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

[polarband]

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?

I'm in Wales so can't access results on NHS app either, but I always ask for a printout of results which reception are happy to do.

Where I live there is a 12 week programme for people with pre diabetes including exercise classes, dietary advice etc. It's really good but not sure how many areas have it. I would ask for something similar though. If not, I would consider a dietitian appointment to manage the two conditions.

My friend was told he had prediabetes and didn’t want to go on medication. He wanted to try to reverse it himself-so adjusted his diet and focused on exercise too. He’s now in the normal range-it can be done.

They only look for flagged results by the analysis machine. Eg iron is a massive range. It can be well below normal / optimum and still not get flagged up.

In future, go to reception and tell the receptionist you need a printed copy. They can easily print any results for you.

It obviously doesn't work like that in some places as detailed repeatedly on this thread by many posters now. Even booking appointments online is not the norm in most GP surgeries round here. I know of like one person who has this ability and it is a very rural practice.

Again even doing this will often result in a refusal, you need to write a letter to request or see a doctor but they can't give you an appointment to discuss "normal" results.

That’s really appalling service. This is information you have a right to access. Speaking as a GP, I’d definitely consider changing surgeries if that’s an option for you.

@ToInfiniteaAndBeyond I think it is rather the norm in these parts and my practice is good in many other ways.

Neither did !! I've lived in the same house and had the same gp since I was 34. I'm 60 in a couple of months!

This is your early warning flag! It was slowly creeping up as you get older or naturally does anyway. You were still in the healthy range - now you aren't. They can't do anything to treat something that doesn't need treating.

FFS! Just download the NHS app out your NHS number in and walha there's all your NHS records from birth!

It's really not that hard to do! Also obviously the GP surgery can't just print results for you if you're not paying for them!

Blooming menopause. I started with late onset asthma, hayfever and so many allergies. Palpitations. You skip through the first half century and bang it's like a multi car pile up.

FGS read the bloody thread. It's not available in Scotland nor Wales yet

This is unacceptable. I thought we had the right to view or get access to our medical records?

How many fucking times does the the OP have to say she doesn’t have access to the app.

They can't flag up normal results because they're normal. Can you imagine the extra workload that would entail? Better off having a system where people can look up their own results and see the numbers for themselves. Most GP Surgery offer that actually if you ask.

You’d think! My GP (rural Wales so only option) has a 1.3 rating on Trustpilot and Facebook is full of complaints almost daily! Missed both my parents stage 4 cancers, missed my pancreatitis (hospitalised for 10 days), missed my daughter pneumonia (hospitalised a week) and that’s just my family

I didn't expect them to treat me but a heads up would have prompted me to investigate further on my own and make any possible changes.

FFS there is no app in Scotland.

And then they wonder why NHS waiting lists are long, why demand outstrips supply. High time we moved to a more proactive model.

I know I could do more strength training

This really is key as we age. I managed to reverse osteopenia through strength training.

It is my muscle and bone strength that still allows me to ski and ice skate in my early seventies.

Started with 3kg dumbbells and worked my way up to 10kg. I do lots of squats, lunges, push-ups, crunches and sit-ups. Also regularly walk with a 5kg weighted vest. Plus a 3-5 minute plank every single day.

Also at least one HIIT session per week for cardio.

Hopefully you will get the app soon. I’m from Scotland but live in England and have used the app for a while which has been invaluable as I get regular tests for a blood condition. I tried to download it for my mum as I assumed it covered all of uk and was surprised there isn’t one for Scotland residents.

YANBU. There is a lack of holistic care in the NHS, and GPs are so over stretched and time poor that these changes often get missed.

We also really need the app here in Scotland, it’s ridiculous we don’t have it in 2025. Having to ask for print outs of results is laborious and annoying for all involved.

I don't think anyone actually IS wondering why NHS waiting lists are so long. The causes are well documented.

But for everyone saying that in England the GP surgery has some link to the NHS app where your results are - mine doesn't. I go into that section and it either says I'm not authorised to access it, or my surgery does not provide it (depending which way I try to get to it). And saying "obviously you just do x", well, where does one get this information? I only got the app during Covid because it was needed to show the inoculation record.