Just when I thought my visits to the hospital were over for a while . little red spots appeared again. I had them during chemo so knew it was low platlets. Quick visit to my doctor for a blood test. Results next day showed low red cells so needed iron tablets and was told platlets ok. I asked what they were and told 17. Thoulght that was low checked my notes and when picking up iron prescription asked for doctor to recheck. I was right is low but doctor not picked up, late in the day so sent to A&e for another blood test. 3 hours later blood test results back and raising thank goodness straight back home alot of hassle and time wasted.
now wondering if I should suggest my doctors surgery review procedures for checking blood results, if I had not known about what levels should be would not have been picked up.
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Wiganw
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I'm sure it was a genuine mistake by my doctor but is worrying as it could have been different. If I was not the type of person who likes to know a lot of info. I think it does show why our a&e are under pressure as after five it seems its the only place you can get a blood test done quickly. A doctor even had to take blood. I had only been praising my doctors day before as I am always able to get appointment quickly.
Sharon xx
It doesn't inspire confidence does it? I've always felt my worst in A and E (because that's obviously why I've been there many times) and it's also when I've felt the most vulnerable. Then it's all played out in a very public space which adds to the sense of vulnerability. I know I've been very lucky to live in a country where help is available but I so hope that something is done about getting more staff to help the people who so want to help us in the best way they can. x
It is experiences like yours that make me realise how lucky I am. My GP and I discuss all my results and he would pick everything up. Only last week, after getting my annual blood test for my diabetes check I was called in to surgery to see one of the other Drs because my GP was away and there was concern about my cholesterol levels. Turned out not to need any change to my meds but I was reassured that they are on the ball.
We have already discussed how we will manage this once there is no more effective chemo available. We understand one another and I feel fully in control. It is such a relief when I read experiences like yours and realise what I could have to experience in another practice!
I am glad you were on the ball and could pick up the problem but what an experience!
Love Margaret
Sorry to hear that you have been through all this, That's a good thing to do keep on top of it yourself after all its our body, I ask about all sort's of things and want answer's to go with them. Don't be scared to push things even if there is nothing wrong we have the right !! Well done you. Love Trish xx
Sorry you had a stressful day with a trip to A & E. I really think you have to keep a really close eye on things yourself as there are differing levels of care available depending on the GP in question. In my own care I have always researched what was meant to happen, just to make sure it happens as planned. I won't start listing the failings I have found...that would be a whole new post, a quick example would be last week when I had a water infection and GP asked me when my period was due, I just stared at her open mouthed.
Good for you being so much on the ball. I do think it's worth giving your GP some carefully-worded feedback on this and ask whether they can reassure you that something will be put in place to ensure this type of mistake doesn't happen again.
Now you've raised a question in my mind as to whether any GP practice I've ever attended has a forum where patients can feed back in a positive sort of framework. I'm not sure mine has. I think if I were in your shoes I would book an appointment with the GP to ask if anything could have been handled better from your perspective and theirs.
It will be interesting to hear from you whether this is well-received. I get the feeling that many health professionals aren't used to patients biting back. Fora such as this one is putting patients in touch with one another and is encouraging us to ask questions and be more discerning. Some of the stories here suggest more of us should be asking questions and demanding a better service.
Sounds awful! What a blessing you are clued-up and. Good advocate for yourself! I don't have too much faith in my GP practice, either. The staff seem to change regularly and I get the feeling that they do things with the help of on-line diagnosis tools. I am glad that I haven't had to use them for anything serious recently. When I can, I try to have an idea of what is wrong and what I want the outcome to be.....
I like the idea of a 'Trip Adviser' style website for patients that I read about lately. I wonder when and if.
So sorry this happened to you , and relieved you picked up the mistake. I'm a gp myself, and if a mistake like this happens in practice , we do a significant event audit, looking at everyone involved in handling that result and how you can prevent it happening again. To be fair our lab will fax abnormal results the same day if abnormality potentially dangerous , as yours was, so is shared with the on call doctor as quickly as possible. This might have happened and it got buried under another trail of emergency calls that session. However we all need to have safe systems in place- lab results come though electronically in droves every day in most parts uk, and GPs work through them in some non existent 'free time ' . My way of dealing with them before I went off sick was to go in for 7 am to get them sorted whilst my brain could still function quickly and the phones started ringing at 8 . I would suggest you explain your concerns to the practice manager and ask the practice to explain what went wrong to you, and how they will prevent this happening again. I know we're all human , and knowing gp is mindblowingly busy these days ( I was doing 11-12 hr days with no breaks until few weeks ago) this still does not make this acceptable. Much better do it this way as some good will come out of it and practice systems will change to be safer, than adding it anonymously on a trip advisor type site. This does happen , but the practice can't then sort out what went wrong and how to prevent it happening again as they can't talk to the unhappy nameless customer. I'm sure your practice will be genuinely sorry and concerned this happened and will not want this to happen to anyone else.
Thank you to everyone for your good wishes. I am fine now . I think what happened is because my reds were low they thought that was the alert.
My normal gp was off so I don't think the gp that looked at them knew my history.
The gp who I normally see is very good so I will not be complaining as from previous experience from when my mum was ill some of the gp in my area are very difficult to get appointments. I hope they will review procedures and I will try and have a quiet word with practice manager.
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