Do doctors cause more problems ....

[Poppet11]

Do doctors cause more problems than they solve?

I know it's a bit of a broad sweeping statement, but I have always been aware that I would have been better off (seriously) if they all simply handed me my blood test results and sent me away to sort it out.

I know a lot of people like their doctor and find them nice, but I have to be honest, I don't care if my doctor is nice, I just want a good doctor!

I was looking on the responses in the BMJ article and, to be honest, it really made my skin crawl. There are 2 postings on there from UK doctors and one is nice and the other is plain ignorant. I mean truly ignorant.

The comments from the doctors overseas are so much more well informed and obviously open to learning.

I was never a 'frequent flyer' at the docs. Yet the first time I go with something which turns out to be serious, they turn my life into a nightmare because, let's face facts, most of them aren't doing their job properly. And even when they discover they aren't doing their job properly, do they sort out the mess, they do not. It's the patient's fault picking on the nice, over-worked, underpaid, under-resourced GP.

Maybe, and here's a thought, if they did their job properly, they wouldn't be over-worked, they wouldn't have to limit consultations to 10 minutes - because we would all be sorted out and not have to keep going back.

Slight rant.

Rant over.

[linda75]

Hi Poppet

I have to say that I totally agree.

Two weeks ago I turned up for my B12 only to discover a doctor and nurse at my surgery stopped my jabs without informing me. Another nurse had to spend time talking to another doctor to get the prescription reinstated.

That was two nurses appointments and time spent by one other nurse and 2 doctors wasted just because they would not speak to me directly.

Plus there was time a GP and consultant spent writing snotty letters to each other arguing about who should give me blood test results.

Yesterday I saw another doctor (a well informed locum) who has now increased by B12 jabs to every 2 months as I still get neurological symptoms.

And I still have no idea what blood tests have been completed or any results.

That's a lot of my time wasted, not to mention the waste to the NHS in time and tax payer's money.

There are some very good GPs, consultants and nurses out there. But it appears there are a lot more of very bad, ill informed ones (GPs and consultants especially). I understand that GPs are busy and do a difficult job, but they are certainly not underpaid.

[aishling]

I do not think you are making a broad statement. I think you are making a statement based on the experiences of pretty much everyone on these pages. In Ireland, we do not have a national health service. We have to pay 50/60 euro on average for our visits to the doctor, or 30 euro on average for a nurse to give us injections. This does not include the price of the B12 itself. Even while they charge us so much money, they still do not take the time to discuss things with us. Any questions I have asked have been met with a shrug.

And of the four doctors I have seen since first being diagnosed with PA, each one has had a widely different approach to my treatment.

Like you, I almost wish that they had just given me my results and let me figure it out for myself. In a way, that is what they did do. I sometimes consider forgoing the doctors altogether and trying to deal with this myself. If I were not such a chicken, I might.

[BLVD]

Well said Poppet!

[Poppet11]

I didn't expect so many to be in agreement!

I think it was the UK doctor's posting in the BMJ that finally tipped me over the edge. You couldn't communicate with that man. You couldn't put information in front of him and expect him to read and consider it. You can see he is completely closed as to any other implications of b12 deficiency other than those he believes he already knows.

And we have to sit in front of doctors like this and try and 'plead' our case. And try and convince them we are ill (even if bits of us are falling off!) and then they write in our notes derogatory comments about our emotional capacity.

This is one heck of a serious illness - and I have no doubt that many, many people have died from it and their deaths have gone recorded under other diagnoses - yet you cannot even get doctors (in the UK + Ireland!) to consider the facts. Instead they write sarcastic comments to the BMJ about the quality of the articles they allow to be published.

I was ashamed of our UK medical profession. I hope now, reading the other comments, that he is squirming a little and starting to feel just a little bit stupid!

[helvella in reply to Poppet11]

Some doctors have prided themselves on their understanding of language - English and Latin.

Some seem to forget the definition of pernicious:

a. Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly: a pernicious virus.

b. Causing great harm; destructive: pernicious rumors.

thefreedictionary.com/perni...

In case you are not aware, you have the option of signing up to BMJ and adding your own rapid response. No cost. I did so on another subject (thyroid-related) some time ago and garnered almost 200 endorsements. As did several others.

[Poppet11 in reply to helvella]

I did sign up and won't let me in!

Trouble is about the language is the word 'anaemia' in this instance - because they are all still looking for it!

On the metabolic pathway anaemia comes last - if at all, because it most cases it gets hidden.

Yet doctors are still looking for anaemia in the presumption that the neurological damage will follow - hence, stop the anaemia (or low b12 levels) and the neuro damage is prevent.

Wrong!

I'm not going to edit it - but look at my typing. I have got tremor so bad today I don't know which way is up.

[Polaris]

Certainly do ! I'm tearing my hair out : my sister's surgery have ignored a letter I sent with her permission, with a request, among other things, to keep me informed as her memory is really not great. They ring her with detailed information that she finds hard to remember and she has just been berated for missing two appointments.