Health care lottery

[conny]

Can't remember the last time I saw a GP. Everything is hospital with me because they are the ones treating my CKD.
I did get a call a few months ago, from a locum at the surgery, asking me to have a phone consult with him the following week. So we agreed a date and time when he would call. The following week one of the regular doctors called me. Told me Dr xxx had this call scheduled in the diary but he was no longer wth them, did I know what it was about. I had to confess I had no idea what he had wanted to chat about so we agreed just to forget about it, as I was happy with what the hospital were doing.
The system is shot to pieces.

 

[johnny2007]

A few years ago our surgery started using this useless online booking.
I could never get an appointment and called them.
They refused to book me in.
So I started going to the local walk in clinic and every time I told them I couldn't get an appointment with my surgery.
After seeing me a few times in a month, they phoned the surgery.
a few days later I received a letter of apology from the surgery in which they blamed the computer system.
The letter invited me to make appointments by phone from then on.
So I called them and got an appointment for next morning.
And then I was allowed to book over the phone.
Fast forward to now and they have a double system, online and telephone booking.
So possibly they had many complaints.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Told me Dr xxx had this call scheduled in the diary but he was no longer wth them, did I know what it was about.

The GP's don't ring me often, but that is always their first question, and often as not, I have just been advised to make an appointment to speak, and not be aware of the reason. You would think they would have something in place, to let them know.

 

[Justin Passing]

I was sent a hospital appt in Muscular Dystrophy dept. I don't have that. Big mystery - they were just using the offices.
I've got one in Othopods next week. Don't know what that's for either.

 

[conny]

I was sent a hospital appt in Muscular Dystrophy dept. I don't have that. Big mystery - they were just using the offices.
I've got one in Othopods next week. Don't know what that's for either.

When I first went to my GP, way back in 2005, with swollen ankles he had a quick look and told me to put them up for a couple of hours each night. Tried for a week and they just kept getting bigger. Go back to him and he wants to send me to see a specialist at the hospital so wait for an appointment, (can't remember what the first one specialised in). I waited about 6 weeks and all the time the swelling was spreading up my legs. Appointment was something like a further 6 weeks away but, being a patient sort of guy, I waited. Turn up at the hospital with my letter and get told I was seeing a GP. When I explained I was supposed to be seeing a XXXXX doctor I was told to go back to GP and tell him to put that on his request. Did that, only this time he decided on me seeing a haematologist, (blood disorders). Repeat of the first scene, 6 week wait for appt;,letter 6 week wait for appt and the same thing happened again. Go back to GP again and this time I am to see a dietician!!! This kind of thing dragged on and on for months until I demanded to see another GP in the practice, (in those days you had to see the one you were registered under). As soon as I walked in his room he said, "I know what your problem is." We had a chat and he wrote something down on a piece of paper, placed it in an envelope and sealed it. He then asked me to sign across the seal. Gets me an appointment to see a GP in the hospital and said, "He will direct you to the specialist I have written on that paper because I can't do it direct."
Waiting more weeks to get to see this GP at the hospital and he was the same as my second opinion GP in the practice. Knew before I sat down what the problem was and got me an urgent appointment with nephrology consultant. Only then did things swing into action and start getting sorted. First GP wasted about 18 months of my life because of his ineptitude. I raised a complaint against him but was advised by a solicitor it would probably never reached court because it was my word against his that he said he was referring me to this and that specialist.
By the way, regarding the envelope. The GP had written 'Nephrology - nephrotic syndrome/CKD?' Which was spot on.

 

[Justin Passing]

When I first went to my GP, way back in 2005, with swollen ankles he had a quick look and told me to put them up for a couple of hours each night. Tried for a week and they just kept getting bigger. Go back to him and he wants to send me to see a specialist at the hospital so wait for an appointment, (can't remember what the first one specialised in). I waited about 6 weeks and all the time the swelling was spreading up my legs. Appointment was something like a further 6 weeks away but, being a patient sort of guy, I waited. Turn up at the hospital with my letter and get told I was seeing a GP. When I explained I was supposed to be seeing a XXXXX doctor I was told to go back to GP and tell him to put that on his request. Did that, only this time he decided on me seeing a haematologist, (blood disorders). Repeat of the first scene, 6 week wait for appt;,letter 6 week wait for appt and the same thing happened again. Go back to GP again and this time I am to see a dietician!!! This kind of thing dragged on and on for months until I demanded to see another GP in the practice, (in those days you had to see the one you were registered under). As soon as I walked in his room he said, "I know what your problem is." We had a chat and he wrote something down on a piece of paper, placed it in an envelope and sealed it. He then asked me to sign across the seal. Gets me an appointment to see a GP in the hospital and said, "He will direct to the specialist I have written on that paper because I can't do it direct."
Waiting more weeks to get to see this GP at the hospital and he was the same as my second opinion GP in the practice. Knew before I sat down what the problem was and got me an urgent appointment with nephrology consultant. Only then did things swing into action and start getting sorted. First GP wasted about 18 months of my life because of his ineptitude. I raised a complaint against him but was advised by a solicitor it would probably never reached court because it was my word against his that he said he was referring me to this and that specialist.
By the way, regarding the envelope. The GP had written 'Nephrology - nephrotic syndrome/CKD?' Which was spot on.

Jeez, that's not rare, an early one to test for, shows up in standard blood tests. Even the pee dipstick would point the way. Did they give you diuretics.....? Sometimes they do decide what's wrong too early and push on with it, a well known "failure mode" of GPs. I have a relative who's did a spell as a GP before going on. She said it was common, leading to a GP doing a whole load of blood tests just in case they'd got it wrong.
I'm currently into a protracted saga where the base condition isn't treatable, so it drags on.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

When I first went to my GP, way back in 2005, with swollen ankles he had a quick look and told me to put them up for a couple of hours each night. Tried for a week and they just kept getting bigger. Go back to him and he wants to send me to see a specialist at the hospital so wait for an appointment, (can't remember what the first one specialised in). I waited about 6 weeks and all the time the swelling was spreading up my legs. Appointment was something like a further 6 weeks away but, being a patient sort of guy, I waited. Turn up at the hospital with my letter and get told I was seeing a GP. When I explained I was supposed to be seeing a XXXXX doctor I was told to go back to GP and tell him to put that on his request. Did that, only this time he decided on me seeing a haematologist, (blood disorders). Repeat of the first scene, 6 week wait for appt;,letter 6 week wait for appt and the same thing happened again. Go back to GP again and this time I am to see a dietician!!! This kind of thing dragged on and on for months until I demanded to see another GP in the practice, (in those days you had to see the one you were registered under). As soon as I walked in his room he said, "I know what your problem is." We had a chat and he wrote something down on a piece of paper, placed it in an envelope and sealed it. He then asked me to sign across the seal. Gets me an appointment to see a GP in the hospital and said, "He will direct you to the specialist I have written on that paper because I can't do it direct."

Concern was expressed (for a second time) about my PSA values a couple of weeks ago, as a result of my regular blood tests, then the GP overlooked it, until this week and urgently referred me to a urology consultant. The consultant rang me this morning, and despite her not having any immediate concerns, based on her discussions with me - she wants me in within a week, for a F2F, or maybe a F2B

 

[Justin Passing]

F2F and F2B are types of via hole in ICs, but docs love a bit of F2B

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Concern was expressed (for a second time) about my PSA values a couple of weeks ago, as a result of my regular blood tests, then the GP overlooked it, until this week and urgently referred me to a urology consultant. The consultant rang me this morning, and despite her not having any immediate concerns, based on her discussions with me - she wants me in within a week, for a F2F, or maybe a F2B

An appointment for next Monday, but last Monday I began feeling terrible - aching all over, shivering and coughing. On Tuesday morning I tested for covid, confirmed positive, so rang them to see what to do about the appointment. They are cancelling and sending me an alternative appointment.

I've never had it before.

 

[gant]

Bit of a bummer seeing you've been jabbed.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Bit of a bummer seeing you've been jabbed.

For your education - The jab was never suggested to completely prevent you getting the covid, nor limit your chances of getting it, it was only suggested to help prevent your needing to be hospitalised. That, it would seem to have done, including helping me avoid until now, however - thanks for your concern.