Telephone consultation for medical review

DH had his arranged review for asthma yesterday. After filling in an online questionnaire about a month ago. It wasn't actually a phone call the nurse just sent an email to tell him how to control it from the information he gave. Fortunately he has mild asthma.

Or even video calls??

Sorry to be vulgar but I do hope they don’t extend these phone reviews to gynaecology….

Germanshepherdmum For my asthma checkup last year I just got the questionnaire, and then a text message a fortnight later to say that I "seemed to be ok".

Fortunately I am proactive with my health and would have phoned if I had any sort of problem, but no one at the surgery would have known that. No one has spoken to me about my asthma since October 2019.

I have an asthma review coming up. It is a face to face 30 min appt. I have to do a peak flow before because the blowing part is not allowed because of Covid. Our surgery, despite being under staffing pressures, is exceptional.

I had an over the phone asthma check in 2020 and 2021. I do have a peak flow device at home so could give them the reading, I had my blood pressure taken at my gym and gave the nurse that also. She wanted to know my weight also along with all the normal asthma questions.

I have got a face-to-face with practice nurse next week for asthma check up only because I have just finished an eight week course of steroids due to asthma flare up.

I think it's the new norm. My diabetes had been well-controlled for years, until I had a shock a few weeks ago. All my reviews have been by telephone.

After cancer surgery 12 days ago, I've been left to deal with the dressings myself with a phone number, if something doesn't seem normal. No idea how I'm supposed to know what "normal" is.

They're like this because there's a shortage of resources in general practice.

I think I will ask for a monitor - it’s never been offered - though my results have always been so bad that my previous doctor said I was like a broken down old horse! My asthma started when I was a toddler (I attended the hospital asthma clinic for years) so I’ve lived with it for nearly 70 years and modern medication is a game changer. It’s now fairly well controlled with inhalers, including a steroid one, but my breathing was so bad earlier in the year that I wondered if I was verging on COPD, so (not being one to trouble the doctor) I was awaiting the review to see if I needed further medication. On reflection it may have been a worse than usual reaction to the flowering rape. It looks like this is the future, then - if so, it’s not very bright. I don’t mean to complain about my condition, it’s nothing compared to others on GN, but I wonder just how much isn’t being detected due to the inaccessibility of GPS and even nurses and I really don’t understand why things are like this now. I could understand it during the lockdowns, but why haven’t we returned to some semblance of normality?

Phone follow-up seems to be the new normal round here, including after cardiac surgery and for neurological problems. Just make sure you're available all day, as I have known calls to come in earlier than expected, and one person I knew then didn't get another call at the right time because he'd missed the one several hours earlier than the appointed time! He had to go through the whole fun experience of booking another appointment.

This is the norm since covid in my area...people are prescribed their own peak flow meters...maybe you will be prescribed one at your review?

Yes GSM -it was last year. I expect I will get a call again this year. I do have a Peak Flow Meter - I’m rather surprised you don’t have one. You can ask for one. TBH, I’m so used to my Asthma/Bronchiectasis, I don’t bother to check my Peak Flow. I’m very naughty I know. I use my Diskhaler daily and my Ventolin as and when needed. Btw, my peak flow reading is abysmal too ?- if you are concerned or feel you need to be seen, just give the GP a call. Have you not been referred to a Respiratory Consultant? I was. They have discharged me but I suppose, I could be re- referred if need be. I hope that answers some of your questions.

My husband did very recently, chat with the nurse, prescription for peak flow meter and recording charts sent to the pharmacy for him to collect. After the readings, over a couple of weeks and the charts returned to the surgery he had a follow up call from the nurse. She had discussed the readings with the GP and an inhaler prescription was issued direct to the pharmacy.
MrJ was very happy with the whole process.

I did recently but my usually very mild asthma wasn’t great so I ended up being reviewed face to face with the doc anyway, resulting in the addition of oral medication as well as my inhalers.

I think it would have worked by phone if the situation had been the same as every previous review.

After 2 years, have received a nurse asthma clinic appointment at my GP surgery. I'm very thankful I have mild asthma well controlled at the moment. Just hope having a telephone appointment for asthma is not going to be the new norm.
Absolutely ridiculous in my opinion.

No experience but I understand and sympathise with your concern and frustration.