consultant visit

I am due to see my consultant for a 3 month review, should I have bloods taken at GP surgery prior to visit?

[cavi]

Yes when i have to go and see my consultant, i go a week before and get my bloods done ,he always gives me a pathology request form of which blood tests he wants me to have on my last visit,so i just take that with me when i go and have them done,all the up to date results are then in front of him at my appointment i see him every 3 month's.

[Hidden]

He might get you to have some done after your appt, kings college clinics work this way. Then they post the results back to you and your gp. And obviously then discus at next appt.

Hope it goes well.

Lou

[Jtxx]

I also get mine done at my doctors a week before I go and as the computer systems are linked to a mainframe the consultant can go in and retrieve them. It makes sense as he can see all the results and act on them, if appropriate, instead of

having to wait for a follow up appt. I get all my bloods done at the drs (Every 2 months but only see consultant every 6 months so if anything changes my dr can act on it and refer me back to consultant). It works for me. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Jtxx]

MY GP surgery won't take any bloods unless they have been specifically requested from the hospital doctor. I only know this as I was told this by the surgery nurses.

The info should be on the hospital doctor's letter if they request bloods prior to a visit to the hospital. I rechecked my paperwork I have and the hosp doctor on discharging me Oct 2011 did put when he would like repeat bloods done, the intervals unless the GP deemed any different (ie Feb 2012 had a slight climb so he asked me to go back in at the 3 months).

[Hidden]

Well from my experience of visiting the hospital (I got an agreed discharge that is 'temporary' back in Oct 2011), unless the consultant mentioned at your last visit to have bloods done and gave you the info to take to the GP surgery then I'd say not.

When I went for my first visit after diagnose the consultant wanted me to return to see him 'in 3 months' to which I said 'make it 6 months' as I wasn't keen on the doctor at all (his mannerisms) and the system there just really irritated me, no respect or privacy at all. So he said if that was the case and he wanted to recheck the bloods at the 3 months appt I wasn't in agreement for he'd have to give me the info to take to the GP surgery for me to have the bloods there so he had at the next appt (6 months). He gave me one of the envelopes that the bloods are put into and he wrote the relevant ones he wanted doing. At the time he stated he'd write the GGT on it at the bottom as according to him that is one that is often missed at the GP surgery for PBC patients.

I took the envelope with me to the GP surgery at the 3 months mark and had no problem them taking them tho' I did get 20 questions from the nurse that day who automatically assumed I had been a heavy drinker!

I then had more blood repeats done at the 6 months mark at the hospital. After discharge went to the GP but that seems to have got to be a bit mixed-up in the last 6 months.

[Oidra]

I used to have my blood checked after my appointment with the Consultant at the hospital but I found it more difficult to get a copy for my records. Now I have the tests done by the nurse at my GP`s surgery and I collect a copy from there. I take them with me to my hospital appointment in case they have not come through on the computer system. This works better for me.

[Hidden in reply to Oidra]

Hello Oidra.

I used to ring the hospital up following my visits (only went 3 times, hopefully not for some time) and the telephone number I rang was the consultant's secretary who obligingly said she'd post the blood test results out to me. I got far more satisfaction from ringing the hospital following a visit than I do after having bloods at the GP surgery. They seem to think I am asking for the blue prints of the Crown Jewels!

Wouldn't mind I only scan them these days as I roughly have an idea without looking back how they are doing.

[mumofthree]

As jtxx and cavi I get my bloods done a week before my consultant appointment. I have yearly follow ups with my consultant and he gives me a bloods request form ready for my next years appointment. I can either get the bloods done at my GP surgery or at the hospital, personally I prefer to have mine done at the same hospital that I see my consultant.

[Oidra]

Hi Peridot,

You made me smile! When you have PBC small "victories"make you feel good - and getting what you want is top of the list.

Keep up the good work.