The other day, I had the 1st part of a 2-part health check, and I would like to share my experience.
The nurse was lovely, polite and friendly; she was also very competent at taking my blood pressure and blood samples. So far, so good. But there were things I really wasn't happy about.
Being a teacher, I'm extremely fed up with the hoops of bureaucracy we have to jump through to "improve" our practice, and the endless boxes we have to tick without actually getting to the root of the matter. I suspect healthcare practitioners are under similar pressure and made to follow useless procedures.
I felt like a number, and that my health really doesn't matter so long as procedures are followed and boxes are ticked. I was not addressed by my given name, for a start, despite the information being on my records. Next, I was told there was not a lot of time for the appointment... yet, I was told at great length why the nurse was out of breath after crossing the road to buy her lunch and climb one set of stairs to her room. Was it a clumsy attempt to get me to talk about what makes me breathless? If so, then why didn't she just ask me? Or was it just a waste of my time?
When I was asked if I get my 5-a-day - and I admitted to probably getting 4, on average, despite being vegetarian - she explained to me in great detail that she has "a plate full of veg and gravy" if she buys a take-away... yeah, right! I thought it was disgusting and unbalanced, but was too polite to say. Why couldn't she just ask what I thought was a balanced meal? I would have been happy to describe what I typically eat: plenty of veg, protein and some carbs. But the people behind the questionnaire don't want to know our real lifestyle.
Just like I was asked how many hours I work every week, rather than how many hours I'm active. I wasn't even asked if I move around or have a desk job, drive a car or walk, do the gardening or watch TV... Basically, they know nothing about me.
Then I was weighed. The scales were badly calibrated and about 2-3 kg out, making me lighter than I am. I was honest and told her I know for sure that I weigh more. I wonder how many other people leave the surgery thinking they're 3kg lighter than they really are, while the surgery's statistics paint a skewed picture of the patients...
Now, I know that my BMI is about 26.9, which is in the overweight range, but there was no question to find out why. My anxiety problem and chocolate habit... It was all just about ticking the boxes.
Lastly, my waist circumference was measured. I had to hold the measuring tape on my belly button and twirl around, resulting in 102cm. I thought it was a bit odd because that's too much and not where my waist is, but didn't challenge her. At home, I measured my real waist (89cm) and now I'm concerned that my statistics are incorrect due to incompetence. It seems in this day and age health professionals would rather get incorrect results than look at and evaluate the patient's body shape properly, and touch them to hold the tape in the right place.
Looking on the bright side, I have my follow-up appointment when I can talk about my experience and put things right. If the next nurse isn't more interested in telling me about her private life instead of listening to my concerns, that is...
