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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To want MNHQ to get rid of the link to 'I want great care'?

486 replies

sallysparrow157 · 02/09/2011 13:11

It's an awful awful website. It is not moderated or validated. Doctors at times have to do things that patients don't like (ie sectioning someone mentally ill, not prescribing methadone for someone who is still using heroin as some extreme examples but even things like not giving antibiotics for a viral infection or not referring someone to something inappropriate), this doesn't make them bad, in fact it makes them better doctors than someone who will do something they think is wrong just to keep the patients happy. However, anyone who has been annoyed by their doctor can post on this site and write whatever abusive things they like and there is no way for the doctor involved to respond.
It is not kept up to date - there are doctors who have been entered as the wrong speciality, doctors down as still practicing who have retired and doctors who have actually been entered on the site after their own death. Relatives of these doctors have contacted the people who run the site and asked for their details to be removed as it is obviously upsetting to know that anyone who fancies it can write abuse on the internet about your dead father, the people who run the site have not done anything about it.
I am a doctor. I undergo constant monitoring of how I do my job, both the clinical side of things and how I communicate with patients and their families. There is an effective complaints/feedback system so if my patients think I am doing something wrong they have a way of letting me know this so I can improve. So I'm not being precious and not wanting anyone to say horrible things about me. I just think that this website is a good way to spout anonymous hatred online about named professionals, if you are that way inclined, and as it is not updated and contains the details of dead and retired doctors but does not contain the details of many doctors working today (including me and everyone else who works in my department - apparently there are no paediatricians in this city...), it is also completely useless.
I'm very disappointed that mumsnet has chosen to publicise it.

OP posts:
PacificDogwood · 03/09/2011 21:16

Are you all reporting your own posts to irritate alert MNHQ to our discontent? Maybe we can flood their inboxes or whatever they have Grin

Tee2072 · 03/09/2011 21:30

I'm actually not surprised MN haven't responded since the only response that is going to satisfy 99% of you is 'we're ending the partnership' and they can't make that response because it's Saturday and no one is around to make the decision. Nor is, I imagine, anyone around at the other site to talk to!

This site (and that one) is run by humans who have families and, gasp take days off, including gasp the weekend.

So everyone calm the fuck down and give them a chance!

PacificDogwood · 03/09/2011 21:42

Well, I've had a response from MNTowers - I presume a generic one:

"> Subject: Re: (Case 75357) 27210665 - Just adding my support - seems like a very dubious

Hi there

Thanks for contacting us about iWantGreatCare.

We're reading the thread. And we always appreciate feedback - good and bad!

Best
Helen
MNHQ"

But, yes, fair point, re weekend, Tee, it is the weekend and I hope everybody at MNHQ is having a nice one.

PivotPivotPIVOT · 03/09/2011 21:45

Crikey. I hope that mumsnet reviews this next week. What a ridiculous site that is. And what a strange link for mumsnet to want to develop.

I don't doubt MN's integrity - and I hope that they change their mind about this one. It is the kind of thing netmums would have.

I would rather have Macdonalds on here than that shower of shite.

MinimallyNarkyPuffin · 03/09/2011 21:46

I don't think the 'it's the weekend' excuse is acceptable. This thread was started on Friday lunchtime. The adverts are still showing.

If there's no response by tomorrow I'm off.

MissTinaTeaspoon · 03/09/2011 21:55

So Christine people who have reacted badly to a medication, maybe very mildly, can then log on to the site and 'review' it?! Scary stuff! What if that review puts someone off taking that drug who would benefit greatly from it?! Shock

As someone said earlier, this is surely netmums territory? And I too would rather a big f-off mcdonalds banner than this dubious website.

Tee2072 · 03/09/2011 22:03

Yes it was Minimally and Helen responded at 1840 Friday evening.

This site gets something like a million hits a day. This is just one thread of thousands. They are human. And not staffed by millions.

So cut them some slack. They have, apparently, made a mistake. Are you always so unforgiving of mistakes and/or the time to correct them? I am sure it took a few months to arrange the partnership, it's not going to be dissolved in a few hours.

And taking down the link is probably not just a matter of removing or deleting a few lines of code, not on a site this complicated. I am a web designer I know of which I speak.

If you want to leave, leave. But don't pretend it's for any reason except throwing your dummy out of the pram from lack of response when you think you should get one. You have no idea what's going on behind the scenes.

So everyone just chill. Have a Wine and give them a chance to get their shit together, FFS.

ChristWhatNow · 03/09/2011 22:03

I agree with everyone. (except sNorkler).

PivotPivotPIVOT · 03/09/2011 22:11

I agree with Tee - whatever we think of this, and how many of us have complained is one thing, for MN honchos to review this, make a decision, look at the contracts and consult with the iwantcare lot is not the matter of a couple of hours.

They have always taken into consideration the feelings of the mumsnetters in most of the commercial decisions they have made, and they normally come down heavily on the side of what MN as a majority thinks (remember the Daily Fail 'what mumsnetters think', what they did with the News Internatioal advertising).

Remember also that it is the back end of holiday season and that the site owners may well be on holiday.

There is no need to threaten to leave the site within a matter of hours.

exexpat · 03/09/2011 22:21

Another vote to drop the link here. I'm not a doctor, and don't want to bump the site's page views by searching for any doctors I have experience of, but I just don't think it's appropriate for MN to encourage people to either contribute to a site like that, or to trust anything they might find on it as a guide to finding good medical care. It's irresponsible.

IsSamNormansDad · 03/09/2011 22:31

Would like link dropped too. I have reported this thread to MNHQ, asking them to read, comment and hopefully delete link.

MinimallyNarkyPuffin · 03/09/2011 22:41

I don't want to leave. I like it here. I find this really difficult.

nomorefrizz · 03/09/2011 22:42

I completely agree with your post. I work in the NHS but not as a doctor. What the general public have to understand is that the NHS is a great regulator of its self. If I am unhappy about the care a client of mine has received then I am actively encouraged to report my concerns to Risk Management who I assure you will investigate thoroughly and make sure said incident/ situation does not happen again. The vast majority of doctors and other health professionals are highly motivated and wish to do their job properly. If people are not happy then they are quite within their rights to formally complain when I can assure you their concerns will be treated very seriously.This sounds like a general bitching and thoroughly unconstructive way of dealing with a grievance.

theyoungvisiter · 03/09/2011 22:42

Yes I agree with the right of MNHQ to have a weekend and a reasonable work-life balance!

I mean I'd like the link dropped but this isn't life or death. I'd rather Justine gets to eat her Sunday lunch in peace and attends to this on Monday.

theyoungvisiter · 03/09/2011 22:44

Also - further to Nofrizz's post - I would worry that people would use this site instead of making a formal complaint, and something really serious could languish in their archive unread rather than being dealt with properly by the complaints procedure - and practices changed.

PivotPivotPIVOT · 03/09/2011 22:47

The trouble with review sites is that they invariably have a high proportion of manics with a grudge, and sockpuppets.

Which is fine if you are reviewing a hotel in Majorca, not so fine when you are reviewing an individually named person, which can then seriously impact on their professional life.

It is not as if the site (as it stands) is even professionally developed with an up to date database. It looks like something I knocked up on dd's old laptop.

CinnabarRed · 04/09/2011 09:26

Wanted to add my support for the "partnership" to be dissolved.

I'm not sure which horrified me more - the ridiculous website or MN's endorsement of it.

Feenie · 04/09/2011 09:39

I would also like MNHQ to drop this partnership.

Thepoweroforangeknickers · 04/09/2011 09:43

Although our GPs are by no means perfect (which profession is?) this is a dreadful website and a dreadful Mumsnet idea. How COULD Mumsnet get it so wrong (again) (remember the Kate Middleton phone in now)

Empusa · 04/09/2011 10:07

"And taking down the link is probably not just a matter of removing or deleting a few lines of code, not on a site this complicated."

I'd hope it was that simple, otherwise it's been really badly designed! Shock (Also a web designer)

Tee2072 · 04/09/2011 10:15

Depends on how they did it, Empusa. It may be in more than one template/CSS page or any number of things. Have you ever coded a message board?

Tee2072 · 04/09/2011 10:18

Also, who knows what kind of tech they have on the weekends. Helen may be the only one around and I don't think she's a programmer!

Empusa · 04/09/2011 10:23

They way I'd do it, would be to put it in a file called sidebar.php (or similar) and then have some if/else functions (as it doesn't appear on every page), so it would only be one instance of the code. Definitely wouldn't put it in the CSS. Adverts need to be changed with little hassle.

And yes, I have coded a message board style site.

I wasn't debating how long it'd take them to get around to it, just how much work would go into physically removing it.

I agree with you about people being off for the weekend though.

midoriway · 04/09/2011 10:30

SIL is a surgeon the the US. She spends an inordinate amount of time and money "reputation guarding", ie constantly monitoring the hundreds of doctor review sites for libel/slander and out and out lies written by other surgeons.

She already is the best she can be, these sites do not keep her on her toes, they are a thorn in her side, a constant distraction. These medical review sites are worthless meaningless crap, and I am very glad to see they have not gained traction in the UK.

Dump these fools MN.

Gincognito · 04/09/2011 10:55

YANBU. MN, please listen to your users.

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