" - all I can say is that the reception staff didn't seem to get ANY customer service training. In fact, they seemed just to get more obtuse and unhelpful. There were many occasions when I ended a phone call in tears. Then they put up notices everywhere in the surgerythat said "be nice, respect the staff"........that should work both ways!!!!! Take care and hope you feel better soon xxxx
Oh I totally agree with you there. I have come away upset before but the surgery has been taken over by Nimbus care & all the staff have changed. They either don't know what they are doing at all or are rude & abrupt. x
i can only add commiserations and hope that you will eventually have the energy to complain. I thought that Pseudomas should be treated as soon as possible. You have been badly let down. I hope you will get suitable meds very soon. Love and best wishes, Chris xxxx
Thanks. I have started to prepare a complaint. we can't apparently make an appointment with a manager as they are busy managing the surgery I was told. I can write to the PPG & they will decide if my complaint justifies an appointment with the manager.
No wonder you cried it is sheer frustration. The nhs at the moment is a disgrace and really does have to change. I hope you manage to get treated quickly. Wrap up and keep warm in this weather x
Thanks. I've gone through the anger & frustration & now can't be bother to fight any more as I still feel so rubbish. I have started to prepare a complaint though. x
Aaaw Otto, I hope you feel a bit better soon. I went through years of feeling rubbish until I finally got to the bottom of how to treat myself and fight the doctors, realising they are not always right . You could also try your local healthwatch, look it up online they maybe able to help x
Thank you. I have had a call back from the GP this morning who has referred me to Respiratory. Then referrals called to say I should have a call from them before 7 th Feb. So things now in motion. x. I will post later to let everyone know. Thanks again x
Hi Otto 11 may l ask, are you under a consultant? Pseudomonas is a nasty bug and should be treated straight away. I have it and am under a consultant who prescribed inhaled Colomycin which l take every day. I have been on it for 17 months to keep the bugs at bay and keep infection levels very low. You need to contact your GP for an urgent referral to a consultant and insist on it. I am really sorry you are going through this battle, its draining and unfair especially when you are not well. Thinking of you and praying things will get done soon. Take care.
Thank you very much. No I'm not under a consultant. I was until 2022 as I had had 3 year monitoring for lung nodules but then diagnosed on the last CT with Bronchiectasis. It was lockdown so I only had 2 phone calls & was discharged to treat it like asthma (which I already have) as it's mild. I really hope I don't need long term antibiotics as I am on Biologic injections for my RA & would have to stop them if on anti biotics. Thanks again x
Thanks. I have been asked to give another sputum sample so will see what comes of that. My prescription goes to Boots Pharmacy. I shoed them the report on my phone before Xmas but they clearly didn't want to get involved. the Pharmacist just said 7th Jan seems a long time to wait for a call from the GP.
Your GPs are out of their depth. You need a consultant to be advising them on which antibiotics you should be taking. Ciproflaxin is the only oral antibiotic for pseudomonas and if you are immunocompromised you need to be taking some soon. I’m so sorry you have such a fight on your hands to get help. I’m can’t see any point in keeping taking sputum samples if you’ve not had any treatment in between. Good luck.
Thanks for that I will tell my GP what you have said. I'm hoping I will hear back from him sometime soon. I have been for a x Ray & just waiting for the sputum sample now x
I had a March to November infection with Staph A in 2014, and it needed an intravenous AB to sort it. Oral AB hardly touched it. I believe that long infection with that bug caused my bi-basal bronchiectasis, shown up by a CT Scan. The surgery was in disarray at the time, as my doctor was off for a new hip, another was in the throws of retiring and another was getting married and her husband wanted her to stop work. It was only when "my" doctor came back after his surgery, that things were set rolling. Staphylloccus Aureus is the SA bit in MRSA; nasty one. The intravenous AB stopped it in fortnight, but one week later I had another infection stopped by an oral AB. I'd suggest a visit to A&E, (or do you have a walk-in-centre?), but they are all in a right mess at the moment.
Thanks. I really wouldn't want to go anywhere near A & E right now as I'm immunosuppressed. I had to walk through the corridor of A & E to get to the X Ray room as the main x Ray area was having a refurb. I was worried just walking through. I had flu in March last year which lasted 8 weeks so really don't want to risk getting it again.
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