So many people are saying they are getting very bad treatment from their GP, forcing them to seek private treatment. GP's are a business now

People are saying that despite paying in all their lives and having paid for a mortgage throughout their working lives, that GP's are intentionally forcing them to go private to receive necessary care. A house-holder in London can have half a million pounds invested in their home, why shouldn't they pay for their own medical treatment?

[polkadotcom]

How is this related to PMRGCAuk?

[Hidden]

Because GCA is an expensive illness to treat and several people with GCA who I have spoken to have gone privately in order to receive responsible treatment. I didn't go private and lost some of my eye-sight, had bad headaches for 6 months, extreme worry and sleepless nights, all because my GP refused to accept I had GCA alongside the PMR she was treating me for.

[polkadotcom]

OK Wendy. I am a very patient person but I am scraping the bottom of the patience barrel right now. All the things you have mentioned have already been taken on board by PMRGCAuk and we are attempting to redress the various situations involved but we are not Supercharity.

Your habit of posting rhetorical questions which cannot be (to you) satisfactorily answered is beginning to upset other members of this forum. We cannot take on the country/world much as we would like to be able to. You seem to have met more people with PMR or GCA in a very short space of time than I have in 13 years but I don't see them posting on here? If they will post their specific questions then we will gladly reply.

We can suggest what you might or could do in various situations but we can't do it for you. If, as it seems, you have other issues outside the scope of this forum, which is for those with PMR/GCA and their own personal trials and tribulations, then please find the correct place to post them.

[Thomas45]

I suspect, Wendy, that your GPs don't know much about PMR and GCA.

Mine are better. They took 5 weeks from the first onset of pain to diagnose PMR I don't have GCA as well. Originally both them and I thought the pains were a bad reaction to a new tablet (I have Chronic Asthma, Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, and enlarged prostate as well). Within hours of being put on a new tablet I had awful leg pains. I phoned the GP and agreed with him to give the tablet a bit longer. The pains spread across my body. After 12 days I saw the GP and he took me off those tablets. I'd also been put on some other tablets to reduce blood pressure, and after a couple more days I was taken off those, but the pains continued and intensified. I had various blood tests without any success of identiufying the culprit, and then a call from my GP to say that they thought they knew what it was.

The morning after another blood test a GP phoned me at 8.30am and said they were sure it was PMR and he would leave a prescription at Reception for me. He said to take 20mg of prednisolone a day and he'd made me another appointment. Because I have asthma I keep an 'emergency' course of prednisolone at home and said I'd take some of that, and a friend would collect the prescription.

Since then they've been very good, as they are with my Atrial Fribrillation, asthma, and enlarged prostate.

I hope your condition improves.

[jinasc]

WendyUK

I would endorse what polkadotcom has said to you.

However you wrote "Because GCA is an expensive illness to treat". This is untrue, you will find that prednisolone is one of the least expensive drugs. It is also generic and has been in use since around 1949 and it one of the most powerful medicines we have and side effects are well known.

I suspect that your 'private' medic is charging you twice as much for a prescription than the NHS.

If your GP refused to treat you you should have asked to see the Practice Manager, explained the problem and found another GP, all of which you are entitled to do. You could also have gone to A&E and explained the problem and also a Walk in Centre.

[Hidden]

If GCA were treated by prednisolone alone, someone could buy the drug online and treat themselves (which I was almost forced to do and did consider). GCA requires far more than drug treatment. As I have explained previously I did go to A & E and attempted many avenues prior to making a complaint against the GP who misdiagnosed and mistreated me. That is my perogative. It is your perogative not to answer my posts if it displeases you and harassment or victimisation should not be tolerated. The moderator should decide if a post is not suitable and the person who makes the post should receive an explanation why the post has been removed.

[Hidden]

Good to hear Thomas45 that you have informed medics and are receiving satisfactory treatment for your PMR. There is so much information online and it only would have taken my GP 5 minutes to become informed of my GCA which was painful, incapacitating and dangerous and is therefore considered a medical emergency: rcplondon.ac.uk/resources/c...