I'm a GP AMA

[DrBubble]

I'm a GP. Any questions about my job?
(Please refrain from asking for specific medical advice)

@RosesAndHellebores you’re coming across really aggressively. It’s not DrBubble’s fault that your experience isn’t great.

It would be a massive coincidence if she were your doctor who you obviously have an issue with. You’re projecting, and it’s not really fair

Why are GP's so reluctant to refer for specialist investigation.

Due to having a number of autoimmune diseases misdiagnosed and symptoms misattributed to "women being emotional" (even though I never once cried) rather than properly investigated, I developed a kind of phobia about going to doctors/hospitals.

The phobia is bad enough that I haven't attended any GP monitoring or specialist clinics for about 5 years since the one lovely female GP in my practice left. The diseases I have are very serious (potentially fatal if not treated daily) that need constant monitoring.

I don't feel able to discuss my anxiety with doctors as due to past experiences I think if they know about my anxiety they will misattribute any future symptoms to anxiety instead of investigating properly. So I just don't go and ignore their calls. Diagnostic overshadowing is a well documented concept in the medical literature so I want to avoid any discussion of anxiety with doctors.

What would you suggest to a patient in this position in order for it to be easier for them to access healthcare for their chronic diseases?

PS, not asking for information about specific diseases/treatment just about how to make it easier to speak to doctors when you've had a lot of bad experiences with doctors.

How does the referral system to specialists work? I read a lot on here about NHS GP’s refusing to refer patients on and I wonder if there is some kind of financial incentive for GP’s not to?

@DrBubble

How do you feel as a doctor if a person asks/or if you find out a patient asks for a second opinion,
later down the line,
after having a consultation with you? 😕

@DrBubble

I mean the patient wants a different second opinion from a different doctor at your doctors surgery.

@DrBubble

@DrBubble

As a doctor how do you feel about Health tourism in regards of NHS financial resources/way the NHS is run etc?

Does it annoy you when people have their own diagnosis ready from Googling? What if they’re right?

And bit immature to ask but are you really not bothered about seeing bum holes, willies and fannies? Are you not at all embarrassed?

Do you have a code on the notes that says ‘hypochondriac’?

@Devlesko

What would you say to someone with a abcess the size of a grapefruit (hydredenitus surpritiva) who won't to go hospital because they think they will catch covid and die in hospital.

I'm saying gtf to hospital he's saying no. At times he's screaming or crying in pain.
If I called ambulance he would never forgive me.

He needs to be on antibiotics and pain relief, both topical and tablets. Not a GP but a fellow Hidradenitis Supprativa warrior. If that doesn’t work then A&E because he could end up with sepsis

@DrBubble

What do you think of other countries medical Health models ?

@DrBubble

Is there any aspects of other countries medical models, that you feel that NHS would benefit from adopting? 😕

Is there any medical issues or procedures you dread having to deal with? Does anything make you queasy?

[quote DrBubble]@bewildered1023 Interesting question. Personally I am professional through and through so I don't let my guard down enough to befriend a patient. It's very shaky ground. However I can imagine when you've had a patient-doctor relationship for decades and it's spanned multiple generations then the relationship may be more casual. Especially in small villages etc. I haven't known anyone to fully befriend patients.[/quote]
I was befriended by my GP, well we ended up taking our toddlers to the same tumble tots and swimming lessons,so we spent a couple of afternoons together,she was my doctor first but became a friend too. .

@DrBubble

Do you know if Brexit will have a adverse or positive affect on NHS in any ways? 😕

[quote DrBubble]@bewildered1023 Interesting question. Personally I am professional through and through so I don't let my guard down enough to befriend a patient. It's very shaky ground. However I can imagine when you've had a patient-doctor relationship for decades and it's spanned multiple generations then the relationship may be more casual. Especially in small villages etc. I haven't known anyone to fully befriend patients.[/quote]
That makes a lot of sense yes. In the scenario I’m thinking of we still talk once a month but don’t go any further than email, very occasionally meet for lunch. Strictly on her terms only . I suppose that’s a bit of a balance in the middle .

It’s very hard when you meet someone you have so much in common with and end up loving very much (in the same way you’d love eg your mum or best friend - I don’t mean romantic love), but can’t do much about it .

You can read the outcomes here of many of the behaviours PP are describing... www.mpts-uk.org/hearings-and-decisions/medical-practitioners-tribunals

do most patients google their symptoms before hand ?

I often see on here when someone has a hard day at work they are told by others ‘you are ill, go to your GP and get yourself signed off sick with stress’
How do you deal with those?

@reesewithoutaspoon

Why are GP's so reluctant to refer for specialist investigation.

This and how can GPs square signing up to the arrangement with the NHS where they effectively get cash for NOT referring please?

Would you prescribe sleeping medication and pain relief to a new mum who has been suicidal and taken an OD in the past?
Is it hard to know you can't stop someone ending it all as it isn't strictly your domain but MH services can struggle?

Backfired a lil by creating a dependent society - why bother to take responsibility for your health when the NHS is there to fix it for free?
Sadly my experiences are pushing me to think a semi privatised system would be better
Would you say people take more responsibility for their health in the US where they don't have an NHS? Would you like a similar system to the US?

Did you have any patients who you thought were being dishonest to try and get into Group 6 for the covid vax? Eg. Lying about being a carer or higher BMI or other?

If you were living in poverty would you want a semi privatised health system? If so why?