Hippocratic oath gone out the window

[Tyronefitsimmons]

GP, or GP, That is the question.

In addition to my earlier post, on GP,s as I am of the earlier generation , I retired from practice over , or nearly 30 years ago. and in my day we looked at and checked the patient out with our equipment, ..

But to its like Doctor Google, first thing they do is look at the computer , put in symptoms , then tell you what you have got, ..

Well any one at home can do that now, if you have a computer, Dr Google will give you a variety of what you MAY have, and also, just what to do next,

As I said before Doctors surgeries are now called Clinics, but the clinicians are not up to what is being done , so there is contrasts between nurses and Doctors,.

Doctors in my day yes they had a bedside manner, with most patients and had that understanding he knew best, ..

Today its Money money and time, 5 minutes and your out, .

Pharmacists yes get just as good training as Doctors do, their studies are vigorous and medication names are very difficult , and many variations .

Its to often that people are over medicated ,or misdiagnose.

I am so glad I lived in my era , cheers X Neurologist Tyrone,, 88 years. old

[Maisie2014]

I’m really sorry to hear that. With all due respect I fear you’ve grown into a grumpy old man. My GP surgery has been brilliant in keeping up to my and my husband’s health requirements. I understand it is different to your day and as a 70 year old I can remember the sit and queue for hours at the GP surgery and waiting three weeks for a blood test appointment with the nurse and would not want to go back to those days for all the tea in CHINA.

[Tyronefitsimmons in reply to Maisie2014]

I am happy for you Maisie, but at 88 years old age , the electronic age has taken away, the close contact we had with patients , your old surgery must have been mismanaged, my own ran like clock work. great staff . no electronics . just face to face , you are happy , and that's what matters regards Tyrone,

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Tyronefitsimmons]

Here's another view.

I live with vasospastic angina which became unstable because of the cold weather a well known trigger for increasing coronary vasospasms.

I rang my GP's surgery. Because of Covid rather than going to A&E, I had my ECG and Troponin levels checked at the surgery.

The GP emailed the results to my Cardiologist.

I emailed my Cardiologist for advice. He responded within an hour and I had a plan of care in place.

I kept in contact with him by email at his request and avoided a hospital admission.

If I had needed to be admitted he wanted to arrange the admission. This is compassionate empathetic care too. Just a different type of a good 'bedside manner'

Very few practitioners have a lived experience of being a patient.

The view from the bed is different from the end of the bed.

Life is different, my children see the world differently. Change is how we progress whether we like it or not.

Without ' electronics' none of us would be able to be on this forum which provides support and comfort to many people.

I am with Maisie

[Hidden in reply to Milkfairy]

Hi

Interesting to read your comment

You are indeed fortunate that your GP was willing to refer you.

I have never met my GP face to face thanks to Covid, but found the telephone consultation convenient. She did send me for ECG and phoned with the result/diagnosis and just said to not worry about it. She also thought my B/P a bit high over 3 readings and gave me anti-hypertensive to take, with no suggestion of coming back to get a check or side effects. Although I am capable to work that out for myself but think good practice to have that discussion

So this where this forum and Google came useful.

A search engine is a tool. Tools are useful and necessary if used correctly and safely with an understanding of any possible danger.

I worked out that I should have an echocardiogram and a 24 hour B/P monitor. I saw a reference to Dr Gupta on this forum, used Google to check him out, and listen to his very good explanation of my diagnosis, paid £150 for 24 hour monitor with a follow up telephone call to discuss my results which have been forwarded to me in advance.

I feel much more confident about my blood pressure and diagnosis, and off my own research - yes search engine - I have stopped all salt, alcohol, and caffeine, as my B/P shot up after just a cup of tea which I noted from the 24 hour monitor on several occasions. I have dropped about 8 kg and although BMI 25, I am trying to get to 23 as every kg might be 2 points off the B/P.

I did not take the medication and I am hospital after hip surgery yesterday.

My B/P just now was 110/70.

However, I do miss the days when you visited the nurse or doctor for something usually trivial, and he or she would see I had not had a B/P or weight and would update my notes. Prompted I know so the surgery would meet the governmemts targets!

Many people go to the GP with a small problem and a face to face can trigger a few questions to reveal something more.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Hidden]

I am already in the system.

I have lived with vasospastic angina for nearly 9 years and I tend to need to be admitted to hospital from time to time.

I have the advantage of continuity of care provided by my GP and Cardiologist who both know me well.

Covid has effected everyone's care. I am not sure if routine face to face appointments will return which I will miss too for the reasons you give.

We'll just have to find different ways of accessing the care we need.

[Pollypuss]

I find my doctors are vey helpful for me still in my seventies but not so for my husband who is 92 and written off as “fragile” . He was misdiagnosed twice and nearly died both times but for the fact I used my search engine to come up with some conclusions and therefore suggestions. He is not fragile . He has just survived sepsis which wasn’t diagnosed. I think they thought at his age their computer told them his time had come,! Medicine has made some incredible progress but I look at some of the posts on this site and wonder if some of the people who are rightly stressed and very worried about their symptoms , should be talking to their doctors for clarification. I know what it’s like after heart surgery to need a sympathetic chat and reassurance even if it via a video .