So last night, yes last night at 7:20 in the evening my wife had a consultation with a private doctor as part of Legal claim from a car crash
Very polite and courteous, not rushed the entire consultation took over an hour as he went through the medical history and a physical examination.
As he went through her medical history relevant to his speciality, he asked what treatment she had received by his predecessors and how long she had suffered with it since. He also asked had she been given this specific treatment or medication. You could detect a sense of frustration that his predecessors hadn't given the best service.
At the end of his consultation, he mentioned that whilst he wasn't there to treat my wife, he reeled off items my wife should take to cure each of the 5 symptoms she has been bothered by for up to 23 years. All of the treatments can be got over the counter from a chemist or a simple prescription from the GP.
He then asked was there anything we wanted to ask or had concerns with.
So in an hour, when it wasn't his job he came up with a number of suggestions to make my wife's life better. Even if a few of his
recommendations work it will be far better than around half a dozen previous specialists with no benefit.
Sad to say, from our perspective, the difference in quality between the NHS and the private sector is now massive. Can't even say it is the number of hours as the consultant we saw last night started surgery at 8 am until mid afternoon and then did check-ups and consultations until late into the evening.
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sospan
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I know what you mean, and such a relief to have an appointment that goes well 😊. I was talking about this with a friend who is a consultant, and she said that doctors will go into private practice because they want more time to properly address the needs of individual patients.
I was referred to a private clinic by my optician whereby the clinic takes overflow NHS patients using public funding. I expected to get less 'preferential' treatment (laser surgery) but at all three appointments, from receptionists to nurses and through to consultants, time, medical care and personal concern were astonishing.
Such a shame that our once efficient and caring NHS has been depleted through underfunding by cynical tory policies.
So good to hear that Sharon's outlook has been brightened by being properly heard and learning there's help out there !
It is strange experience, the first time you enter a private ward or consulting room you feel a fish out of water. Then after the consultation on your way out, you think why aren't all visits to hospital like that ?
When I first explored private medicine, I was surprised how relatively cheap it was. When you can wait 9 months plus to see an NHS specialist, you can see a private one typically in a week for £100 to £200 pounds.
Whilst i appreciate that may be a lot when you are struggling to make ends meet, sometimes you just have to find the funds.
True Sos, but for some £100 means the choice between paying for food/heating/rent etc or getting treatment ; it's just so sad remembering how NHS waiting times were once a couple of weeks or so.....
On one occasion in the 70s I saw my GP at a Saturday clinic and he picked up the telephone arranging a hospital admittance for the following day ! And that same GP visited me on the ward a few days later ; (truly happier days 😏). x
One thing the NHS has been good at is the emergency side.
I had my "heart flutter" went to the GP in the morning, had an ECG, sent to hospital second ECG then given a bed in a ward. Further tests and a diagnosis of AF, issued medicine and then discharged at 8:30 pm. Couldn't ask for better
It is the walking wounded like us with BI, that the NHS struggle with
Unfortunately my AF experience wasn't so good. I'd managed SVT symptoms for 10 years before finding a cardiologist who prescribed the drug Flecainide which controlled it for another decade ; then the AF started.
I was housebound for fear of passing out and attended A&E 5 times in as many weeks before being admitted to a cardio ward and, even then, nothing improved.
It was on another A&E visit days later that a none cardio doctor suggested I'd been over prescribed heart meds and halving them might be the answer. Symptoms stopped the following day.
As you know, my AF's reared its ugly head again recently so hoping it's another meds issue which can be sorted. ..........Such is life 🥴 x
I'm sorry you had that experience. My feeling is that trauma care at A&E 3 times after my accident was really good but not so much with my NHS GP. She did her best but with so little time and more general knowledge rather than specific knowledge of car accident injuries like a brain injury, there wasn't much she could do. Also, at least with TBI, there's still little known and truly understood about what works, what doesn't, how much time etc. My NHS neurologist wasn't up to date on the research and still dominated by the medical model of healing. It feels like with a brain injury, it's only focused on if there is a bleed or swelling, or coma, otherwise the patient is left on their own to heal. I had to always press my NHS doctors and specialists for answers and assistance.
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Hope after severe TBI 
How do you handle a 'good' day?
How about some feel good posts
How many people work after a bad head injury?
Looming discharge date 😁
