Oppressive consultant

[blackgolf]

I was diagnosed with cerebral vasculitis 2007 after two years getting progressively more poorly. Although my consultant at the time said there was a 5 percent chance it may be ms but lumber puncture did not diagnose ms . This week had appointment at stoke hospital with new neurologist as the professor who diagnosed me has since retired and according to him he saw me ten mins and says definitely not and ms and also says I have not got vasculitis either ! So I must be a miracle as I have cured myself ! He also would not listen to me suggested I had a angiogram even though I told him I hadn’t just dismissed me making me feel powerless. Said if I had either diseases I would be in wheelchair now how discriminatory is he ?

[vivdunstan Volunteer]

I'm afraid that I and a number of other cerebral vasculitis patients have had a very bad experience of neurologists who can sometimes seem not to know enough to diagnose a disease correctly combined with an amazing confidence in their abilities. Which has caused some people irreversible damage as their disease goes out of control without treatment.

I think you should be entitled to a second opinion to see a different medic. Personally I would recommend a rheumatologist, but views on this vary. At the very least you should contact the charity helpline for advice and suggestions of consultants who could help:

vasculitis.org.uk/helpline

Good luck!

[blackgolf in reply to vivdunstan]

Thankyou really appreciate your advice

[Main1234]

Was this Stoke hospital in staffordshire?

We saw a very abrupt consultant last year here.

[blackgolf in reply to Main1234]

Yes it was . Dr al-araji

[Main1234]

We saw a kidney consultant...

[Hidden]

I bet this is all too common. I often call it, "Art of (covert) Abuse" in the hospital setting. I didn't invent it myself but read about it. For example, racism. People no longer use anything overt, such as shouting names. Instead, they make your life harder without making it too obvious if they are in a position of power e.g. hospital administrators, consultants etc. Sadly, they are not exempt from making these discriminations.

[blackgolf in reply to Hidden]

I know but it has really affected me not only making me feel powerless and stupid and will also impact on me when it comes down to pips reviews etc. Really wish I had not been referred to him. Does anyone have any views on other neurologists who practice at Birmingham as I want to get another opinion from a professional neurologist who won’t cast my opinions aside. Now I have complained about my ten to fifteen minutes assessment he has told lies saying I was with him for one hour

[Blearyeyed in reply to blackgolf]

I am not in your area so I cannot help with specific suggestions for a consultant.

What I can say is you are not powerless and your have been treated atrociously.

The first thing to do is to ask for second opinion via the Head of the Department by contacting the secretary of that member of staff .

Let them know that you want a second opinion , you are unhappy about being discharged without any discussion after years of treatment , let them know you will also be making an official complaint about the treatment you received from the particular consultant you saw

Let them know it is a shame you have been forced into this action after years of acceptable treatment from their Department and you hope they can organise a second opinion swiftly.

This element of polite discourse will help you get a positive response, if they do not feel you are taking issue with the whole Department but just one inappropriate piece of treatment they are more likely to try to sort out the situation quickly and not just close ranks.

And although it is the last thing you want to do you need to put in an official complaint through the hospital complaints service after you have received a response on getting a second opinion.

Explain what treatment you were already getting, what your original diagnosis was and for how long you have had it , try and show the positives first.

Then explain that you were discharged without proper discussion by the new consultant, state in detail that they dismissed the diagnosis that you have had for a long time from another professional, and let them know his comments on why you couldn't have it , finishing with the wheelchair comment.

If you have been given the second opinion tell them you are happy with the Department efforts to resolve the situation so far but you feel it is necessary to make a complaint about your treatment by the consultant , explain here how it made you feel.

If you did not get a positive response or help for a second opinion from the Department , you can complain about this here too and then request that this is sorted out swiftly .

That you want to referred to another Department in another hospital urgently to the appropriate consultation and treatment as you are concerned that the delays will affect your condition and you do not want a break in treatment that could reduce your physical health and cause you undue stress.

In the meantime, if you are on medication , you need to go to see your GP before any advice sent via this consultant causes a change in your repeat prescriptions or other care , explain that you have made the complaint, are requesting a second opinion and during that time expect the GP to continue following your previous consultants advice, to wait before changing your medication and details of your condition on your notes and to give you the support you need until this has resolved.

Explain that you need to make sure of this so that changes to your payments do not occur. You may need to warn them that you may need a letter for your PIP in the future to give evidence you are still have a condition that needs care and that changes should not be made until further tests and a second opinion have been done.

It may also be a good plan while contacting the Hospital Department to make sure they haven't sent out a letter of your discharge to the agency responsible for your PIP , if they have you need to get that letter from the doctor or them explaining the situation as above.

Then contact the pIp department letting them know about your complaint and that your health hasn't changed and check that nothing will change until you have been properly assessed.

It is alot to handle, and it could cause you to flare ( there is nothing that makes you more ill than trying to get better!!) so if you have someone to help with this , who can stay calm , be polite , give support and make calls for you , let them help , it will cause less affect to your condition.

Another tip is to write down all the things you want to say and questions you want to ask before phoning , as it will jog your memory during a stressful call, tick off each thing and politely let them know you have more questions if it sounds like they are about to try to close the conversation.

Write down or record what they say, put it on speaker phone for someone else to hear if you can , and take down everybody's names and their position so you know whose names to add into your future letters or your complaint.

It is terrible that people are constantly put in this position, especially when the same health professionals that tell you be less stressed because it is bad for you end up being the people that make your life more stressful.

Take care and let us all know how you get on.

[blackgolf in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thankyou your kind words mean a lot

[Hidden]

Fight, I would say. Go to GMC complain page as well. Patients shouldn't put up with lazy clinicians, who are getting paid with our tax money.

[blackgolf]

Thankyou for your welcomed advice