Inaccurate Medical Letters

[041051]

Good morning all. Is it just me or are more medical professionals either failing to listen or totally ignoring what is said to them. I have letters from consultants who declare that I have said something during a consultation that I would never have said and in one case referred to an event that had never happened. Also, is the "I can't treat you" when you eventually get to see a consultant after several trips to appointments with lesser mortals common practice. I believe that mostly it is a case of being moved from one waiting list to another to make the waiting times seem better than they really are but has anyone got the magic formula for eventually getting to see someone who can actually help ?.

[sandy1234567]

I get that I've been poorly for 5 years now with symptoms getting worse I get told we dont know who to refer you to and sometimes people are in pain and we cant help

[FRreedman]

, first, noticed this about 4 years ago, when a consultant "misheard" the level of my pain, and wrote to my GP that I was almost pain free (I wish). I queried it, in writing, to the consultant, and copied my GP in, the very next appointment my consultant advised me that he was unable to treat me any more and he referred me to a new consultant at the same hospital, in the same department at which my original consultant was the lead consultant, needless to say, I got myself transferred to another hospital, but, as you say, had to start from the beginning.

[041051 in reply to FRreedman]

I asked to be transferred to another hospital. I arrived for the first appointment to be told that it had been cancelled. I was sent another appointment and I saw a consultant who didn't have my notes but he said I should have Lidocaine infusions and I would be sent an appointment to see his "team" for assessment. Nine months later I saw his "team" ( a physio and a psychologist) who told me to ask for a referral back to a consultant that I had seen three years ago who had told me that he could operate on my shoulder but the chances of success weren't good. My G.P. phoned me when he received the letter from this "team" and asked me why I wanted to be referred back. I told him I didn't want this, I was told it is what I should do. The "team" had also commented that I should be taken off of some of my medication because I take it on an "ad hoc" basis and the guidelines say that opiod use should be discontinued. My G.P. wasn't happy because he is aware of the regime I follow and it is reviewed at least once a year. These referrals and the ones in my local area had been with fibromyalgia clinics but I had originally been with the pain management service and although I have fibromyalgia this wasn't my main concern and I don't t to see a consultant.know why they decided to go down this route without making me aware of what they were doing. I have asked to be referred to the MSK service again so it will be back to seeing people who can't help me for a couple of years and then maybe I'll get to see a consultant

[SecretlyDisabled7 in reply to 041051]

Itis

[Barbara-41]

The inaccuracies in doctors' notes really bother me. Sometimes I can figure out what the doctor recorded and the transcriber got wrong, but will another doctor who didn't hear what I was told in the office realize the error and base his recommendations on misinformation? I've never been thanked for correcting an error that seems to me to be important.

[Hidden]

I've gone through exactly what u have n I think it just plain SUCKS.Id like to know why we get ousted by docs,charged by docs if we r late for an appt BUT they can show up late,or not at all for our appts ??? I'm assuming ur not in the US.i am an the docs ,except for a few SUCK.They r very good at putting stuff in my medical records that's not true n I never said,then when u call them out on it,they get all pissy like its our fault.We would jyst like a doc that actually listens n helps us.

Sorry..this topic really tics me off.

Here's what my solution has been..UR FIRED!! YEP..I GET RID OF THEM.Years ago..i had enough n that's what I do.Along the way I have found couple good ones.😊

[Hidden]

I’ve had to call secretary’s quite a few times as things have been wrong on my records but the best recent one, when my consultant diagnosed me with a whole new condition & my GP practice just filed the letter & didn’t add it to my conditions! So my GP had no idea that I’d been diagnosed 🤦🏼‍♀️

[Raelouise]

Yes I have noticed over the years the consultants mainly fail to listen to what you are saying to them and write what they think they have heard you say, which is a big mistake.

[cyberbarn]

You can record all your appointments. Some doctors are now recommending this, especially in oncology. We now routinely record all appointments. Unfortunately I didn't record the appointment I had with my rheumatologist who decided I had fibromyalgia without actually taking me through the diagnostic criteria. If he had he would have known that I don't have it. We are now at formal complaint stage.

It is well recognised that women have a lot more difficulty getting diagnoses. Additionally there is a bias called 'strong but wrong' where clinicians, especially busy distracted ones, will decided on what the diagnoses is the moment the patient walks through the door, and sometimes before, and then cherry picks the symptoms to match what they have already decided.

And it is very common for consultant letters to be filed but diagnoses not added to the primary care record. This is why it is so important for all patients to get full access to their GP medical notes. Practices have to provide this, so please, everyone, get signed up to full access to your records, then go though them and get them corrected and up to date.

[Amkoffee]

This has become such a horrible problem in the US too. Most doctors will not let you record the appointment either. Which causes me to wonder what they are hiding.

[Konagirl60]

Yes. It happened to me from February 2008 until I hired a registered nurse consultant in May 2011. Doctors HAVE TO answer a nurse’s question.

The doctors are misrepresenting the truth. They are essentially committing fraud. It’s criminal if you ask me. They are self regulated so that promotes power trips and stating outright lies in their consult notes.

I was profiled as a mother who did not want to let go of the apron strings. What utter nonsense! That was a total misrepresentation of me. My son was a late bloomer and really immature for 17. He still needed me!

I was slandered as being promiscuous with several lovers since my husband walked out on me!? ! ? That IS nonsense. I asked for a divorce. This was a man that didn’t like me breastfeeding our baby son and had an affair with a 19 year old slut.

Finally, I hired my nurse consultant and the doctor/ rehab specialist who I introduced her to on a phone consult ( by 2011 I was going insane from untreated pinched nerve pain ...forget driving to a specialists office ) actually had the gall to say that me and my friend were rude to him and he wasn’t willing to treat me anymore!

He said that because he lied about the management of my getting to the US for a surgery not done in Canada! My hired nurse found out he hadn’t faxed any of the pertinent papers to the neurosurgeon who could advocate for me to get it. He said he had. What a fraud!

Hire a lawyer. That was my mistake.