Thank you to all the well informed people who provide good advice

[caledoniancat]

I always feel really saddened to read members experiences of a poor service from the NHS, particularly as I used to work in the NHS and generally I feel we are so lucky compared to many other countries around the world. But what has happened to expertise and excellence or the opportunity to really develop these in the staff of the NHS? I know medical students get very little insight into thyroid conditions during their education (that is true for many other health conditions too and across varied health professionals). I know there is also support for continuing education and evidence post qualifying. However, most thyroid conditions are not rare, why does the NHS in general lack the necessary knowledge in this area? It appears to me that some professionals depend far too much on computerised decision trees or clinical guidelines that may be helpful but are not infallible and they are less able to 'think outside of that box'. Do they delve and read further and continue to explore evolving evidence and peoples' experiences? (Where do they find the time?). I recognise that GPs are expected to be a 'jack of all trades and master of none' (and are in short supply) but how many are actually able to provide or do provide self- management advice once there is a diagnosis (whether or not they were responsible for the diagnosis), even something as simple as a leaflet or a website? How many point people in the direction of support groups, sources of relevant information etc. Do they believe that doing so would have people running back to challenge them rather than reduce the NHS burden? I would have hoped that consultants were better informed but from members experiences that often/sometimes does not seem to be the case. It appears too that NHS endo consultants are not properly recruited, managed or organised to cope with the increasing and varied endo conditions they see and the growing evidence for better management. God help those with rare conditions. I find this forum enormously helpful and the depth of knowledge that some have is mind blowing (particularly the administrators but there are others too). I wish there were more 'champions' in the NHS that were like the administrators and other helpful contributors of this forum - thank you to all.

[humanbean]

How many point people in the direction of support groups, sources of relevant information etc.

Actually, very few do this. The NHS actively advises against joining support groups for some conditions. The logic behind this is that many patients, particularly women, are considered to be deluded in thinking they are ill, and joining other people in getting support will cement those false illness beliefs and make them think they are sick. The NHS is institutionally sexist, misogynist and sadistic with regard to patients, particularly female ones.

And of course, doctors think their 30 year old text books are far more valuable than Google in terms of medical knowledge, and no patient is ever as clever as they are.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to humanbean]

Hi

And yet I've sat in on consultations where the doctor is frantically using Google to try and look up symptoms or a particular condition. What I would say is their years of study at med school and subsequent medical practice don't trump my 53 years of expertise of living in my own body and knowing what's normal for me an what isn't.

[humanbean in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

I completely agree!

I remember something that happened a few years ago - the NHS got (temporarily) cut off by Google because they were getting so many queries from the NHS domain that they thought it was a denial of service attack.

[Sparklingsunshine]

Hi

The NHS is good for acute illness or accident but poor I would say for chronic, long-term conditions. Especially the ones they can't cure. Doctors want to be the one to cure cancer, strokes or Alzheimers. They're not that interested in IBS or piles.

Curing fungal nail infections won't make the headlines. As far as the NHS is concerned we should be thankful we have Levothyroxine and anyone who isn't well on it is just plain ungrateful .

[humanbean in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

The NHS is good for acute illness or accident but poor I would say for chronic, long-term conditions.

In my opinion, they are also dreadful at record keeping for patients.