GP mucked up my blood tests

[jt1952]

I feel like crying right now.

I saw my GP with a suspicion of an under active thyroid. He agreed with me and said he would book in the following blood tests:

FBC
Liver function
Renal function
Thyroid function
Tests for ferritin etc
Vitamin D
Cholesterol

I have had the blood test and got the results today. He only ordered FBC, renal function, liver function and HBA1C.

For full context I am overweight, I’ve lost 10 stone and I am still losing (intentionally). The GP has messaged to say the blood are all fine and as far as he’s concerned that’s the case closed. I can access my results.

I feel so frustrated that half the tests he promised haven’t been done. Now I need to start the entire process again, wait four weeks to speak to a GP and wait another four for a blood test, wait a week for the results and see if I actually get the tests I need.

AIBU to make a complaint? It really feels like he was trying to pull a fast one with the HBA1C, and blame this on me being pre-diabetic. In actual fact it’s at the bottom of a normal range!

The cynic in me says pre-diabetes is easier and cheaper to treat than thyroid issues.

The cynic in me says pre-diabetes is easier and cheaper to treat than thyroid issues.

it could have been an error in the lab

They use A1C tests as a diagnostic tool now, fasting BGs not conclusive enough. Anyway, why not get a home test? It will give you some idea of what’s going on and may help when trying to get back into the GP.

Diagnostic of what? I’ve got no symptoms of diabetes.

an at home test won’t get me access to medication. I’d still need to convince him to give me the correct bloods, which he can’t do.

I've got to have polyps removed from my uterus on Tuesday.
I've been post menopausal bleeding for a year now. Losing clots the size of a portion of calves liver. Bedding ruined, clothes ruined, health ruined, mind ruined, life ruined.
Hysteroscopy, biopsy, MRI back in April. Not cancer. Constant TXA to try and help. Haemoglobin 92... Fucking anaemic.
Fainting.
Broken nose, long term damaged shoulder from fainting.

In September it was me that researched my meds. They'd given me the wrong HRT.
Oestrogen only, no progesterone and no fucker noticed for a year! Doctors, pharmacists, hospitalisations.
Another hysteroscopy a couple of weeks ago with biopsy.
Polypectomy next week.

All of it due to one initial mistake.

I've made less of a fuss than you. It's not a competition, there'll be someone worse off than me, but you've really annoyed me.
All you have to do is make a phone call and stick your arm out.

I wish you the best, I really do, but I think you need to get a sense of perspective.

OP, you are allowing the grumpiness to take over and ignoring many sensible posters.
Thyroid function takes an extra day. The bloods you display are dated today, so clearly thyroid bloods will not be back yet. Presumably they only told you they were normal because YOU chased the results, as no surgery wastes their time contacting every single patient about their normal results. This is why most surgeries say wait 1-2 weeks until chasing results so this doesn't happen. Currently there is absolutely no evidence that your GP has ignored your request for thyroid function. By all means be grumpy if they have indeed left it off, but I feel like you are jumping the gun here.

If it took an extra day they wouldn’t have told me they were all back!

I’ve not chased them. They called me.

Ok it’s like ours then, very similar including the length of wait ☹️

You are right to be frustrated and have a right to moan on here but the reality is that it won’t get you anywhere. So try different approach and it might help you. Just go to your surgery or call them on Monday and tell that mistakenly some tests that were supposed to be done were omitted. You haven’t realised it until you had a closer look at your results. Don’t tell them about what was done as an extra. Just raise an issue about missing tests.
I would expect them to make a note and check with GP or get GP to call you. Be polite but stick to your guns: GP meant to do certain set of tests but for some reason the form didn’t include all of them.
Try this before complaining, it might be quicker.

If doctors were held to this kind of standard there would be not one of them left to order your bloods! Human error happens.

But OP I'm finding your grumpiness very funny and endearing. I hope you're drawing some strength from it and manage to take some positive action at some point.

Have a lovely weekend!

You don’t need symptoms of diabetes to actually have diabetes. Good luck, OP. I’m sure you will get it all sorted, however frustrating it is now.

Not really, underactive thyroid is pretty cheap to treat and probably easier than diabetes. It doesn't affect your GP if a condition is cheaper to treat or not.

I would wait. You've not got all your U&Es on that list (missing the urea) so it looks incomplete. It maybe a lab error, a slow to update system or yes could be your GPs error

So either way they’ve fucked up! They’re a disgrace.

I think you are overreacting. However i do get it. As i think i literally have ptsd from the nhs (and state schools) because evertpything goes wrong etc.

I wouod as pp said wait a few days see if more come back. And then phonecall them there is no need to see gp again.

I think the issue with thyroid is often not the not doing the tests which gp tend to do but they dont do the antibody tests and they deny there is an issue because the uk thyroid levels are 'fine' till 10!.

Anyway the danger of doing unneeded tests is it seems to show something but may not give the full picture so... The h1bac im wondering if its unexpectedly low if you are still on injections. ? But if you didnt discuss diabetes you also may not have sa id youre on WLI.
Also if you havw lost a lot of weight on injections does that mean that your blood sugar was high and stopping you lose weight.

if you are suddenly cold would that not be as expected after weight loss? And tiredness could be nutritional issues because you must have cut down on some foods?
Nhs treated my tsh of 3.5 as i was doing ivf (but then removed thyroxine after...)

YABU... It's likely a box ticked incorrectly. Lots of us has things put down to weight etc... it's frustrating but it isn't gaslighting. And honestly, given your answers here, you're a bit of a pita.
Seriously you'd lodge a complaint?? Wow. Get a grip.

You are being unreasonable.
Firstly routine bloods for "fatigue" would include HB1aC.
Secondly you may have more results to come, why don't you just look at the NHS app ? And check over the next few days .
If indeed a test has been missed ..then just simply ring the practice and explain.
The practice can ring the lab and they can usually run the test on the existing samples.
You are really making a mountain out of a molehill.
Oh and vit d is not usually done anymore...NICE says don't test

These symptoms have persisted for longer than I’ve been on WLI.

I had a lot of them before WLI.

I don’t believe the WLI have suppressed my HBA1C as I’ve been off them for 8 weeks at this point. I told him I was on it and it’s noted in my notes.

They called you to give you normal results? Jeez we have 150-200 results a day back and certainly don’t call all the normal ones! No wonder they’re burning out!

My GP didn’t. A member of their admin team did.

Ahhh even more of a reason to take what they say with a small pinch of salt then and stop getting your knickers in a knot. The receptionist will only be able to tell you what they see in front of them. They won’t necessarily know there are other results outstanding.

They know what the GP has told them to pass along.

OP will soon find a reason to tell you you're wrong 😉

How do you know? Or are you making assumptions again to justify your strop?

Ours come in at different times. Ny ferritin came a day later than fbc. hb1ac is standard here for a thorough investigation.

Does your app say which bloods were actually taken? Our phlebotomist will list which have been taken and sent. I suspect they may appear Monday.

Also you haven't got b12 or folate on the list and when thyroid comes back, make sure it's a full panel, not just TSH.