Hello everyone. Firstly before I get started on today’s saga can I just say a massive THANK YOU . I’m completely overwhelmed by all the lovely and supportive replies I’ve received from so many of you. I felt like crying yesterday with all the carry on and I feel like crying today but in a good way as it’s restored my faith in how many lovely people are out there. Have any of you thought about becoming doctor’s receptionists? 😉. You could all teach them a thing or two about compassion and understanding. Anyway as they say the saga continues so I thought I’d let you know the outcome. Phoned this morning and got a telephone appointment callback. Said I was looking for monitoring blood results and to know how the additional tests the surgery requested were. Everything ok apparently. Really? I asked as I was told my monitoring tests weren’t done. Ah yes they were missed for some reason but everything is alright. Well this is impressive that we now know blood results without actually taking blood. I just said I wasn’t impressed with the way I was spoken to yesterday and told him that according to the NHS website I was meant to get blood results if on MTX (thank you Carol Mcl for the link) and I wanted to be able to phone monthly to get results. He said absolutely not that everyone wants that and I wasn’t special (talk about adding insult to injury) and they were far too busy. I also asked if I could see them online but NHS Scotland don’t offer that as some of you have said. I told him I was proactive in trying to look after myself and was only asking for GP support to do this seeing as I hadn’t seen a consultant for 18 months. He wasn’t for budging so basically that’s it, no apology for yesterday and basically they’re too busy to do anything. I did have a moment where the edit button failed and I said to him covid was a convenient excuse to negate their responsibilities so that didn’t go down well. So that’s me basically no interest from anyone at the surgery. There is another practice in the health centre but they have a terrible reputation so no point in moving. Apologies this is a bit of a novel but you all so kindly took the time to reach out to me that I wanted to let you know what happened. And finally the icing on the cake today, I broke 2 teeth. Phoned the dentist and it’s a voice message saying they’re very busy due to covid restrictions, not seeing patients, leave a message and they will call back but that we need to be patient. Needless to say after 5 hours there was no call back 🤐. Thanks again and take care everyone 🥰.
The caring profession??? - update: Hello everyone... - LUPUS UK
The caring profession??? - update
well as the govt has announced an end to just about all restrictions from today I expect we will all be able to see our doctors again very soon don't you think? [hard to be sarcastic when writing, I somehow doubt doctors will be available any time soon]
It's all rubbish - if Italy manages to have both GPs and dentists working as normal ...
And methotrexate monitoring is IMPORTANT. Whatever he says.
Complaint time ...
Fumigating for you Froggie. Cross at your doctor and at this govt for taking us to this point. Fund the NHS not some crappy track and trace or the freebie lateral flows which are unreliable yet free of charge. You know a good friend of mine's relative is an amazing nurse. She has quit because she can't face another covid winter. 💔
What can I say but sorry 🙏 I can understand how you feel and yet though it shouldn’t be like it, we rightly so get upset and get hurt double barrel by them and then upsetting ourselves. Once I had urine test for infection, which I got often , I knew I had one but had to be tested before treatment given , and on asking for results I was told they were fine, I looked at my husband and said I don’t believe that, I know I’ve got infection so my husband asked receptionist to see the results. On being passed them it said not done due to staff shortages and my husband hit the roof. The doc came out because of commotion and referred me to urology where I was found to have infection due to floating kidney and given many prescriptions and told you know when you have an infection so get them when you have. The receptionist continued to work there 🤷♀️
Being busy is no excuse, it’s a busy profession yes but this has been going on for years. Pre covid. I am so upset how some people get great treatment and others not, I’m always polite even through gritted teeth at times but it doesn’t always make a difference and I wouldn’t know what does. 🤷♀️The surgery has posters up saying staff should be treated respectfully maybe posters need to be made to say patients should be too.You are special in needing to know results for medication that was a horrid thing for him to say,.my husband got angry with reason and apologised but there was no apology from them other than doc said the receptionist shouldn’t have shown you 😡there’s just no answers , but know you don’t deserve it , it is a sad state of affairs and I send you best wishes 🤗🤗
Very well said Stiff. 👏🏻👏🏻 Patients need to be treated with respect too. 👍🏻After all we are the ones suffering and needing help! Good GPs are like gold dust but good receptionists are even harder to find. So many don’t listen and just want you out of their hair and will go to any lengths to get rid of you. They weren’t nick-named ‘push-offsky girls’ (polite version) for nothing! Sadly many of us can tell similar stories to yours. A very sorry state of affairs when receptionists, not doctors, seem to run the surgeries. 🤗xx
Yes all too much it’s heard now, I sometimes think We have an invisible poster on us saying disrespect me 😞 It’s just incredible that these practices go on, the way froggie was spoken to for just requesting results for medication , trouble is some docs have same attitude. If there’s one service, one profession this should not happen it’s in nhs or any medical profession.
😘🤗x
I think like any profession and any walk of life there are good and bad but we remember the bad in NHS because our lives literally depend on them. But when we find a good one we want to hold on to them but sadly for one reason or another they often move on. Probably head hunted. We lost one of our doctors to Australia just pre-Covid and who could blame him for going? I hope you find your lovely caring doctor (if you can get past the receptionist 😆 ) because there are many of them out there. Don’t give up hope. 🤗😘xx
Yes but I always shout about good too, be it good treatment or good food, or whatever if it’s good I tell people it’s good if it’s bad I tell them too but seems people don’t like the negative and should learn from it. Isn’t that how we learnt as kids 🤷♀️ Yes I wonder where the neuro went who left 🤷♀️Yes fingers crossed, I know there are good docs, Of course and like you say good and bad in all, but just feel they shouldn’t be so hard to find, they should all be good in their chosen profession. Hope is clinging on 🙏👍😘🤗xx
Sadly people are people and whether in a profession or not some take their work seriously and do a good job for which they are proud and for which everybody is grateful. Others do it merely for the money, the status, or both. I’ve known doctors and consultants in the latter category and they are the worst kind who are arrogant and rude and don’t seem to get to the root of your problem. Because of their arrogance they will never continue to learn. They already know it all, or so they think. 🙄 I’ve known teachers and head teachers (some I’ve worked with over the years) who are also in the latter category and we’ve all known politicians in the same category. So while human nature remains as it is, there will always be good and bad in every profession and every walk of life. We can only hope and pray we come across a good one at some point and then receive the help we need. 🤗😘xx
Yes agreed 👍 all walks of life, just luck and hope with heSlth matters don’t seem right. But then hey it’s the world we’re in 🌍 a bird 💩 in my head earlier in the garden 🤣🤣 thats supposed to be lucky isn’t it 🤷♀️🤣🤣😘🤗xx
Oh no. Put a lottery ticket on just in case😉.
Yes, it does seem our health care is down to luck as in who we get as a GP or consultant. 🙄 But as you say that’s the world we are in sadly. But hey, if a bird has pooped on your head today, maybe something good is going to happen healthwise very soon.🙏🏻🙏🏻 But in case it doesn’t get that lottery ticket as Froggie suggested. 🤞🤞😁 Take care Stiff. 🤗😘xx
I had the best rheumatology consultant, she was young and it felt like a partnership, she really listened and took on board everything I said and always asked if I was happy with what she suggested. Unfortunately she moved from NHS Lanarkshire to NHS Glasgow when the new hospital opened and it’s been downhill ever since. Thanks so much for your best wishes. Take care🤗🤗
Oh dear, isn’t that always the way when you think you’ve clicked with a consultant? They move away and the next one isn’t a patch on them. I’m so sorry that has happened to you Froggy. Luckily for me when my favourite rheumatologist moved away the new one was also excellent and so far I keep seeing him which is also lovely as previously you could see any one of the 3 of them which wasn’t very good for continuity. I hope that continues. 🤞 But a few other consultants I’ve had to see have changed and not always for the best. You take care too Froggy. Hugs 🤗😘xx
Thank you. The current rheumatologist (I say current as I haven’t seen them in 18 months) is very stern, in fact she reminds me of an old school headmistress I used to have. When I went in I used to feel as if I was going to get a telling off😉. You take care too🤗🤗
😂 It sounds like she lacks confidence and being stern hides that and makes you less likely to ask questions she can’t answer. But if she produces the tawse, you’ll really know you are in for it. 😉 18 months is ridiculous. Do you get a copy of the letter sent to your GP after an appt with Rheumy? Mine always states when they’ll see me again ie 4 mths, 6 mths 1 year or whatever. If it goes over what is stated I contact them to see what is happening quoting the Rheumy’s letter. A fellow Lupy on here suggested I did that and it does seem to work. Hubby is just about to do the same again as the 4 month review has slid into 5 months now with no word of an appt. 🤦♀️ Might be worth a try Froggie. Have a lovely weekend. 🤗😘Xx
Hi I never get a copy but I did get a letter in for an appointment in November. Take care and thanks again for your support. Xx
This is awful!! No-one, but no-one, should be treated this way 😡
And I thought the GP receptionists in my part of the UK could be bad. They're angels by comparison..........
Stay strong, 🤗🤗🤗
Changing myco brand... 
Do I give up on healthcare altogether and search for other health and care alternatives. have now lost all faith in the medical profession.
Update... kind of?
POTS update
Update at St Thomas 
