You have my sympathies.My BH is experiencing similar at the moment.The pain is so excruciating it buggered up her nervous system causing weird symptoms everywhere.She has had lots of sleepless nights.Fortunately she has now found a GP who seems to know what’s going on and is getting some treatment.
Ours is rubbish. You can’t even get a phone consultation for 3 weeks! My friend was diagnosed with cancer in her bones after paying private for a scan and consultation because all all she could get was phone consultations and a GP who said it was RSI!!
I had back issues from a teenager …not nice …older when around the mid 80’s I was in agony
…My Doctor then was in Wallington Surrey…Dr Smith sure he wont mind me talking about him…
He said strained muscles take these pain relieves and muscle relaxants…
got sent to Hospital for traction…actually was torture…so here is a Dr. that knows not what is wrong and sends a patient for treatment…looking back no wonder after a whole year of high dose pain killers…I just went into the surgery and screamed at him…What can you do…and he said like it is ingrained in me…What do you expect me to do?
Well I get sent for emergency treatment at the closed down now Akinson Morley Hospital Wimbledon… where the care was 2nd to none…the Hospital was ancient but the care was modern…I came out a few days later smiling for the first time in over a year…
Here my Doctor is completely the opposite…he listens and talks to you…easy a half hour or more appointment…time is not important…seeing and finding out what procedure is required is his priority…
I have been trying to arrange a telephone appointment with my GP since Monday.
Monday was a bank holiday, of course. I couldn’t get through on Tuesday: the phone just kept ringing. I tried again on Wednesday and was greeted with a recorded message saying that they are not taking telephone calls as they are having a ‘training day’ (training the receptionists how to answer the telephone perhaps?).
When I tried again on Thursday, the recorded message informed me that I was 17th in the queue. In fairness to them, the invited me to “press 1” and they would call me back when I was nearing the end of the queue.
Which they did!
However, my upcoming telephone appointment was pre-empted on the next morning (Friday), when I had a fit! Not the first one, I’m afraid, and the matter is presently under investigation since I decided to go to a private specialist back on 23rd August. (I did that as I had been informed that waiting to see a specialist in the NHS would take a minimum of 6 months.)
As I had already been warned that a fit would be regarded as an emergency, Marge insisted that she call 111. Contrary to warnings that 111 is neither use nor ornament, we were pleasantly surprised to hear that an emergency nurse would call back within 30 minutes.
After almost an hour, an emergency doctor did call and liaised with my GP to ensure that some anti-epileptic medication would be made available for me immediately. Sure enough, Marge collected the pills from the chemist that day and I have been taking them since.
It is at least reassuring that when we are faced with what is considered an emergency situation, wheels are able to turn quite quickly!
Gosh JB I’m really sorry to hear you’ve been experiencing fits. I hope they find out what’s causing them as soon as, and it goes without saying that I wish you well.
Yes, I agree with your last comment - the wheels do turn quickly. when the need arises…
Unless our GP’s resume ‘normal’ practice of seeing patients very soon, I think we should demonstrate very loudly indeed! Boris is about to announce some devious way of funding social care - and it’s pretty obvious that increasing National Insurance isn’t going to be popular, despite our generation being stung for providing funding for the older older generation. GP surgeries have welcomed the ‘opportunity’ of providing vaccinations since central government have offered them £17 per patient per jab!! Many of the vaccination centres specifically provided to give the jab have been left with time on their hands as GP’s encourage their patients to attend their surgeries…for the £17 pp. Now we face the issue of boosters - and flu jabs too - and the GP’s are once again attempting to get their patients for boosters for one reason only = ££££££. Our NHS has changed. Boris has sold off all viable services.
Thank you, Pest.
But to be more precise, I first had a fit over about 30 seconds in January at home, then in July in Bakewell I fainted in the street and was lying on the ground unconscious for about 30 seconds. This last fit on Friday morning was in bed just as I was about to drop off again after waking up!
The thing that seems to have upset Marge more than anything was the knowledge of the possibility of SUDEP (sudden unexplained death in epilepsy)!
Gosh JBR I’m sorry to hear about this. I hope you can get sorted out. It’s awful the way GPs are behaving these days. I’m actually surprised that a misdiagnosed patient hasn’t had their Surgery up in Court for the wrong treatment.
Thanks Roxy.
I don’t blame the GPs alone, as I’ve heard both sides of the story.
The people to blame are, as ever, the government.
Permitting hospital trusts, which encouraged even more bureaucrats, for example. There are now more pen-pushers than clinicians in the NHS.
Permitting the constant invitation of illegal immigrants who, like prisoners, seem to receive preferential health treatment.
Preferring to send more than most other European countries in foreign aid, while our own ex-servicemen are living on the streets. The money should be spent on us, including the NHS.
I could go on, but I have a lot to do.
From this morning’s Daily Telegraph:
Almost 1000 GP practices have been ordered to improve patient access amid concern about the number of people struggling to see a Doctor.
The Health Secretary said GP’s must provide face-to-face appointments after patient groups urged the Government to “Get a grip”.
Surgeries failing to meet communities needs, with long waiting times and low satisfaction, have been identified.
Just 57% of GP appointments were face-to-face in July compared with 80% pre-Covid.
All good stuff IF, it gets implanted.
This of course is not valid in Scotland as our Great Leader thinks all is fine.
SNORT…
Oh dear JB… I can understand Marge’s worries as well as your own of course. It’s all very worrying - I hope to goodness they can find out how/why you’re suddenty afflicted with it.
I did wonder if it could be vaccine related (no groaning) as some seem to have suffered with seizures after jabs, but if it started in January, that let’s that out of the equation.
You’re a very kind lady, P.
Yes, I hope so too. Thanks for your concern.
I just wanted to report what seeing a doctor is like up here in Scotland.
After months of tests and various meds, Mr P finally got a face to face appointment with our doctor. The surgery door was unlocked upon his arrival to the appointment, temp taken with that gun thing they use, hand sanitiser was offered. He got taken in right away - no sitting in the waiting room. The doctor (female) was in full PPE…what looked like a hazmat suit with an apron, a hood, disposable shoe covers, visor, mask and gloves, and sat 6 ft away from him. Now I know we have high rates up here, and of course caution should be taken…but he said he felt like he was the Covid virus itself, and it didn’t make communication that easy…
Thats a tad over the top.
The couple of times I have managed to see a GP I noted that all GP’s and nurses were in scrubs, office staff were in their normal wear.
The waiting room has the seating taped off to provide distancing from, it used to be that you did not get in until the Dr was ready and we all know how punctual they are not, but the doors are open now and you can used the waiting room.
Why is that, surely office staff need to be careful too - they are the first point of contact for anyone coming in the door?
Yes I agree that our surgery seems a tad over the top…but I did wonder if that was deliberate to dissuade anyone from trying to see a doctor. I certainly wouldn’t be rushing back if that’s they way they make you feel!
Yep, but maybe the GPs want to come across as superior and I suppose they are dealing with people every day, oh wait they are not are they?
After experiencing several diabolical communication problems with my previously registered GP, I moved to another where two of my four daughters are registered and everything has changed for the better from sorting out unnecessary repeat prescription items to a long overdue appointment with my cardiologist. The cardio app was much appreciated and I am in under the knife in three weeks time. I have since reported the previous GP to our area CCG and left the matter with them.