for being really fecked off with GPs

[banana87]

I understand that antibiotics do not work when you have a viral infection.

However, last week DD2 (15m) was clearly not right. I called GP and told them her symptoms (sleeping 17+ hours, bad cough, high fever, not eating). They told me (over the phone) that it was a virus. Wait it out. I waited 2 days and took her to see a private GP who immediately diagnosed her with a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics.

My SIL has been sick since end of last week. She is getting progressively worse (same symptoms as above other than sleeping!). She phoned GP Monday. He told her (over the phone) it was a virus, take paracetemol and wait it out. It got to the point that she felt her chest tightening and heavy so went in the next day (yesterday). He acknowledged that she was quite ill, but gave her an inhaler and said it wasn't an infection. She's worse today than she was yesterday and is now going to see a private GP.

Last winter my DD1 had persistent high fevers that did not respond to calpol or neurofen. We were in A&E twice and dr twice. Every time, "it's just a virus". After 6 weeks I had enough and took her in and said I wanted her to have blood tests as I was convinced she had cancer. Funnily, they gave me antibiotics even though "there is no sign of infection" and within 3 days the fevers were gone and have never returned.

Also last winter my then 5 week old baby had a high temp. I took her to the GP. "Just a virus". Next day, same thing and on call dr had us go straight to A&E where I was told "it's just a virus". Luckily a very good consultant was on call and thought it would be wise to do a chest x-ray "just in case". She had PNEUMONIA.

I understand that there are worries about antibiotic resistance. But what is the point in withholding antibiotics until one is so sick that there is no other option? In all of the above examples, antibiotics were or are currently being withheld needlessly. Why?

[quickdowntonson]

Sirzy - where did you go to medical school?

[rollmopses]

quickdown..., only the GPs who don't do their jobs properly are critisised here. I hope you are not so naive as to believe that such specimens do not exist?

[Sirzy]

Quickdown - you need to go to medical school to know a gp should prescribe medication as requested by a pediatric respiritory specialist? Really? Surely the letter from the specialist detailing why that decision was made (which I saw) should be enough?

[banana87]

It is a complete waste of time complaining. I agree that there are some really good GP's out there but this thread isn't about them, especially as they are so few and far between. At my local practice I trust 2 out of 8 but both are impossible to get an appointment with (now I know why!).

By the way, my SIL has a serious chest infection. She's been given steroids, antibiotics, and told to take double the amount of the inhaler her regular NHS GP prescribed (the GP said she would prescribe that amount for a baby, not an adult). Also she does do NHS work and said she would have done the same on the NHS. She was also much more thorough than the other GP. Also she saw my niece today and did NOT prescribe anything because there was no clinical need. Kind of backfires the whole "needless prescribing" theory of private GP's now doesn't it?

[crashdoll]

I get the impression that some people will never be happy with their GPs.

[Sirzy]

The specialist wrote a prescrption at the appointment he then wrote to the GP 6 weeks later he needed a repeat - I put in for a repeat as normal with the details of when it was prescribe as per the letter (I had a copy to)

4 days later I went to pick up (they ask for 48 hours) Then i found they weren't going to do it. The GP had made no effort to contact the consultant it took me phoning the consultants secretary to sort it out.

Are people seriously going to try to defend that? The Gp wanted to leave a child with severe asthma with no preventer inhaler!

[crashdoll]

No one is defending obvious bad practice but there are still some people who will never be happy with their GP.

[Sirzy]

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

I don't think anyone is faultless and our gp is fantastic for something's I am just rapidly loosing faith in him when it comes to looking after my son

[banana87]

I think as a parent, you need to trust your GP. As I said, I have a couple I trust, however they are rarely available.

I do realize that some NHS GP's do private work and that they don't vary their practice. The private GP we saw said the same thing. I was just making my point as other posters had indicated that private GPs probably prescribe needlessly and I disagree with that.

Re: a&e. in every instance I have gone (its a pead a&e) NHS direct have told me to. So obviously a high fever that isn't coming down is a cause for medical concern or else NHS direct just tell everyone to go to a&e (that's a whole other thread)

[silverstaresatnight]

hang on, don't start telling me off and criticising me and calling me not a doctor!!
I am entitled to my opinion as a parent. I am a hospital dr.. you can't just pretend everything is perfect when its not, you have to be open to criticism . Some hospital drs are rubbish. it happens .

It is definitely true that some GPs patronise parents / mothers minimising symptoms or not believing them. Listen to the people on the thread! The best service I have had is from the OOH GP . I may have been unlucky,
I may have been too trusting being a dr myself but they massively under treated my children.

I would never have believed it before having my own children but as your childs advocate I don't see why you have to convince them something is wrong... it should be their job to find out and investigate. I have been absolutely shocked.
Truly bad lack of awareness of what was going on .... while the GP was planning nothingor maybe a blood test in a week for my daughter [ after me politely requesting a test asap] I just took her in to the hospital and her hb was less than 5. Afterwards when he was more than a little embarrassed after her lengthy hospital stay he said " she was a bit pale ". No shit Sherlock !

Like I said you could be an amazing GP. I could be a rubbish Hospital Dr but I am just as entitled to my opinion and to relate experiences as the next person so stop being so defensive, some GPs either don't know what they are doing or just get used to most illnesses being trivial.

I can forgive ignorance.. we all have that after all but its much harder to forgive arrogance.

[silverstaresatnight]

Another example. Son develops sore throat and fever. looks like tonsillitis and as an adult off he goes to the GP on his own. I mentioned to him I hoped he wouldn't be given amoxicclin as there was a chance of him having glandular fever. He goes to GP who diagnoses tonsillitis and prescribes amoxicillin. Son says could this be risky if it is GF? GP says why would you think that and son says you know my parents are drs and mentioned it to me. GP oh certainly not GF off you go. Day 2 of amoxicillin out comes horrific coalesced rash he is totally erythematous. Goes back to GP who does GF test which of course is positive... does the GP say sorry silvers son, my bad, does he heck he just says it is not connected.
No connection between GF and florid rash with amoxil? Perhaps he had never heard of it? Or perhaps he was just very arrogant ?
Son[18] was ok about the rash but felt he hadn't been listened to. Or that the GP was being awkward.

[silverstaresatnight]

Third example.
baby ds has second set of jabs. Up in the night crying and in morning I see red area around vaccination site about 3 cm diameter or so. I give him calpol,it settled over 24 hrs or so and I remember my other ds had the same and it was the pertussis ... so anyway, I go along to third set of jabs and ,mention this and the GP says " I doubt it was a reaction but if it was why didn:t you bring him in and show us?* What, well most drs visit drs as little as possible anyway and are fairly confident about health issues and a visit to the GP really wasn:t necessary... so he was basically saying I don't believe you ! The health visitor who knew me well looked at him as if he was mad!
So anyway ds was under the paed consultant for basically being very atopic and eczematous and I remembered about the jab... he instantly said if the area of swelling was bigger than a fifty pence piece it was a severe local reaction and he should omit the third jab and have some other preparation for the pre school one! Sorted.
So basically in this instance the GP didn't really have the knowledge and tried to fob me off by disbelieving me...why?

[nannyof3]

Change ur doctors

[silverstaresatnight]

yes one is ok the rest not.

[dikkertjedap]

Change your doctors - I agree, but no guarantee the next one is any better. Good ones are like finding a needle in a haystack. Especially in more rural areas. I think places like London attract the best doctors, resulting in higher standards in London compared with other parts of the country. At least that is my impression.

The fact that some GPs in this thread get all defensive and in denial makes it so hard to improve the NHS. If people don't admit that there is a problem then there is no hope of the problem being addressed. The fact that one GP mentioned he studied so long is neither here nor there, you can study for seven years and still be a crap doctor. Also, to try to shush a fellow doctor because he was critical is outrageous, shows the 'you rub my back, I rub your back' culture in medical practice which totally undermines all credibility and explains to patients why it is a waste of time to complain as doctors are likely to support their own rather than the patient.

[banana87]

Also I don't think it's as hard here to become a GP as it is in other countries, I.e. America.

Case and point: friends bil studied in US at medical school, failed his boards and therefore couldn't be a dr. Moved here and is a A&e dr. Not sure if he's consultant (don't think he is), but point is that he shouldn't really be practicing at all, yet others lives are in his hands. Scary stuff.

[silverstaresatnight]

Thank you for the support , I don't think it is fair or right to rubbish me on a personal level because a Dr is on the defensive. I don't see how that is " unprofessional".. Are they suggesting I must never criticise anything because that is wrong.

We none of us are perfect and the system isn't perfect at the moment for sure.. At the moment, managers are telling drs what to do and all drs care about is getting the patient better ( not freeing up a hospital bed) and the sooner these things are aired and improved the better.

[2rebecca]

It is unusual for a GP to put a medication on repeat when you have only had it once. usually you need an appointment with the GP to check the medication suits you, no side effects, that it's done what it's supposed to etc. Only then does it get put on a repeat prescription. If a hospital doc only just started a medication it's unusual for it to go straight on as a repeat without a doctor somewhere reviewing it. In my surgery the only medications I get on repeat are those on my prescription form list, if it's a new med and not on that list then it's not a repeat.
In the case mentioned the GP hadn't even had the letter from the hospital saying the med had been started (it isn't a GP's job to chase up hospital letters) so it's not surprising it hadn't been added to the repeat med list.
Why is seeing the GP when the med runs out to ask for it to be put on repeat and feed back how helpful the new med is so bad anyway?

[quickdowntonson]

Banana - What actual evidence do you have for that, apart from hearsay? It's all private medicine in the US so everyone with insurance gets over investigated - no need for clinical judgement there! Massive conflict of interest too - more investigations equals more money.
I think this debate is getting a little silly. Sure everyone makes mistakes, yet no other profession (apart from teachers perhaps) is slagged off so much. How many of you work 12 hour days at such intensity? It's easy to be critical of others.
And yes, I do think it is unprofessional for anyone in any profession to point out colleagues' 'mistakes' to others. Shows a lack of judgement and a lot of arrogance. Silver - yes, you should care about the patient, not scaremonger about how others Dr's can't possibly be as diligent as yourself.

[digerd]

I have been prescribed something new as a permanent medication and immediately the chemist attached gave me a repeat prescription form < to go with the others.> I assume mine are not expected to cause me any problems, but looking at the leaflet about side effects, they all have lists of possible ones.

[silverstaresatnight]

Quick.. Don't be so arrogant.

[banana87]

Quick-what evidence do you want? And sorry, but seeing as how GP's are our first point of call in a medical situation, their duty is to save lives. So when they are caring more about budgets than patients, it's a pretty valid concern to have. Really no different to your example of dr's in America over prescribing and over referring....it's all money money money.

[Sirzy]

n the case mentioned the GP hadn't even had the letter from the hospital saying the med had been started (it isn't a GP's job to chase up hospital letters

Yes they had. 6 weeks before asking for a repeat.

And they didn't ask me to make an appointment with the gp before it would be done. They said no. He was going to leave him with no preventor inhaler and it was only when I did the ringing around to talk to the consultants secretary that it was sorted. Thankfully the consultant and his secretary where fantastic.