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Original poster

To wish my GP practice had told me about this upward trend earlier?

285 replies

polarband · 01/08/2025 14:45

I have used a blood pressure medication to treat migraines for several years now. As a result I need to go for blood tests and a BP check every 6 months as my BP tends to be low on this medication. The blood tests are mainly to check my kidneys but they do other checks as well, after each test I just call and they tell me everything's fine and I go again in another 6 months.

This time after my check I got called back in to speak to the doctor and was told I have high cholesterol and prediabetes. I asked him what could have caused the problem so suddenly and he said it hadn't been sudden and that if he looked at my blood test results over the past 6 years he could see that my cholesterol and blood glucose levels had been creeping up but its only now just crossed over into clinical diagnosis. I am fit, a healthy weight, a non smoking, non drinking, active woman with ideal blood pressure who eats a healthy whole food diet so when I was told my results were normal I thought that meant I was healthy not that things were getting worse.

I'm not mad that it's happened because these things do happen of course, I'm 50 now and there is type 2 diabetes in my family but I just wish they had told me earlier when this upward trend was noticed and I could have made some changes to prevent getting to this level. My GP just said they don't treat at anything below clinical diagnosis level and anything below that is in the healthy range and therefore normal.

Is it so unreasonable to think that they should flag up something like this to patients?

OP posts:
Original poster
polarband · 01/08/2025 17:17

@FluffyMcFluffFace Thanks for that post, yes its a similar situation and you are right that it was good to at least have this flagged up. I am hopeful I can reverse the prediabetes and hopefully reduce the cholesterol. I don't really want to make a formal complaint but I will perhaps mention it or write a letter as a suggestion.

OP posts:
FluffyMcFluffFace · 01/08/2025 17:14

I'm in the same situation as you with BP meds for migraine, and also re the cholesterol (not pre diabetes) and mine has been creeping up but staying below the level for any treatment for several years. My GP surgery has told me this each time, and I have had an opportunity to try and reduce it by means of diet. Sadly it's not worked, and it is still higher than they would like, but not needing medication. I would also be pretty annoyed if I'd not been told about for the last few years, so can understand your frustration. I would be especially annoyed if I found I was pre diabetic, as this is easier to treat by dietary changes. I have friends who know they are pre diabetic and have managed to reverse this with diet alone. I think it is bad practice on behalf of your GP and would be inclined to raise it formally with them as a suggestion for dealing with others in the same position in the future. I'm not sure I'd raise a complaint as such, because that can negatively affect your relationship with the practice - but it may be that you feel strongly enough that you want to do this. Hopefully you can get it sorted without too much hassle.

SelkieSeal · 01/08/2025 17:11

The app isn't a thing in Wales either. Extremely frustrating!

SoSoLong · 01/08/2025 17:10

You're not wrong, OP, things could be done better if there was more focus on prevention than treatment. Unfortunately, no one looks at a patient's history holistically, they only identify patterns retrospectively once an issue has been found.

Original poster
polarband · 01/08/2025 17:09

@siliconcover Thank you for posting this, just goes to show how different the culture is up here and something that needs to change. I don't know about you but while complaining and making nuisance of yourself to get the results sound good and well I have no interest in creating an antagonistic relationship with my GP practice! I agree with you it is exhausting and we are trying to do the right thing!

OP posts:
MyDeftDuck · 01/08/2025 17:08

polarband · 01/08/2025 17:05

@MyDeftDuck As has been said now by myself and multiple other people these services are not always available in Scotland and the culture towards requests for test results can be downright hostile. My GP practice offers neither access to test results, appointments or records via the website or SystmOnline. The only option they have is for repeat prescriptions.

💁‍♀️

Hoppinggreen · 01/08/2025 17:07

My DH has had BP issues for year, despite being on 2 medications for it he has been hospitalised twice over the past 10 years.
We finally found out last week that one of his kidneys has died and he will have to have it removed,one of the tubes had a kink in it and The Consultant merrily told him that if it had been picked up 5 or more years ago they could have fixed it .
So now he will have to live with 1 kidney, perfectly ok to do but annoying that it could have been prevented.
The NHS is great in emergencies but not always for diagnosis and/or prevention. Becasuse there is Hypertension in DH family it was always assumed his issue was genetic so they didn't look any further

FreshOutOfFucksToGive · 01/08/2025 17:07

polarband · 01/08/2025 14:52

@myplace I asked for my exact results before and was fobbed off and told it was all normal and so I didn't need any farther information.

It could well have been creeping up but still be in normal range, so you will have been told it’s normal because it was. If they’ve always said normal, rather than satisfactory, then it was normal.
Its normal until it isn’t, and it’s getting older that also increases your Qrisk score, your risk of CVD.

@Hellohelga you get an NHS health check between the ages of 40-74 IF you don’t already have certain conditions, and not on certain medications that you are monitored for, which op was.

siliconcover · 01/08/2025 17:07

Sorry, OP not trying to 'elevenerife' on your thread. But its struck a nerve (clearly!). You have my sympathies.

siliconcover · 01/08/2025 17:06

chickensandbees · 01/08/2025 16:59

I'm 52 and haven't been offered this in England.

Show quote history

I'm 57 & in Scotland and when I asked my GP laughed in my face (literally)
I just discovered I have Hypertension (sent home from A&E with BP of 197/115 with advice 'double your BP meds, keep a diary, contact your GP in 7 days' & Hyperlipidemia (ref to Lipid clinic - family history of FH - but it's months to wait so take a statin meantime - I've been 'started' on 60mg the highest dose)

Original poster
polarband · 01/08/2025 17:05

@MyDeftDuck As has been said now by myself and multiple other people these services are not always available in Scotland and the culture towards requests for test results can be downright hostile. My GP practice offers neither access to test results, appointments or records via the website or SystmOnline. The only option they have is for repeat prescriptions.

OP posts:
siliconcover · 01/08/2025 17:02

polarband · 01/08/2025 14:59

@myplace I'm in Scotland so our app is still in development according to reports online, I'm not sure why we can't just use the same one NHS England has.

i'm in Scotland too OP. My area also has no access to any App. I have asked for bloods results and been told 'you don't need them' or 'the GP has to approve' & I never get them. Worse my Ds has just asked for his records, 28 days has gone by & head GP, backed up by HoPractice, says 'they don't have to adhere to GDPR if they are busy, so it will be 3m+ at a minimum'. My local PALS says 'complain to Ombudsman but this takes months & doesn't always fix things'.

Trying to be responsible for & proactive about one's health is exhausting.

Harassedevictee · 01/08/2025 17:02

polarband · 01/08/2025 15:33

Even small changes can make a difference I believe. I could have added more fibre or even used certain supplements to help or if I knew my HDL I could have added in more healthy fats if that was low. I could have used a CGM to see what was going on with my blood glucose and if any foods I eat regularly were affecting me worse than I'd thought.

Show quote history

There are things I wish I had known when I was in your position.

I agree using a CGM for just 15 days would be helpful. You can get your first one for free otherwise you pay. A key thing I have learnt is the order you eat food e.g. have salad/veg first, makes a difference. Have a “treat” at the end of a meal not on its own.

Small changes make a difference. 10 minute walk after each meal rather than a full on work out once a day.

WRT Cholestorol this can be your genes rather than what you eat. I’ve met women who are very restrictive in what they eat and still can’t get theirs to reduce.

It’s not too late if you are pre diabetic to make changes.

This is the charity my Diabetic Nurse recommended the 6 week course was helpful. https://www.xperthealth.org.uk

Good luck

X-PERT Health Diabetes Education and Weight Loss Programmes

X-PERT Health offers diabetes education programmes and weight loss education programmes. We are an award winning charity.

https://www.xperthealth.org.uk

Original poster
polarband · 01/08/2025 17:00

@Horserider5678 I disagree I would have taken notice. There is no Familial hypercholesterolemia in my family, there an apparent higher likelihood of type 2 diabetes which must be genetic and I suspect the higher cholesterol is to do with this given that higher blood glucose can alter blood fat control.

OP posts:
Newstartplease24 · 01/08/2025 16:59

I have the app and there are no test results or other records on it. I don’t know how they would get on it without someone doing something and they aren’t going to, are they. Like everyone else says it is very hard to get given the detail of test results.
I have something similar hanging over me and I just don’t know what to do. I am supposed to be being referred to a clinic as if there is a choice but only one comes up. When I try to get an appointment - “there are no appointments”. That’s it.

chickensandbees · 01/08/2025 16:59

Hellohelga · 01/08/2025 15:03

Tricky not having the app. In England at 50 you get a full health review with bloods, blood pressure, bmi, questionnaire re eating/drinking/smoking habits and a follow up to discuss any concerns or potential risks. But I’m not sure about Scotland. At least you know now OP and can take measures before it gets worse.

I'm 52 and haven't been offered this in England.

Pinty · 01/08/2025 16:58

Pinty · 01/08/2025 16:56

They will only flag it is there is an issue. But you can check for yourself. All results are available on the NHS app. I always check mine after blood tests

Sorry I didn't realise the app wasn't available in Scotland.

MyDeftDuck · 01/08/2025 16:57

polarband · 01/08/2025 14:52

@myplace I asked for my exact results before and was fobbed off and told it was all normal and so I didn't need any farther information.

Then you need to complain to the Practice Manager! The person most responsible for your health and well being is you OP and without the correct support and information there’s not a lot that you can control. Demand access to your GP medical records, either via SystmOnline or through the GP website and look at these for yourself, there should be a normal parameter guidance for all blood tests to enable comparison.

Paganpentacle · 01/08/2025 16:57

KnewYearKnewMe · 01/08/2025 16:36

@Paganpentacle- tracking trends and creating an advisory/alert based on threshold breaches, etc, is something a simple dashboard can do - not something individual staff would be expected to do.

hopefully this won’t be too far in the future for healthcare.

Hopefully not.
And hopefully we wont be having to have multiple extended conversations around normal test results and worried well, because we don't have enough hours in the day to deal with the abnormal results....

Pinty · 01/08/2025 16:56

They will only flag it is there is an issue. But you can check for yourself. All results are available on the NHS app. I always check mine after blood tests

Horserider5678 · 01/08/2025 16:54

polarband · 01/08/2025 14:45

I have used a blood pressure medication to treat migraines for several years now. As a result I need to go for blood tests and a BP check every 6 months as my BP tends to be low on this medication. The blood tests are mainly to check my kidneys but they do other checks as well, after each test I just call and they tell me everything's fine and I go again in another 6 months.

This time after my check I got called back in to speak to the doctor and was told I have high cholesterol and prediabetes. I asked him what could have caused the problem so suddenly and he said it hadn't been sudden and that if he looked at my blood test results over the past 6 years he could see that my cholesterol and blood glucose levels had been creeping up but its only now just crossed over into clinical diagnosis. I am fit, a healthy weight, a non smoking, non drinking, active woman with ideal blood pressure who eats a healthy whole food diet so when I was told my results were normal I thought that meant I was healthy not that things were getting worse.

I'm not mad that it's happened because these things do happen of course, I'm 50 now and there is type 2 diabetes in my family but I just wish they had told me earlier when this upward trend was noticed and I could have made some changes to prevent getting to this level. My GP just said they don't treat at anything below clinical diagnosis level and anything below that is in the healthy range and therefore normal.

Is it so unreasonable to think that they should flag up something like this to patients?

They don’t because even if levels are increasing for many people it doesn’t cross the threshold for any treatment. Even if you were given a copy of your results it would show a normal range and you probably wouldn’t take much notice. High cholesterol can be familial rather than diet related.

Original poster
polarband · 01/08/2025 16:53

@Mini2025 I think NHS Scotland is still working to design it's own app "Digital Front Door" it isn't even clear from the website that test results will be available via the app. It is apparently being rolled out to one Health Board (not mine) this summer and the rest of us will get it in time.

Digital Front Door - Digital Healthcare Scotland

Digital Front Door - Digital Healthcare Scotland

Read about the Digital Front Door, our planned single point of access for health and care support

https://www.digihealthcare.scot/our-work/digital-front-door/

OP posts:
Orangesandlemons77 · 01/08/2025 16:52

I was supposed to hear from a friend in Scotland they don't have the NHS health checks or the app.

I said I'm not being rude but the health and diet in Scotland generally is not great, you'd think they would want to pick up problems early and share that with people!

I'm Scottish originally but now live in England and got the health check at 40 and 45 (I'm late 40s now)

Original poster
polarband · 01/08/2025 16:50

@Threeboystwocatsandadog Yes to ask for them, I agree that its fairly easy to get them once you are in front of a GP but otherwise its like pulling hen's teeth. I'm relieved to see other people from Scotland back me up here!

OP posts:
Original poster
polarband · 01/08/2025 16:48

@Mini2025 The app does sound like a really valuable resource and I do hope that something similar becomes available here soon! I do agree with much of what you say, I do know they NHS can offer brilliant life saving care but there are big gaps and preventative care is still a pipe dream in many areas.

I have used B2 in the past but I didn't get a result so perhaps I don't have the right gene. I should perhaps get a DNA test done at some point.

I'm glad to hear you spotted your condition and were able to find a fix. I'm sure many chronic conditions which seriously undermine peoples quality of life, health and productivity are going under diagnosed and untreated.

I'm sure it doesn't have to be like this. I was just reading recently about a British woman in France getting dental treatment, even as a private patient her treatment was less than NHS prices here. Something is badly wrong with the system, not the actual staff.

OP posts: