English stoics ignored by GPs

[Camilla23]

Many of the problems I had suffered before diagnosis were trivialised by GPs. Causing me to 'just grin and bear it' , I would be happy to see GPs provided with an easy to read quick reference chart so they could save someone having to put up with a limbo quality of life for so long.

[Clutter]

Camilla23,

Sadly GPs these days are not interested in patients' symptoms unless blood tests are abnormal.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

My experience is that most doctors aren't interested in patients.

I have had symptoms ignored, had cursory examinations and told there's nothing wrong despite me describing symptoms, told I haven't got what another doctor diagnosed (with physical evidence) just because the physical evidence comes and goes and the second doctor didn't see it. Twice I've had to pay privately to get a diagnosis, one instance confirmed 10 breast cysts when the GP just wanted to me to take ibuprofen for the discomfort, the other was to get started on lung disease investigations the GP didn't think was urgent despite having problems for 3 years plus pleurisy, pneumonia and frequent lung infections.

At the moment I'm struggling to get a gynaecologist and my GP to see and agree I have a problem. In the meantime I have to suffer pain.

I'm sure a lot of us have similar experiences.

I would be happy to see old fashioned GPs back who actually had a vocation and cared, listened and believed their patient.

[humanbean in reply to SeasideSusie]

I would be happy to see old fashioned GPs back who actually had a vocation and cared, listened and believed their patient.

I have honestly never met one of those. I think they are mythical.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to humanbean]

HB - I was thinking along the lines of the old family doctors, often a one man practice, that were the norm when I was a child (1950s). They knew you, your family, illnesses you'd had, mentioned if you looked peaky, you could discuss more than one thing per appointment.

We came fairly close to a caring GP here (sadly now retired) who got my husband in to see an NHS consultant 24 hours after his appointment with her because she had an inkling what his problem was, and a few days before he passed away she was at his bedside explaining he needn't be frightened of the syringe driver with his morphine based meds, stroking his arm saying "there there chick". A bit different to one of the current ones who said to my friend's sister-in-law who was dying with a brain tumour "you're a tough old bird, I didn't expect you to last this long"!!

Did you not have a good GP as a child HB? I know of a fair bit of your history so I do understand why you've said that.

[humanbean in reply to SeasideSusie]

Nope, can't remember any good GPs, sadly.

[helvella Administrator in reply to humanbean]

The only good experience I remember was an emergency - hence not our usual doctor. Had a bad cut on the arch of my foot, and needed an anti-tetanus injection. The doctor managed to point at a jar of sweets over to my right, say "Have you ever seen one of these?" and actually do the injection without me noticing. I just saw the needle moving away from my left arm as I turned back.

He was a member of the local Magic Circle...

[Chriskisby in reply to humanbean]

Don't you watch "Doctors" on BBC1? Totally mythical!!

[floraldaisy in reply to SeasideSusie]

I agree and have gone through the same experiences. Can you get a private referral to a gynaecologist thu one of the private GP's?

[Camilla23 in reply to floraldaisy]

No, it's too late now, but thanks for the suggestion. The NHS solution was hysterectomy, I chose guided ultrasound privately at Paddington hospital much better.

[janeb15]

Sadly many GP's (ours included) are not interested in their patients and are way too scared to think outside the box. They are also victims in a way - in their case the rigidity of the NHS and out of date NICE guidelines. Whatever the reason, it is the patient who suffers which is an outrage when you think that GP's are paid by the patient.

We have had to go to the USA and seek private (and successful) help for my daughter's long and debilitating problems. The BIG differences there are that (1) doctors are ACCOUNTABLE to their patients and (2) the patient has choices about which specialists they want to see and can make an appointment without having to be referred by a GP.

I haven't understood in recent years all the protests, marches, banners and Brexit lies about how we "want" to "save" the NHS. The NHS is a shambles and completely doctor centred, not patient centred.

Seeing a doctor in the USA is like a breath of fresh air compared with UK health care.

Jane x

[Camilla23]

Yes, I quite agree, I sometimes wish I could take myself to the local vet who did a very comprehensive job diagnosing the cat's pancreatitis. A GP I saw who finally suggested I could get treatment for low thyroid said whilst I was marginal it can cause symptoms. The senior partner had noticed it but dismissed it because she was focused on one scenario, i.e. that the bloating and solid mass that was a hugh fibroid could have been cancerous. I suspect that the low thyroid may have contributed to that problem and the resulting infertility.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Camilla23]

Ha ha, I to my said to my friend only the other day that I'd rather see a vet

My dog's vet listens, does a thorough examination, doesn't rush you out the surgery, is happy to explain things and answer questions and is smiley and happy. I don't mind paying for that!

[gabkad in reply to SeasideSusie]

Last year I did ask the vet if he'd take my blood and do a full panel of tests the way he does for the cats. I suggested he write 'Big Blue Dog' on the requisition. He declined because according to him ranges vary from our species to the dog. Given how good he is at taking blood from my catses, I'm sure he'd do really well taking mine, just not from my neck, thank you very much. It's also significantly cheaper to get a full panel of tests done for an animal than for us.

[Camilla23]

Seems like there are some lessons GP's could learn from vets.

[gabkad in reply to Camilla23]

I agree. Vets are gentle. GPs don't expect us to bite.. maybe we should.

[carnation]

Do not make the mistake of thinking all 'old style' doctors were good. As a baby I was unable to breathe properly one night. My mother called the family GP who refused to come out until the morning.

In the morning we had a new GP, she had no more to do with the old one! I was diagnosed with asthma - that was 60 years ago. xx

[janeb15 in reply to carnation]

carnation, I'm not sure what you mean by an "old style" doctor. GP's, of whatever age or style should always put their patients first. Sadly, under the NHS many don't, and have become glorified paper pushers.

To continue the vet comparison, my son and his wife have a dog who had serious leg issues and were able to take her to a number of varying vet specialists (covered by their pet insurance) until they found someone who knew what was wrong. The dog is now back to complete fitness. As human beings, however, we can't do the same without first going via the GP for specialist referrals, and the GP won't diagnose and treat on a suspicion of what might be wrong!

Jane x

[hebden]

Vets do far superior joint replacements on animals than humans get and they don't have to wait so long.

I have lost faith in the medical profession. The only gp I remember being a "proper" doctor was when I was a child. He knew each of our family and their medical history and even attended my Nan who was dying of cancer when she came to live with us so my Mum could care for her. Even though he wasn't my Nans doctor he came to check up on her and my Mum every day and got district nurses to attend when he saw my Mum struggling to cope. I will never forget him and so wish there were more like him.

[serenfach]

My cat had a number of symptoms, so off to the vets, who diagnosed thyroid problems after examination. They backed this up with blood tests. I asked if they tested the T3 and they looked surprised and said "of course - how would we know how to treat otherwise?". They were totally shocked when I told them GPs just usually do TSH.

My father was one of those old GPs - he cared about his patients, to the extent sometimes he looked at me and wondered who I was!

[mtcorr]

Reading all the comments I would like to share the link below, bearing in mind the many practices recieve significantly less than than the £136 quoted . You will pay much more for your pet but yet the government deems this is all you are worth for your own treatment. The nhs is in a mess with years of government poor management underfunding with only one agenda - to privatise the nhs. Money is wasted on beauracratic nonesense ie. Yearly drs appraisals, 5 yearly revalidation and in England cqc inspections all brought in after the wake of Shipman when probably if Shipman was practicing today he would pass with flying colours.

Dr's hands are tied when it comes to prescribing with national and sometimes local prescribing formularies which limit what is available. Never mind nice guidelines which are supposed to be 'guidelines' but are more a dictate which Dr's are loathed to stray from for fear of being sued or summoned before the gmc. Dr's pay about 9-10,000 in indemnity insurance can you image paying that for doing your job? As for blood tests what is available and what can be tested are dictated by the local laboratory in the local hospital drs do not get a choice. Of course in some areas there are variations to all of the above which only adds to the confusion and frustration of us all.

My fear is when we have to pay for our care the poor are the ones that will suffer. We already have a distinct lack of gp's for the present population this has reached crisis point in northern Ireland with practices closing and no one to take on the patients. Sorry rant over.

pulsetoday.co.uk/your-pract...