Doctor's appointments

Shelbel, my (long) post on page 5 timed at 19.46 may answer your question.

@Gwyneth. I’m so sorry for your loss too. My experience was pre-pandemic, so in no way could be blamed on the pressures we’ve seen since the start of 2020 and I’ve seen the same thing repeated several times among friends and family. As an example, the year before my husband passed away, a friend of ours saw her GP with what he diagnosed as a simple eye infection. He gave her antibiotics and she saw him again several times as she felt it wasn’t getting any better - the corner of her eyelid was being pulled down. In the end he prescribed anti-depressants as he thought she may have ‘anxiety’. In the end she made an appointment with her optician to see if there was anything they could do. The optician took one look and made a phone call to the hospital, then sent her straight there. After multiple tests and chest x rays she was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and died four weeks later. The optician had seen the tumour damaging her eye and later said she couldn’t understand why the GP had wasted so much time when the symptoms clearly indicated the spread of lung cancer.

I know the point of the thread is the difficulty in getting appointments because of the pandemic, but I do think that at least some of the knock on effects of the pandemic have served to highlight the shortcomings in the GP service which have existed for years. As evidenced by some of the posts in the thread, the better GP’s are getting back to providing adequate services, whilst others are lagging far behind.

According to CRUK nearly 6 out of 10 UK diagnosed cancers are stage 4 or later and many of these are only diagnosed during investigation for other illnesses, or when the disease reaches crisis point and the patient presents at emergency services. They lay some of the blame at the door of GP’s for being poor at recognising signs which may indicate cancer. After my husband passed away, I found it really depressing that so many people had had similar experiences to my own, which is why the thought of one appointment for one problem only, horrifies me somewhat, as cancer can present so many diverse symptoms.

I have no faith in GP’s any more - this is not personal, but an indictment of the service as a whole. but even the best GP in the world can’t provide all of the things demanded of them without adequate tools for the job. Given that GP’s are in effect the gateway to the health service as the starting point for referrals, I don’t understand why so many who are clearly inadequate, are allowed to carry on regardless. My late husbands’ care was substandard in so many ways, but I found that in practice there was very little I could do about it. My present partner has diabetes and like many people on the thread is struggling to access services. I have no faith left at all in the GP service and as a consequence I have a very low threshold for contacting 111 to get him what he needs.

@growstuff. You need to get some advice from Diabetes UK - phone number is 0345 1232399. Their general advice is that although services may have been difficult to access during the pandemic, they should now be returning to something approaching normal regarding diabetic blood testing and referrals. Also if you ring 111 and explain what’s happening, they can refer you to an urgent treatment centre for assessment. They will contact your GP to advise any action taken, which will alert them to the fact that you’re having a problem accessing their services. If your leg is swollen it could be an indication that there is a problem with your kidneys, so please don’t waste time in getting help.

growstuff that’s horrendous. I really hope that you can sort something out.
You must keep on at them

welbeck

heard this evening on LBC a caller, Andrew, whose son aged 26 died due to being unable to get any medical help for what started as an ear infection and became mastoiditis, and then meningitis, over 19 days.
very hard listening.

have found the link, available for 5 days, if anyone wants to hear it, at 1 hour, 22 minutes into programme, caller andrew from cheshire:
www.globalplayer.com/catchup/lbc/london/episodes/2zGxfRjD3j4QbBp8S9MW3ct7Ci/

No wonder people are taking themselves off to A and E.

But it's known I have neuropathy and I've also been referred to a consultant for vascular problems in the past. I've had a previous heart attack, so I'm high risk. The point is that I haven't seen a diabetic nurse for two years and can't get an appointment. I haven't had blood tests either, despite requesting them. The problems are known, but nothing is done. I need to see a GP, not a nurse.

I'm afraid it doesn't help me to know that other people can get appointments and apparently have a wonderful service. Meanwhile, I have excrutiating pain and a very swollen leg and nobody will do anything.

growstuff,sorry you're struggling and that diabetic nurse isn't checking your legs for clots and possible neuropathy.Regular blood tests should show up most problems .I was once rung by diabetic nurse at my surgery and told to put the phone down and dial 999.,this all shown up by previous day's blood tests.

Going back to difficulty of seeing doctors, I rang my surgery on the 1st September and saw practice nùrse the next day .Since then I have seen two consultants, had an MRI and now awaiting an emergency Op next Friday. I had hoped to reach 70 years with Diabetes but that is not looking likely with the speed of these actions.At the moment I am holiday in Weymouth for five days and enjoying the change.

pammie I’m very sorry to hear about your husband. Exactly the same happened to my brother about two years ago. Pain in his shoulder kept being treated for muscle sprain etc. Not sent for any tests by GP until it was too late. He was just 58 years old. Had lived a healthy life was very fit and never visited his GP until he had this problem. He knew that something was wrong because the pain was not getting any better. I have no faith left in GPS at all.

They are at the high end of normal, but have been stable for over 30 years. I have to buy my own test strips, but I test regularly and my HbA1c is always more or less the same. The problems I have are the result of progressive nerve and vascular damage, which are almost inevitable. There is plenty which could be done, if only I could be seen by a GP and referred to a vascular specialist.

Oh sorry Growstuff thought you said they were too high I misunderstood

rosie1959

growstuff you are doing all you can it’s a difficult thing to regulate and sometimes has no rhyme or reason my daughter can blast her sugars down with insulin if necessary but obviously as type 2 you can’t do this

I don't have problems regulating my blood sugar. That's not the point.

growstuff you are doing all you can it’s a difficult thing to regulate and sometimes has no rhyme or reason my daughter can blast her sugars down with insulin if necessary but obviously as type 2 you can’t do this

My blood sugars are stable, but a little too high, as is my blood pressure. Unfortunately, that's all the nurse is bothered about. I'm not overweight, I don't drink or smoke and eat low carb and I try to go for a walk every day, although it's painful. My cholesterol has never been high. There isn't much more I can do. My medication for diabetes and pain needs to be reviewed and my legs need checking for clots, but I can't do that myself. I've been very patient and understanding, but I'm honestly losing it.

I do hope you get seen Growstuff are your blood sugars staying stable during the day
You obviously need help for this painful condition

MissAdventure

That is appalling "care"!!
Sorry for stating the obvious, but it really is.

I'm not exactly pleased about it!

rosie1959 The pains in my legs are more than uncomfortable. My soles feel permanently on fire (as are parts of my hands) and the pain, which feels like severe cramp but lasts for hours, keeps me awake.

It's been like this for nearly two years (before lockdown) and I've managed to get two GP appointments during that time. One was for a mole on my back, which seemed to be growing, and the other was for breast pain. On both occasions, I tried to mention my legs, but the GPs wouldn't talk to me about them. I haven't had routine full blood tests (including ferritin, folate and Vitamin B12 plus all the normal liver and kidney function) for two years.

It really is appalling and is so much worse than the situation just five years ago.

That is appalling "care"!!
Sorry for stating the obvious, but it really is.

So sorry to read that Growstuff you really do need to be seen especially your legs that sounds so uncomfortable

rosie1959

Yes I would imagine that's the reason Growstuff her insulin has to be finely balanced and GPs probably don't have enough knowledge on this subject
Our GPs surgery does have appointments with a specialist diabetic nurse I know my daughter has seen her on occasions.

My surgery has a specialist diabetic nurse too - well, that's her title, but I'm afraid she really isn't up to dealing with anything more than routine tests and life-style education. I'm beyond that and the point is that I can only apparently be seen for one issue at a time and I currently have about six, including a completely numb leg below my knee, the other leg is swollen, two toenails have gone black for no apparent reason, I'm in constant pain and I find it very difficult to balance. I also have constant breast pain, but I can't be scanned until February at the earliest.

Shelbel

I'm sorry if this may seem a stupid question but why are they not seeing people face to face now?

It sounds awful how much trouble people are having getting a doctors appointment and the Skype appointments would worry me.

I think this really depends on your surgery apparently our surgery has been quite good but others not so helpful

Yes I would imagine that's the reason Growstuff her insulin has to be finely balanced and GPs probably don't have enough knowledge on this subject
Our GPs surgery does have appointments with a specialist diabetic nurse I know my daughter has seen her on occasions.

I'm sorry if this may seem a stupid question but why are they not seeing people face to face now?

It sounds awful how much trouble people are having getting a doctors appointment and the Skype appointments would worry me.

rosie1959

I know a fair bit about diabetes Growstuff not through my own health but with my daughter since she was small but hers is Type 1 and the GP has nothing to do with the care of her condition it is dealt with by the diabetic care team.

Probably because she's Type 1. I'm Type 2 and have been for over 30 years and it's catching up with me. Initially, I was seen by a hospital care team, which included doctors. Then I was transferred to the GP practice and was seen by either a GP or a nurse. Then, care was done only by nurses, who do not have the training to deal with problems. Now it's impossible to see anybody. I have issues, but haven't been able to get a proper appointment for two years, despite having multiple issues, which are complicated by a heart attack and circulatory problems.

My issues aren't life threatening, but they do affect my quality of life and will probably be life shortening. The outcomes will hopefully not be seen for years, but treatment now would make all the difference. If I could afford private care, I'm afraid I would go against principles and pay for it.

Urmstongran

I went to our GP surgery yesterday morning to see the practice nurse for pare-booked blood test.

On the Reception desk was a large poster. It stated:

SEPTEMBER and 89 appointment slots were missed because patients did not turn up.

I was quite shocked. Who are these people who can’t even be bothered to cancel an appointment so that someone else could use it? Selfish buggers.

What percentage of booked appointments does that represent?

Pammie1

@rosie1959. I think it depends on where you live - as with other services, diabetes care is patchy depending on area. My husband has diabetes and is mainly dealt with by his GP except for his annual review with the diabetes care team, and unless there is a specific problem. His routine blood and urine tests are dealt with by his GP and all his medicines are via GP prescription.

Probably Pammie the GP has never touched my daughters prescription. I remember many years ago the surgery insisted she see the GP for a review he was surprised when we turned up as he could not alter her prescription that was up to her consultant
I don't know if Type 1 and Type 2 are treated differently my daughter has been Type 1 since she was 8 and has always been under the diabetic care team