explained needed to see Doc based on chat with rheumy nurse and told Dec earliest I could be seen. Tried many ways of getting in and being so polite.
One letter written and now off to make sure in Doctors hand today after saying maybe only 1% of Uk have this illness but his team need to understand it and maybe they need to read the NICE guidelines.
So off I go last thing I needed today was a battle for an easy fix.
I thought all autoimmune patients were supposed to be seen on same day as phoning for appointment, or the next day at the very latest
Doesn’t it depend on what the issue is? If I tell my GP it is urgent (ie i have something that could develop into a life threatening complication) she will see me straight away. But otherwise I take my turn like anyone else.
Yes, I suppose I was silly to think people would not abuse the system.
In a parallel universe maybe......3/4 weeks is the norm in my practice.
I think like in many practices only one or two of the GPS are full time these days.
If it’s Rheumy related I usually speak to my Rheumy nurse who will get my Rheumy to see me if it seems urgent.
Otherwise I just wait....if things get out of hand I ask for a telephone consult& the doc decides if I need seeing.
But when I get into Dr’s waiting rooms & hear the coughing & sniffling.....
I think I’m best off staying home!
Can you ask if you can sit in a room or place away from the general waiting area? Our practice have notices up to say make the reception aware if you are immune compromised. However, once they left me in a room for two hours ... despite me going back and forth asking what was happening. They forgot me and recpetion didn't answer the GP internal phone calls to them to ask where I was!! It worked well, however, the most recent time I went though.
Thankfully I have only needed to go my GP twice this year......once to be told by a Nurse Practitioner she didn’t know what to do & once for a flu jab.
I keep as far away as possible.
I have to go for antibiotics if I need them for chest infections but my GP has given me a script to keep one supply in hand to try avoid that. Sitting in the pratice nurse's little office away from the general crowd seems a better option for me .. if they don't forget I am there!!! 😱
Maybe go back to rheumy nurse and take her up on her offer to see you this week? I rarely bother with GP for the RA as it’s not their area of expertise, so only for basic stuff.
Always remember that if you feel it is urgent, like high fever for over 24 hours, then you can phone 111.
I agree ... I always prefer to contact my Rheumatology patient helpline to get advice as they are more knowledgeable about our disease than the GP. They will also contact the GP for me if necessary, E.g. to get a prescription issued for me.
GPs only know the basics and then often get it wrong. Reception staff generally haven’t a clue . They hear Arthritis and shut down. This disease needs renaming .....
My GP is very good, she knows the limits of her knowledge where RA is concerned and I also don’t expect her to have in depth knowledge, that’s why we have consultants and rheumy nurses. I find the GP receptionists are very good too as they know I’m immunosuppressed, maybe that’s something that gets better over time as they get to know you and your RA. I know not every surgery is like that so I guess I’m very lucky.
One of my GP's .. my preferred one .. trained in rheumatology with my former rheumy after she qualified, so she is always knowledeagble on RA, I do agree though that most are not able to be more helpful as they don't know the meds. One former lovely GP used to say .. It is so out of my area I can't help you enough and feel bad for that but I have to be honest. However, recently at another pratice a former GP who left, took it on himself to give someone reently diagnosed with RA a steroid injection to their joint resulting in sepsis and major damage so I would rather a GP said sorry can't help, than attempt something beyond their capabilities which could go wrong. It would be nice though if they understood our meds. The GP i loke to see issoin demand you need to wait a month to see her.
It does depend on the urgency. But I do find that saying that I'm on immune-suppressant medication is better than saying Rheumatoid Arthritis - the receptionists aren't likely to know the difference between Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis unless they have training or contact with it.
Could you ask for a telephone consultation?
I'm on anti tnfs and I've been told there's red flag on my notes and if I phone for an appointment I should be seen that day even if there isn't any appointments. I have to tell the receptionist to look at my notes.
I decided to go in with letter but have a chat to receptionist first, showing her my MTX card and the fact my rheumy had suggested going to GP rather than 4hr return to Lincoln. So she did get a note out to Doc what I needed. He actually sent me a text to say sorting things for me and apologised for not being able to see me and calling me Wed. He has also set up a monthly appointment for me and if I cancel it fine but I know it is there and no need to worry!
Blimey .............now this is the Doc when I first moved over to Lincs said 'so do you want morphine for the pain'. I recoiled in horror and was incredibly worried and explained my view on drugs and since then he has been superb. He said 18months ago it was good to see someone think about what they take and not assume everything will work and to trial and error to get it right.
Result! Good that they have responded and reacted appropriately now. 👏
I'm pleased you got it sorted out, writing it down invariably works. Expect good care and you often get it, accept nothing less and it becomes the norm. Stay strong.
Be very careful about letters like that to your GP....could make things even more difficult....
I know we often feel our doctors are being unreasonable.....but it’s best to work around it......we need them more than they need us....& NICE Guidelines are just that....not rigid rules.
@agedcrone I think it was a carefully worded letter and one that was saying can we work together on this so I am cool with it and also I think it is important they understand our frustrations but it is about both of us not just them and us. To me its my illness and I want to understand it too. We get such ashort window with them and so it helps show what we are looking for and how they can help.
My Doc was very good about it and totally understood my frustration and came up with a plan working with me.
I agree in a perfect world that would be lovely....but as we read here all the time , a 10minute consultation is all most of us can manage to get.
Making good use of our Rheumy nurse is usually the best way to get the right information & treatment.
It’s a sad fact of life that this disease does not have quick solution...but most of us get there in the end......
Surgery on Biologics?
Increasing methotrexate dose tonight and worried by my GP.
Arthritis patient taking Methotrexate. Does anyone have a problem getting their prescription from GP surgery for more than 4 weeks supply?
GP wanted to prescribe sertraline
More surgery and a new condition 😢 
