And the saga continues!

[Otto11]

Hi just a quick update & further cock ups from my GP practice.

Well after I spoke with my GP on 7th Jan he arranged a repeat sputum & XRay & would then be referred to the hospital 25 miles away where all my previous CT’s & Bronchiectasis diagnosis were done. Good all sorted or so I thought. I then received a referral letter from my local hospital respiratory department to say there is a 36 week waiting list. Great. I hadn’t been referred to this hospital. I couldn’t be bothered to attempt to sort it out & thought I would leave this to the GP to do.

Then my second sputum sample showed Staff Aureus & upper respiratory flora. Note says to be expected.

I then received a text stating a 13 week waiting list for my Respiratory appointment at the other hospital 25 miles away where It looks like I have been referred to both hospitals!

Still no follow up with a GP appointment & no call regarding any antibiotics.

As I was going on holiday on 20th I had hoped to be sorted with a plan in place. On collecting my repeat meds for the trip I noticed some were missing so checked on the app to make sure I had ordered them. That’s when I found this letter dated 13th Jan from my local hospital Respiratory Consultant. ( The one I’m not supposed to have been referred to).

With only 1 day to arrange I called 111 who arranged for an out of hours GP to call. She did & prescribed Doxycycline ( which I already had at home). Still nothing heard from the GP practise & I have now finished my course & according to the letter should be doing more sputum samples now. It looks to me like the letter has been filed but not acted on. What a mess!! I have called the surgery to try to speak to a GP but told I am on the routine waiting list for an appointment. They really are useless. 😡. Thanks for reading & rant over.

[Mellywelly]

They make you bloody sick. Why are there so many doctors around that don't do what they are paid for. My heart goes out to you chook 😉

[Otto11 in reply to Mellywelly]

Thanks. I’m fine just sick of waiting for them to do their job properly.

[Rosa17 in reply to Mellywelly]

I agree - they literally make you bloody sick!! can't get appointments, repeat prescriptions disappear. my GP practice is a training practice, it's disconcerting when you are speaking and they are looking up Google to tell them whats wrong! x

[sassy59]

It all sounds very familiar Otto and l truly don’t know who actually gets to see a doctor. Pete doesn’t that’s for sure. I wish you well and hope you can get things sorted out soon and get the support you need. Xxx🤗

[helenlw7 in reply to sassy59]

I haven’t actually seen a gp since August 2023!

[sassy59 in reply to helenlw7]

That’s dreadful Helen. Xxx❤️

[Otto11 in reply to helenlw7]

That’s awful especially if you need to be seen.

[Turnipgirl in reply to sassy59]

Many years ago the waiting rooms at the surgeries would be packed with patients but nowadays they aren't are they?

One of my friends was badly let down by their surgery when they told her it was a 3 week wait for an appointment for a 3 year old!

[sassy59 in reply to Turnipgirl]

Not many people in the waiting room nowadays. Dreadful your friend was told that. No wonder so many are going to A&E. Xxx

[Turnipgirl in reply to sassy59]

I thought it was disgusting as well a 3 week wait for a 3 year old who only needed some antibiotics!

I was really cross though when they lost my prescription and I kicked up a fuss over it and it turned up the following month but thankfully I got one with the gp whilst I had my check up!

Then I was really cross when I received a text saying that a blood test I had had back in the March of 2023 needed repeating at the start of the May!

I did get it repeated in the May just before I moved and thankfully everything was fine and the nurse said that if things had been serious I would have been called in right away by the surgery!

It was frightening though getting that text from the surgery telling me that my blood test needed repeating and the nurse explained that when that happens it's usually because somethings gone wrong at the lab or not enough blood was taken for the test which helped reassure me so should that happen again and I get a text like that I won't get myself upset and worried over it!

[Otto11 in reply to sassy59]

Thanks. I really struggle to get an appointment sorry Pete does too. It’s rubbish isn’t it. It will get sorted eventually I guess.

[Mopsey1897]

so sorry for you. I think hospital letters are uploaded by gp admin staff but gp’s don’t have time to read them all so just look when you’re actually with them or on the phone to them. Not a great system but some surgeries have a thousand or more patients so it’s impossible to read every letter. I always phone my surgery when I'm Waiting for results etc so I don’t get forgotten!

[Otto11 in reply to Mopsey1897]

Thanks. I’m sure you’re right that they are uploaded by admin staff but GP should be reading & acting on advice when he had asked for it. We can’t unfortunately call our surgery for results or anything. When we call it goes to a call centre somewhere else. They can pass on a message but are not medical so can’t access your notes. It ends up being Chinese whispers!

[Mopsey1897 in reply to Otto11]

That’s awful that you ring a call centre. I’m very lucky where I live and one of the reasons we decided not to move further out. My husband has a brilliant NHS dentist as well. Good luck

[Otto11 in reply to Mopsey1897]

Our surgery is 1 of 6 locally. A central centre now answer calls. They seem incapable of passing on a message accurately 🤷🏻‍♀️ I remember once I rang for an urgent appointment for a possible chest infection & the GP called to say I believe you have a problem with your leg!! We can however send an e mail ourselves which seems better x

[Turnipgirl in reply to Otto11]

At our surgery they have moved all the reception staff who do the phones up to the main surgery to save money!

At the branch surgery there is a young girl on the reception who is on her own dealing with welcoming patients into the surgery which isn't on and they close the branch surgery now on a Wednesday afternoon as well!

Thankfully I can go to the main surgery nowadays as it's not far from where I live!

[Otto11 in reply to Turnipgirl]

We only have one young new receptionist at a time with a long queue of patients waiting. As they are new they can’t do much other than pass messages on. We are supposed to go to any surgery in the group but in reality they won’t allow it if you ask. Ours is reputedly the worst!

[Alberta56]

I hope you had a decent holiday. Much needed after the way you've been messed about. I hope you had 14 days worth of Doxy-7 days does not knock out all the baddies. And aren't they going to do anything about the pseudomonas, which sounds like a really nasty bug. Lots of sympathy. I hope this appalling saga will be resolved soon. xxxx

[Otto11 in reply to Alberta56]

Thanks. I’m still away home on Friday. Having a good rest thanks. No the out of hours GP only prescribed 7 days worth. Shame the Consultant didn’t specify. Strangely the Pseudomonas didn’t show on the second sample 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Alberta56 in reply to Otto11]

Swizzy, who knows more about lung health than most, has told us that pseudomonas is very good at hiding. I think you need to take this up with your GP. Sorry- that means adding another chapter to the saga.

[Otto11 in reply to Alberta56]

Oh OK thanks for that. Definitely worth knowing. When I get this appointment I am waiting for I will mention it to him. The next chapter will be sorting out the hospital referral. It seems silly to start with a new hospital when all my previous CT’s for 3 years of monitoring lung nodules Bronchiectasis diagnosis plus Lung Function Tests are at the other hospital.

[Turnipgirl]

Last year I got really cross when Boots and the gp surgery lost my prescription and I made a fuss over it and did get my medication after a gp appointment which was due anyway for a check up!

A month later the lost prescription turned up and had a note saying to book an appointment for a check up and I happily threw that in the bin and ignored it as the check up had all been done and dusted earlier on!

Thankfully because I made a fuss I wasn't left without medication but it was a lesson not to go near that branch of Boots again!

[Otto11 in reply to Turnipgirl]

Oh dear. I use Boots too.

[Turnipgirl in reply to Otto11]

I'm not sure if it's Boots on the whole that are incompetent or just that particular shop!

Anyway I know better not to go near that shop again and the boots website to reorder things online!

When it's time I will go to the surgery and have my check up and get the prescriptions then after that cock up last year and not go near that Boots shop again!

[Otto11 in reply to Turnipgirl]

I I’m quite happy with our local Boots tbh. They know me so well as I have an awful lot of meds so in there all the time. Sorry you had such a bad experience with them.

[Patk1]

Thats a terrible lack of care from yr practise.could u change to a different practise? They're v likely causing u ill health + lung damage xxxx

[Turnipgirl in reply to Patk1]

Years ago when I lived at the other place I was with a surgery who was great when the husband and wife team ran it but it went to the dogs after they retired!

The last straw came when they refused to issue my medication and I made a fuss and the pharmacist rang them and demanded they give me it and they did and after that I changed surgeries to one who can't do enough for you!

Thankfully that surgery where they can't do enough for me has it's main surgery near the new place so they were fine for me to keep on seeing them!

[Otto11 in reply to Patk1]

Thanks. I keep saying I will change but it’s the only one near us so I keep putting it off & giving them another chance. . It's been dreadful since Covid lockdown but has recently been taken over by Nimbus Care & now even worse. I don’t know about lung damage but they definitely cause stress!

[Jeaniseuge]

Sounds exactly like like my GP practice!

[Otto11 in reply to Jeaniseuge]

🙁 not good

[helen1946]

I am a carer for my husband steve (copd heart failure and brain injury was referred12 months ago for repeated painful urine infections and blood in urine NO APPOINTEMENTS AVAILABLE AT 2 LOCAL HOSPITAL AT ALL SO WAS OFFERED PRIVATE HOSPITAL TREATMENT ON THE NHS so pleased I got appointment April last year as I have had several forms of rare cancer over the last nine years.5 ops radium preventive type chemo. Well i did see a consultant as I said April he was concerned and had me sign for a cystoscopy there and then and antibiotics to keep at home.WELL I WAITED AND WAITED LAST.NOVEMBER ASKED DR WHY I WAS STILL WAITING HAVING BEEN TREATED FOR 6 MORE INFECTIONS ECT.SHE PRINTED OFF CONSULTANTS LETTER AND SAID CONTACT THEM I DID TRY MANY TIMES HANGING ON PHONE FOR MANY TIMES.THERE WAS NO E.MAIL AVAILABLE FINALLY I LOOKED UP THE HEAD OFFICES FOR THE GROUP AND E.MAILED THEM.YOUNG MAN SPOKE TO ME AND SAID HE COULD NOT CONTACT EITHER SO GAVE ME THE PRIVATE PATIENT LIASON E.MAIL WHO DID THEN PASS ON ONFO TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT FINALLY A REALY NICE YOUN MAN RANG ME AND SAID HE FOUND MY NOTES AND UNFORTUNATELY THE CONSULTANT FORGOT TO PAS ON THE INFO TO THE ADMISSIONS SO EFFECTIVELY I WAS LOST AND NOONE KNEW.SO AT LEAST NOW THEY ARE WANTING TO CARRY OUT TREATMENT I ASKED MY DR TO REFER ME TO NHS.AS I SAID I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN RENACRES ON REFERALL NO APPOINTEMENTS AVAILABLE AT EITHER HOSPITAL WITHIN 20 MILES AT ALL THERE WS A NOTE IF URGENT YRY AGAIN END OF MARCH.NOW MY HUSBAND CAN NO LONGER READ WRITE UNDERSTAND MEDICATION USE A PHONE SHOP TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF.HE CANNOT ORDER MEDICATION OR BE ONLINE.HE IS ALSO VERY DEAF.SO ITS MYSELF WHO IS MAKING SURE HE STAY WELL TREATS HIS LEGS WITH DRESSINGS MEDICATION MEALS EVERYTHING REALLY .SO I AM NOW GOING BACK TO CONSULTANT THIS WEEK IN PRIVATE HOSPITAL AS NOTHING ELSE AVAILABLE BUT FEEL VERY 2ND CLASS AS NHS FUNDED.IF I END UP UNABLE TO CARRY ON IT WOULD COST IF STEVE KEEPS BEING ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL AS AN ALMOST 80 YRS OLD WOMAN I AM NOT SEEN AS A PRODUCTIVE WORKING PERSON WHEN THE REALLITY IS I WORK 18HOURS OUT OF EVERY DAY MOST DAYS TO TAKE CARE OF STEV AND MYSELF OF COURS I AM HAPPY AND THANKFUL WE STILL HAVE EACH OTHER AFTER 64 YEARS.

[PaperQueen in reply to helen1946]

Well that puts my problems in perspective! What a wonder you are coping with everything. I do hope everything finally goes well for you and they address all the problems. Sally xx

[Patk1 in reply to helen1946]

That's awful care.i hope they're on the ball ths time.you're doing amazing caring for hubby x

[Otto11 in reply to helen1946]

Sorry you are struggling. It can’t be an easy job being a full time carer. Hoping things get sorted out. Take care.

[sassy59 in reply to helen1946]

Bless you Helen, being a carer is hard and you’re great for doing what you do. I care for my husband too and it’s a privilege to do so but l have health problems too. Nothing like you do though. Hoping you get the support you need and how wonderful to still be together after 64 years. Xxx

[Izb1]

This is down to admin staff, and it seems they are making more and more mistakes like this. I complained myself about a letter the hospital sent that was put on file but the computer wasn't updated. To be fair though, there has been around 2000 new houses built around me in the last couple of years and no new doctors. My surgery has over 8000 patients now with 7 doctors and 2 of them are part time so am not surprised they are overwhelmed. I dread to think what people face now when seriously ill and feel that as I get older I am just seen as a bothersome statistic. I think we have to be vigilant and not let things go, so chase this up and speak with the practice manager if you have to x

[Otto11 in reply to Izb1]

Thanks for your reply. It’s not the first time this has happened. It’s just coming on holiday I thought I would try to get it sorted. Like you ours covers 2 areas with 12,000 people total. There about 6 GP’s but only 2 or possibly 3 in every day. The waiting room is always empty.

I have asked for an appointment with the practice manager but I was told she was a busy person so would have to tell the receptionist why. I told her I preferred to do that myself but apparently not possible. I was told I need to contact Patient Experience Team first & they would decide if an appointment is required but even then the practice manager can refuse to see me. What is the point 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t have the energy tbh.

[Izb1 in reply to Otto11]

Oh my word what a cop out, making sure they don't deal with complaints. I looked this up and it says on the internet:- If the practice manager refuses to see you, you can escalate the issue to the NHS England complaints team or the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. I would relate this to your reception if you feel so inclined. I know what you mean about running out of energy though. I hope you manage to get sorted and get those sputum samples in x

[Otto11 in reply to Izb1]

Thanks. Yes definitely a cop out. It never used to be like this. Reception told me that even if I spoke to the PET the manager could still refuse to see me. So what’s the point 🤷🏻‍♀️. Terrible service.

[Lfcpremier]

Really not good enough!! Your health is at stake & they need to deal with it as a priority by at least issuing the correct antibiotic! Hope its sorted soon!

[Otto11 in reply to Lfcpremier]

Thanks it’s just all rubbish. It will eventually sort itself out one way or another.

[Digger0]

When i get referred I get to choose where I go via "Choose and Book". Does your GP not use this system?

[Otto11 in reply to Digger0]

No I don’t think so. In the past when referrals have called to offer an appointment they have given me the choice of three. When I have asked for the one out of my catchment area they see me but then say they don’t have funding for further tests as I live out of their area. 🤷🏻‍♀️ That’s happened twice.

[PaperQueen]

My God, you must be so sick of them, I do sympathise. I thought it was just Cornwall that had problems getting GPs to work here, but from everything you and everyone else says, it's obviously country-wide. It seems that most of the GPs at my practice only work part time, so getting a non urgent appointment is generally 2weeks+. As for the mess up with your hospital appointments, it beggars belief!! 😖Sally xx

[Otto11 in reply to PaperQueen]

Thanks for your reply. Yes I am very sick of them. It used to be a bad practice bad but now it’s dreadful. A routine appointment at ours was 5-6 weeks but thinks it’s 3-4 currently. Then it’s usually a locum. Yes I have no idea what’s happening with the 2 hospitals obviously an admin error although the GP after discussing it with me we agreed on the one furthest away but he’s written to the local one for advice. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I give up.

[Turnipgirl in reply to PaperQueen]

No it's the same here in Wales as well!

[Germantara]

Absolutely awful

[Otto11 in reply to Germantara]

Thanks. I can only agree. It’s a mess 🙁

[Keem59]

If ring appointments at both hospitals to ask where you are on the list.

[Otto11 in reply to Keem59]

Thanks. Yes I can do that but I really need to speak to the GP first hopefully not long to wait for the appointment. He can sort it out. One hospital sent a letter with 36 week wait. The other 13 weeks.

[Keem59 in reply to Otto11]

He won't know when your appointment is...but they will.

[Otto11 in reply to Keem59]

Thanks. I realise the GP won’t know but I feel like leaving it to see which hospital is the first to arrange an appointment. I will go on Monday to the surgery for sputum pots & take it from there.

[Ern007]

Pretty poor, made worse by you having a GP less than helpfull. I have been mucked about by hospitals. I have a good GP though, who referred me for an echo and a CT scan, 12 months ago, had the CT scan but not heard at all from cardiology. I feel your annoyance.

[Otto11 in reply to Ern007]

I think it’s the admin side of things plus not enough GP appointments available due to only a few GP’s. I hope you hear from Cardiology soon. It’s awful waiting. Take care.

[jackwok]

I must be so lucky. My GP { and his colleges } are fabulous. No problems with appointments or prescriptions. It is a big practice but I feel looked after,

[Otto11 in reply to jackwok]

Can you send them my way please. I’ve honestly thought of moving but not heard any good reviews from any practise near us. This is a new GP I’ve only seen him once & spoken once on the phone but he seems good. The problem is that our surgery is so bad that most of the good GP’s leave 🙁

[jackwok in reply to Otto11]

Not sure I can send them to you but they can be located in Dronfield, NE Derbyshire

[Otto11 in reply to jackwok]

👍