There muat be some way of getting help with medical issues.

[ColdandConfused]

What can someone do if they are not getting the help they need with a medical issues? My neighbour is really struggling and in pain and can't get the GP to support her. I haven't pried into the details but its a gynae issue.

From what I understand she tried for months to get a diagnosis for what is going on. She finally got a diagnosis and was given treatment but that made things worse. After more months of trying to get an appointment to find out what's going on, in desperation, she got a private appointment. The private consultant said the treatment is causing harm and making things worse and she needs to stop treatment and get a biopsy. She can't afford that privately so was told to go back to the GP with a letter and to get a referral. The GP has stated they won't follow any kind of private advice. So now she is stuck in limbo, in pain, with no idea what to do next.

Is there anyone she could turn to to help her fight her case? She's in pain and no one seems to be acknowledging that. And now shes worried the treatment has caused further long term damage. It certainly hasn't helped. What can she do?? I can understand that the NHS won't just follow a private diagnosis. But they don't seem willing to help at all even with just showing some compassion that a woman is in pain.

Complain to the practice manager perhaps?

Could she get a second opinion?
Or would the new 'Jess' rule' apply, where the situation should be looked at again if someone has presented 3 times with the same or progressive symptoms and no clear working diagnosis?

She could see another GP in the practice or move to another GP practice? At mine, there is one GP who is the go-to on Women's Health and she holds regular menopause clinics etc.

It's quite unusual for a GP not to accept private consultant recommendations but they are bound by NICE guidelines and specialist referral criteria which is where the problem likely lies. I think you probably haven't got the full picture and it could be out of GP's hands. Either way, if the treatment is not working, it should be reviewed. And your friend may want to ask for a pain clinic referral. If nothing else could be done about the condition itself, then, at least, her pain could be better managed.

Who made the diagnosis? GP or gynaecologist? Could she ask for an NHS gyn referral for review (I know the waiting lists are long)?

I agree with pain clinic referral if GP can't manage her pain. I found them really helpful personally when I had difficult to manage pain

I do know my GP was not allowed to convert a private prescription to an NHS one for me, but I've never experienced him refusing to follow a private consultant's advice. That sounds very strange.
Can your neighbour request an appointment with a different GP in the practice? Also, private consultants usually send quite clear reports of their diagnoses to both patient and GP. I would get your neighbour to make a copy of hers, underline the important bits in red, and put it down on the desk when speaking to the GP.

I think she has. But i will recommend if not

Well i think that's why she went private. The treatment was making her worse and she was desperate for them to review but nothing was happening.
I don't know what the Jess rule is, but I'll look it up. Thank you

Not all medical conditions can be treated, or resolved or cured.

Some illnesses are horrific and yet there is no known way to improve things, also sometimes someone thinks 1 condition is the main cause of their issues when actually it's another.

It's very likely that this woman's medical team know a lot more about what is happening with her than you do.

I'm not sure how easy moving GP is. I think she is concerned that she might need to move further afield to get help as our area is underfunded. I wondered about her registering where her parents live. Not sure what that involves though. But she did say a friend of hers in another part of the country has had the same diagnosis and it was only weeks for appointments and effective treatment.

I almost certainly don't have the whole picture. I've not really asked too many questions as its such a personal matter.
She only went private because she couldn't get the appointment to review her treatment.
I think she would happily accept an appointment to help manage the pain. But they seem to have been quite dismissive of that. The GP had said they would have to call the specialist clinic that gave the diagnosis. That sounds fair enough but they haven't made it sound like she js likely to get an appointment with anyone. And today she's tried to contact the GP and has been cut off. multiple times.

It was a specialist clinic that gave the diagnosis and treatment. But when the treatment made things worse, she couldn't get another appointment to review.

I will suggest the pain clinic though

She has letters from the private consultant. That's what she has been trying to take to the GP but they are just being very dismissive of her. She went out of desperation because the treatment was making her worse and they are saying it could be causing long term damage. So now she's really worried.

PALs might be her next step if there is a genuine belief the treatment is causing harm in dont know why the drs want to harm her though

Well obviously medical professionals know more than me! I haven't even asked and specific details as no my place. But she is really desperate and in a lot of pain. I'm just asking Mumsnet for some advice on what else she can do to try and help. There always seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people on here. I'm looking for next steps, not diagnosis and cure.
She has said it is a life long condition. And said one medical professional had told her to just 'get used to your new normal'. But she is saying if this is it for the rest of her life then she doesn't have a life. And the fact that the treatment has made it worse indicates it is not the right treatment. At the very least she needs help managing the pain.

In which way did the treatment make her condition worse, OP?

She is telling you she has had x,y,z conversation with her doctors, you have no idea how true her account is. You realize that? I say that only because you seem so invested and horrified by this but by your own admission know little about

She can use right to treatment if in uk. If she gets the GP to fo another referral, that referral can be directed to a private hospital near her that has a shorter waiting list (if the waiting time for gynae nhs appt is longer than their published waiting time) as long as the private accepts right to treatment/nhs patients. Google right to treatment for more info.

Well I obviously don't think the doctors have wanted to cause harm. But the medication seems to be, and the private consultant told her to stop immediately and get a biopsy. She only went private as she couldn't get another appointment when the treatment was making her worse. I will look up PALs. Thanks

She is suffering. She is worrying about what she can do to get help. I just thought Mumsnet might have some useful advice (and they do). I know I don't have the full picture. But I thought if I could help with some practical next steps that might be useful.
I know if I was in constant pain and being dismissed I would be feeling pretty awful. Particularly if the treatment shes been given is making her worse and the second opinion has said that it's causing long term damage!

The pain has got worse

Odd title. Is there a privatisation campaign running, to warm us up?

I will look into that. Thank you. I think she is worried now that she GP isn't willing to help her. They seem very dismissive about the private referral.

If she is in really bad pain visit A&E they can do a CT and refer you gyne if they feel it is needed. I went to A&E with lower back pain CT found a lesion on my spine do they did and MRI there is thickening and a mass in my uterus so I’m having a biopsy on Wednesday as there is a possibility it could be uterine cancer, she needs to get it checked ASAP and if the GP won’t help go to A&E

I didn't know how to phrase my title to be honest. Just trying to get some advice. Not sure this would work as a campaign for privatisation. That seems to be getting her nowhere