I actually saw a doctor last week

We must be very lucky with our GP surgery. I’ve had to ask for appointments twice recently, used the online contact form and got in the same day each time. The first time I was reassured my symptoms were nothing to worry about, the second time referred for a barrage of tests two days later.

You were lucky to see a GP in person. I'm sorry it was so unsatisfactory.

"can you come in tomorrow at 9.10am?"
That's the thing I find most astonishing.

Annoying, though, that the GP prescribed something which you'd already tried and which was not suitable. A waste of time and money.

Unless it's an emergency, an appointment for something like that would be 6 or 7 weeks ahead at our surgery.

I’ve seen a GP twice recently, because I’ve been suffering from a significant asthma flare up, which has gone on since the beginning of last November. The first one I saw was not my own doctor, but she is one of the GPs at the practice. She listened to me carefully, said she could hear the inflammation on my lungs, and prescribed steroids, which significantly improved the problem. However it gradually became worse again, and as I’m having surgery in a little over a week, I once again went to see the doctor. This time it was my own doctor. She did the usual checks, told me it wasn’t an infection (which I was fully aware of since I’ve had asthma for many years) but said I had to collect some sputum (ugh, hate that word) to be tested, and had to go for a chest X-ray. Both came back clear, which I was sure they would. She refused to give me the steroids I know I needed on the grounds that I had no infection, and seemed unconcerned about my surgery, saying ‘I don’t know if they’ll do it or not since you’ve got a cough’. I’m still coughing a lot, using a lot of Ventolin, but perfectly well in myself. It’s simply an asthmatic cough which could easily be improved with a week of steroids, and would ensure my surgery goes ahead. She has sent me several times over the last few years for chest X-rays because I’ve gone to see her with an asthmatic cough, and they always come back clear, but she point blank refuses to prescribe steroids.

The problem is, the steroids would improve my condition. I’m getting a tad fed up with her!

I did feel quite guilty in that I'd taken up a slot that could been used by someone who was really ill. A phone call with a nurse would have been acceptable because all I needed was help to access a stronger shampoo than those I've already tried.
But I was annoyed that the doc hadn't bothered to listen so I will eventually need another 10 mins of precious surgery time.

GPs are under pressure to see a certain number of patients each day (you were probably lucky in that a patient cancelled rather than just not bothering to turn up, and you were the first to call when the slot became free). They're expected to listen, think, diagnose and prescribe or refer as they see fit. It isn't humanly possible to do that well, yet they're the ones we blame when we don't get super-A-one treatment. Phone Reception and explain. Ask for a telephone consultation and have everything you want to say written down by the phone. We're living in different times, so we have to adopt different measures, such as being more assertive during our precious 10-minute consultations.

Babs03

Elusivebutterfly

I had a similar issue and did not bother to contact my GP surgery. My son said his scalp was helped by Aveeno shampoo so I tried it and it works for me.
I can't go to a hairdresser as they insist on their own shampoo which immediately brings back the original problem.
I have found that other things I put off for months due to difficulty of seeing a GP were just dismissed anyway.

We haven't seen a GP in some years, just a nurse practitioner or assisstant physician.
My DH has had serious pain in his arm and shoulder, been kicked from pillar to post, had x rays, scans, and physio, injections that didn't work, pain killers that made him too woozy to drive and did nothing for the pain, and finally has been referred, with a possible frozen shoulder/bursitis and a shoulder impingement made worse by OA. Not sure which of those it is, nobody else does either.
Seeing a GP would have been nice.

If you've got a useless intransigent doctor (which it sounds like you have) then maybe a visit or two with a private doctor would involve you actually seeing a doctor. Followed by which the doctor will be very conscious you are paying them directly and should be more helpful.

Private doctor practices seem to be springing up round the country - but they are certainly springing up where I am now.

Elusivebutterfly

I had a similar issue and did not bother to contact my GP surgery. My son said his scalp was helped by Aveeno shampoo so I tried it and it works for me.
I can't go to a hairdresser as they insist on their own shampoo which immediately brings back the original problem.
I have found that other things I put off for months due to difficulty of seeing a GP were just dismissed anyway.

Odd for a hairdresser to insist on their own shampoo!!!! I took some of my own along with me come my last trim and my hairdresser said "It's okay - the ones I use don't include the chemicals you won't use anyway (ie sodium laurel sulphate from memory). But, if you want me to use your own, then I will".

It's your business - not theirs - to make that decision.

Elusivebutterfly

I had a similar issue and did not bother to contact my GP surgery. My son said his scalp was helped by Aveeno shampoo so I tried it and it works for me.
I can't go to a hairdresser as they insist on their own shampoo which immediately brings back the original problem.
I have found that other things I put off for months due to difficulty of seeing a GP were just dismissed anyway.

We haven't seen a GP in some years, just a nurse practitioner or assisstant physician.
My DH has had serious pain in his arm and shoulder, been kicked from pillar to post, had x rays, scans, and physio, injections that didn't work, pain killers that made him too woozy to drive and did nothing for the pain, and finally has been referred, with a possible frozen shoulder/bursitis and a shoulder impingement made worse by OA. Not sure which of those it is, nobody else does either.
Seeing a GP would have been nice.

I had a similar issue and did not bother to contact my GP surgery. My son said his scalp was helped by Aveeno shampoo so I tried it and it works for me.
I can't go to a hairdresser as they insist on their own shampoo which immediately brings back the original problem.
I have found that other things I put off for months due to difficulty of seeing a GP were just dismissed anyway.

I wonder how much of the important, busy work that GPs do turns out to be useless like that.

This struck a chord with me ExDancer. When I lost all my hair through alopecia some years ago I had blood tests, prescriptions, visits to dermatologists, trichologists. I tried lotions, potions, old wives' tales, talked to hairdressers all to no avai.

I made one last desperate effort and spoke to another GP. He said very confidently 'Oh yes I can give you a cream for that.' My heart sank. I thought 'Really? After all that?'. Needless to say it was useless.

I'd phone the surgery again and explain.
Ask if they'd like a copy of the list.
If the GP isn't available ask to speak to the clinical pharmacist?

What a pity you didn't recognise it whilst you were still with him/her!
Typical - I know this could easily have been me!

surely they need to refer you to a dermatologist so they can take a biopsy

I'd be feeling p**d off myself in your position.

What's the point of saying anything to them if they aren't actually listening?