Wow - that was quick!

[Blossom234]

Hi there, I now have the results of both blood tests and these will be posted in the questions section for anyone who wishes to have a look and give feedback.

The GP I'm now with are so much better than my last one - I'm sure they must've read the review I gave them on the NHS site as I couldn't have given them enough praise lol! I posted my letter requesting them for the information on Friday, half expecting to get a reply sometime the following week asking me for a fee for the information.

Today I get a letter hand-delivered, no stamp, put through the flat door with the information from the blood test I just had and the one before it, even though I didn't ask for them! And the GP kindly wrote the reference ranges for the thyroid stuff and an explanation as to what it all means!

If only my last GP would've done the same, and for free...well, there you go.

Results to follow this entry!

xxx

[alangardner]

just goes to show that there are some good efficient gp's out there ....a little praise-when merited - does have a positive effect----people tend to forget negative feedback , but, will always remember praise [ and who took the time to give it ]......great to hear your news....alan

[Blossom234 in reply to alangardner]

I have to agree, people do tend to forget negative feedback - I wrote three reviews about my previous GP as they were just...well, for want of a better word, abysmal. They didn't make me feel empowered to make my own decisions and instead just looked at me and asked me what I wanted them to do about my problems. And I've had no response from them about the three negative reviews nor the complaint I put through to them at the start of April. At least I've had progress - much more.

[alangardner in reply to Blossom234]

not progress.....but you have a gp [ like myself ] that actually cares about his/hers patients and their health------please please please look after them ---enough people on this site alone would envy you for what you have===== they cannot find a sympathetic gp======= THEY [ GP'S ] ARE VERY RARE ON THE GROUND ======lol alan

[ThyroidThora]

Hi Blossom 234

You're very lucky. When I wanted all my blood test results my GP surgery charged me 35p per sheet. It came to nearly £5.00.

All the best for the future.

[Blossom234 in reply to ThyroidThora]

Hi ThyroidThora

With my previous GP I sent a subject access request to them by going to a website and modifying a subject access request letter. This was what NHS Choices suggested I do. So I decided to follow procedure as I wanted to go about doing it the right way.

They then sent me a letter back asking me to fill out an application form detailing what information it was I wanted - even though I explained in my first letter what it was I was asking for! So that got sent off and then about a week or so later I receive another letter to say the information was ready to be collected and that I had to pay a fee of £10. I don't even think the information given was on 20 pages, which I thought was a bit of a rip-off, but I was willing to pay for that as that was what I wanted.

Because I left my previous GP because I'd gotten fed up of them messing me about and refusing to do any more thyroid related tests, I changed to my current GP and I wanted to start with a clean slate. So the first thing I said when at my first appointment was, "I've only just been made aware that I could be tested for thyroid antibodies, but my previous surgery didn't test me for this. Is it possible I could have a blood test and be tested for them?" And straightaway, they said yes. Antibodies came back raised.

The only reason I requested information with the bloods recently done by them was so I knew just how much they were raised by. The doctor I spoke to about them over the phone said he was very surprised at the jump in TSH and that encouraged me to request the info. I knew my TSH had swung between 5.2, 2.2, 1.0 and 0.69, so it was fair to say I was more than just a little surprised to find it was at 22!

I still wanted to do everything by the book as I had done with requesting information from the previous GP as I assumed all surgeries go about handling such requests the same way. I didn't expect to find the results hand delivered to me through my front door, which I doubt the previous surgery would've even thought about doing!

Best wishes xx

[ThyroidThora in reply to Blossom234]

Hi Blossom 234

I got my results when I called in to get my diabetes blood tests taken by the phlembotomist and asked in passing. I asked if I could have them because I was going to the hospital in the afternoon for results of tests I had done on my thyroid. The receptionists were fine about it but said that there were a lot of sheets to print off and it would be expensive. I didn't mind paying if it meant that I had all the information for the hospital. I never gave the details to the hospital because I was a bit shell shocked when they gave a diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

Anyway, having the results has spurred me on to find out more about my past health issues to try and establish why I got thyroid cancer. I think I've probably had mild or pre-hypothyroidism since my daughter was born 21 years ago and I got told that I had a hormone imbalance but it was not bad enough to treat. I've requested all sorts of information and I am still waiting for some more information from the hospitals that I have visited recently. I'm sure I will get to the bottom of things.

Cheerio for now xx.

[missdove in reply to ThyroidThora]

I cannot believe the surgery's vary so much in the way they deal with this issue. Per sheet is terrible, I asked my GP for a print out of my last 3 months blood tests and there have been many, and she did it there and then it took 30 seconds if that, and all the results were on the one page. Maybe it depends on what software they use for their computers as well? I think there should be more consistency in how they deal with this, so its fair to everyone...

[ThyroidThora in reply to missdove]

I second that!

[Blossom234 in reply to missdove]

Yes, I agree. I felt rather daft when I had my original letter returned to me with the doctor's writing on it stating that I didn't need to go through data protection! But that's exactly what I did with my previous surgery, which I don't understand as I thought all surgeries operate the same way when it came to requests for results.

It could be down to software as you say, as the receptionist I spoke to when booking the blood test for August said they were having the software changed, so I'm not entirely sure.

[missdove in reply to Blossom234]

It would just make things less painful for people if they tried to work in a similar way at the very least. My surgery is online now, so you can order meds, make appointments so maybe there system is a bit more advanced. Printing a page per blood test appears wasteful and time consuming, and like you said having to explain yourself to you previous surgery is stressful as you are in battle mode, where as your present one there is no problem, thankfully...

[PinkNinja]

That is fantastic! What a wonderful GP! I wish I still lived down your way so I could come and see him myself.

Thanks for sharing. It gives the rest of us hope

Carolyn x

[Blossom234 in reply to PinkNinja]

No probs Carolyn. It just goes to show that there are some really good doctors out there. I'm surprised no one else who goes to my surgery wrote a good review about them as they're brilliant. Did you say you used to live in Bristol?

Best wishes xx

[PinkNinja in reply to Blossom234]

I was born and raised in Thornbury