Update about the crystal maze that is my gp practice! So tried Naproxen for a week to be a compliant patient and not surprisingly it was awful. Shoulders as bad as ever but nausea and headache to boot 🙁 So stopped them and made yet another appt with the afor mentioned Extended scope practitioner . But he left last week and it was a new one ! Telephone appt . She was bright asked all the right questions, agreed with a diagnosis of PMR . Said she would talk to the GP immediately to start on low dose steroids and ring me back . Then….. she called back very deflated ( was her first day in our practice) no clinical autonomy whatsoever with the GP . Who want to refer my case to ‘’ Advice and Guidance ‘ another NHS initiative 🤪 ( Google it for a full explanation!)
Good God when did GP s stop using their own clinical judgement ??
So several days wait for a judgment call . Back to the wine …….
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Romilly2
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That’s dreadful. Naproxen isn’t to be popped like smarties either. You need and deserve a proper gp assessment, has anyone ordered blood tests? GPs are contractually obliged to see patients, there was a miraculous change in attitude when I asked them if I should go to A&E & see a doctor there. Rattle your cage!!
Ah - just seen your bloods were -ve, but then 20% of pmr patients can be.
It’s like one of those dreams where you are trying to get somewhere and people keep preventing you ! I’m trying to tow the line as to whatever the system is as I realise once hopefully diagnosed and on the right treatment it’s a long haul ( I’ve been reading lots of posts on here to inform myself!) I will need some sort of relationship with my local practice wether I like it or not . I have in my back up plan a private appointment with a rheumatologist on July 8th . Which I know still doesn’t guarantee success but I always try to stay optimistic if I can !
Sorry, Romilly2, I must have missed this…..what’s an Extended scope practitioner? I’ve just got used to the idea of Physicians Assistants and now this! What does it take to see a GP these days? Feeling very frustrated on your behalf xx
Yes an ESP in theory would be a good idea to take some of the workload from the GP . But it appears at my practice the GP is not going along with their recommendations!
It’s about the same in the US, I emailed my rheumatologist last week (the same one it takes 6 months to see) asking for adrenal testing because I am really struggling at 2.5. She has never tested my adrenals. She told me it wasn’t in her scope that I should go to an endocrinologist. Well that’s another 4 month wait, I could be off prednisone or dead by then 🤷♀️.
Another initiative that’s good in theory but it seems the more people involved in decision making about patients the less ownership and responsibility there is unfortunately! Fair enough if it’s a complicated presentation in a complicated patient but I think I’m quite straight forward in this instance , almost text book !!
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