GP NO HELP OR EMPATHY

[trace58]

My GP's have no empathy and given no help to the CEV shielding patients! Developed anxiety and asked about the autoimmune not getting the protection from vaccine etc he said what do you want me to do about it! Didn't have me flagged didn't know about household being able to be vaccinated ! anyone else have this from GPS there not interested ?

[Hidden]

Yes I saw one who said at the beginning. Don’t know what your making a song and dance about it get use to it you gotta live with it , it’s here for good .He refused to put me on the CEV list . My nurse did that . I refuse to see him now.

[charisma in reply to Hidden]

Write a letter to practice manager?

[Poshcards in reply to charisma]

I would write to Matt Hancock, disgraceful!! x

[Wobbies]

My GP doesn't even realise that I am on biologics despite 2 rheumy letters and being told by me!

[helixhelix]

My GP is a nice woman, but I really don’t rely on her for anything to do with RA. She good for day to day stuff, so that’s all I go to her for.

[Knip in reply to helixhelix]

Agree with you on that helixhelix. Frustrating as it can be, GPs have to know a bit about everything but can't know all there is to know about any one health issue. I am very fortunate in that my RA Department has kept us all informed about what is happening and what to do etc, either by post or by email. Guess I've been fortunate.

[allanah]

Go to another GP ...or better report them to the practice manager , you will be doing others a favour as i bet your not the only one. They are in the wrong job xxx

[Hidden in reply to allanah]

Mine is the head partner of the surgery no chance of practice manager doing anything.. other GPs to see . There is one who really understands RA I wait to see him .

[sylvi]

I have only see two drs in my home since last autumn. The only other time i ended up being sent to see a dr in the next town to me and they sent me down to the hospital covid ward would you believe. I have asthma and that was the problem if the damn(excuse me cussing) had seen me that wouldn't have happened. I can't be bothered with the drs now if i need advice i speak to my pharmacist and i get better answers there.

[magliona]

Unfortunately gps have some knowledge about different illnesses but are by no means specialists, in fact you probably know more about your condition than they do. I too had problems about having the vaccine as I had an anaphylactic reaction to a biologic and he didn’t know about where I should go when having the vaccine. I had to continually badger him and I mean every day until he found out that I had to have it in the hospital. The surgery hadn’t got me on the list for shielding and again I had to organise it. The consultant at the hospital who was at the vaccine centre told me they were unsure even by having the vaccine it was unsure whether I would be covered but they would do an antibody test a few weeks after having the second vaccination. In a way we have to accept the uncertainty because we have immune problems but the fact that most people are having the vaccine and will be covered can only be reassuring.I think Gps are as scared of this virus as the majority of people are and are not really being as sympathetic as perhaps they should be. Sometimes lack of knowledge and understanding of something doesn’t always help the way people respond to different situations.

[charisma]

That is sad but not atypical. Rheumatology wrote to me a year ago to tell me to shield but it was months before I discovered that if my GP had not flagged me to Scot Gov, not on priority lists for council (they organise the food boxes free from Scot Gov) and not on the priority shopping slots either.

Apart from not flagging me up, been pretty good.

Got blood taken at home last week (due to not able yet to attend after pneumonia) but was getting regular blood test appointments before hospital admission in March.

So, not complaining about mine. Feel blessed.

[Neonkittie17]

Hi Trace, Hugs to you. 💗 That’s mean and unnecessary from the GP. (I’d have calmly told him so too! ) I just have very little contact with the GPs since March 2020. My bloods are done there but that’s the practice nurse. In fact one of the admins phoned me earlier to say she’s booked me in for my blood test and wanted to check the date is still ok for me, so it works well with the admin and nurses at the mo still. Just had one GP quick call last year re antibiotics. Before the pandemic my main GP was always great as she trained for a year in rheumatology with my previous senior rheumy (now retired) and one of the current senior rheumys so she understands RA very well.

I think many GPs don’t understand the level of difficulty you have as a patient with uncontrolled RA. Or even when it is controlled there are often other health issues related to it so you need the GP’s help. I found one senior male GP callous so told him years ago as he was very unpleasant/someone with a bad temper and he used to yell at patients. 🤨 He was fine after that. Totally changed his tune with me. I am sorry you have had this reaction from your GP and hope you can speak to/see a different doc in future within the practice? Maybe he had a bad day but no excuse to speak to you like that. I’d not see him again tbh. x