I feel mortified about this going to my GP. Would you feel the same or am I upset over nothing?

[Unisu]

A couple of weeks ago I was very unwell on holiday. I called a private GP through my insurance and they diagnosed the problem and then refused to prescribe antibiotics as I had mentioned having a fever. They then said I needed to be checked in person and go to a walk in. I explained that the nearest walk in was nearly two hours away and I had a baby with me. The temperature was a symptom of the illness thay had themselves just diagnosed (and it was what I had suspected prior to the call as well). They appeared to then latch on to the temperature being potentially high and refused to prescribe the antibiotics and said these would be prescribed at a walk in but better to double check my temperature there.

I was feeling so rubbish by this point and couldn’t drive ten minutes let alone two hours. I said I didn’t think this was reasonable and given the nature of the illness it is actually standard practice to prescribe the medication when 1 out of 3 symptoms show… I had all three. They agreed with that but said they still wanted a walk-in.

Anyway in essence we disagreed and I said I wasn’t happy with this and that if I became more unwell quickly then I would be referring to this conversation in future. I recognise this was a bit of a shitty thing to say but I was despairing and also confused by their insistence they had diagnosed the issue but still wanted me to go to a walk in when very far from one.

Yesterday it came to my attention that the letter had gone to my GP explaining the private appointment I had had… and in it there was the suspected diagnosis, but this doctor had also said I was interrupting, insisting on treatment and they had to conclude the call because of this! This was simply not true. I did express I wanted the treatment but I was not interrupting and the impression given is that I was unpleasant. Aside from the comment above I was perfectly nice and listened entirely and was totally respectful.

I feel really upset by this. I always make a huge effort to be polite and decent to people in all contexts and I feel awful that this correspondence is now with my GP for all to see. Would you feel the same? Would you do anything about it?

Don't worry. I had a disagreement with a hospital doctor once and he wrote a letter to say I was distrusting of the whole medical society. Didn't even know about it until I changed doctors and he read it to me and laughed. Never caused any problems.

Why oh why??

The OP rang the private GP and this is their recollection of the events, they have in view of the OP saying they had a fever and weren't well enough to drive, insisted on them going to see someone in person, the OP, disagreed!

The GP has documented this ( as they have to do ) and notified the OP own GP ( as they should do ) so why drag it out, why?

Where will it get anyone?

It’s the sort of thing I’d find embarrassing, too. I would be wondering who’d read this letter and what they thought.
But your GP is far too busy to think anything of it, and you’ve said yourself that you get hung up on these sorts of things.
Just let it go and in a few days you’ll have got your sense of perspective back. Don’t worry!

This

From what you have described you were unpleasant, uncooperative and refusing medical advice. Oh and low key threatening to sue them. Oh (again) now your on here protesting your innocence and playing the victim.
Not great behaviour no matter how unwell you feel.

So if they suspect sepsis and the patient is saying they can't physically get somewhere to be seen in person what do they do nothing? Call an ambulance? What?

Its absolutely fine that you insisted and were assertive. You shouldn't have been put in the position where you had to advocate for yourself so strongly, but its like that a lot now. Dreadful trying to get healthcare sometimes.

You have done nothing wrong.

Your actual gp won't care. They literally highlight the medical aspects of a letter and file. It does sound that you were a bit almost threatening blackmail them with what you wanted though with the 'if I get worse it's your fault'. I wouldn't prescribe abx over the phone unless it was something v benign like a simple uti. If you're pyrexial I'd want to see you for full observations to check aren't septic

@Unisu I would really try to put this to the back of your mind.

The letter will be added to your record, and someone will read it to check if there is anything your GP has been instructed to do.

GP surgeries receive hundreds of letters every day, and no one who sees it (which will only be a couple of people) will think twice about what was written about the way you behaved. They are me just looking for the medical info.

On the grand scale of patients shit behaviour towards medical staff, I wouldn't even rate that a 1. I expect the receptionist who scanned it on had already received far worse from patients that day. Honestly, I'd just let it go.

If there is a policy to get a temperature reading then there was nothing that poor Gp could say to appease you. He was only following the protocol.

Honestly OP the letter will never be read.

It's not a typo! I love mumsnet 😀

Is it your registration and reputation on the line of you go against protocols?

It is a red flag in most medical settings if a patient is insisting they need medication, but refuses to be seen in person.

It can be hiding things like trying to get antibiotics for a different purpose or person, getting medication and selling it on. Its basic good practice to actually see the patient you are prescribing medication to even without the sepsis risk a pp noted.

They can advise her to call an ambulance if at risk of sepsis but for the most part they have given their medical advice in a telemedicine call, there will be small print explaining the limitations of that.

I think you put the private GP in a very difficult situation and they were recording this in their report. It was wrong and unfair of you to try to pressurise the GP into providing you with treatment when, in their professional opinion, you needed to be seen and examined. This being the case, the GP behaved professionally and correctly.
Was the doctor you called via your holiday insurance or previously existing health insurance?

It doesn't read as if they were suspecting sepsis, just that they wanted the patient to be properly assessed by a doctor/nurse before handing out antibiotics. That's entirely reasonable and professional.

It's a bit like the electrician who wouldn't move a plug socket three inches to the left in my mums house, because her entire wiring is outdated and potentially dangerous. His licence doesn't allow him to sign off anything unsafe so he couldn't touch it at all.

Having said that, if the medical protocol was because of sepsis, surely the patient should be told that? If I had suspected sepsis I'd take whatever steps the doctor suggested.

It was such a shame you were on holiday, totally alone, with nobody to drive you to a walk in centre, or to help by looking after your baby or coming with you while you got yourself there.

How did you resolve this situation in the end?

Oh, I’ve never come across that expression. I will be using it.

Isn’t it normal to want to see you in person before prescribing medication? I can’t imagine any GP making a diagnosis and issuing a prescription over the phone. Different with ongoing repeat prescriptions like the pill or HRT obviously, but for a new illness? Def face to face.

I think you were probably a little intractable @Unisu. However, had the Dr fully explained why they couldn't prescribe that would have assuaged you I suspect.

can’t imagine any GP making a diagnosis and issuing a prescription over the phone

Bwahahahaha! It’s how a great many practices conduct a significant proportion of their caseload these days, Dr Finlay.

would you stake your entire career, livelihood and possibly freedom on this assumption?

They lied to cover their back in case things went wrong. Your normal GP will know you have no history of being rude. Try to put it behind you and explain what happened