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.

Thanks for your advice. Sorry you are suffering too. 💐
I did suggest 111 but she said she had been told that she needed to go via the GP. But if that isn't getting her anywhere I will suggest A&E.

unfortunatrly PALS do not cover GP practices. We’re supposed to complain to the practice manager who is employed by the very GP we want to complain about. It’s an absolute disgrace. Is she up to ringing your local ICB ( integrated care board). They control the purse strings and will deal with GP complaints.

can’t comment on the gynae issue without more info but it is quite common in gynae issues for various meds to be tried and some do make some people worse.

if her meds are hormonal contraception of some kind then it may be worth asking to try a different brand of the same meds or different meds eg combined pill etc.

in theory if you are in pain the gp should be prescribing to help you, in practice…..

if her pain is uterus related then there are painkillers that are often prescribed for gynae issues - mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid are two I have been on.

there are issues with getting painkillers prescribed these days as opiate based painkillers (codeine, tramadol and similar) are only supposed to be prescribed at lowest possible levels due to risk of addiction.

in addition painkillers in the ibuprofen family the doctors are now wary of because of evidence of stomach problems so the guidance is that they are supposed to prescribe stomach “protectors” like omeprazole alongside but also they are under pressure to reduce prescribing of these drugs.

so … this basically leaves nothing, myself and lots of my friends (I’m disabled) have come under a lot of pressure to reduce painkillers.

however it’s not ok to leave someone in pain and if she really really hassles the doctors they will prescribe.

over the counter she can get paracetamol, ibuprofen and co-codamol which is paracetamol with codeine.

ask for painkillers and push that she is in pain and they’ll probably prescribe mefenamic acid or similar and stomach protector.

re the second opinion, if she has gynae issues the treatment is often some kind of hormones. Some of these are not suitable for eg people with a history of breast cancer so it’s possible that this was what the consultant was talking about?

biopsies are usually for cancer situations.

Oh, thanks for letting me know. I think she already spoke to the practice manager who also seems very un sympathetic of her position and she just doesn't feel like they are going to help. So now she just feels stuck in pain with no one even showing any empathy. I will tell her about IBC though. Thank you.

Thanks for reply. With this in mind, it seems even worse that she couldn't get an appointment when she felt the medication was making her worse. I think it might be something topical that shes applying. And the original consultant was gynae. But I'm sure she said the private appointment was with a derma specialist. Maybe this is where the conflict is coming in? Different specialisms.
I can understand the GP needing to speak to the original NHS specialist who prescribed the medication. They just haven't given her any reassurance that this will happen ASAP. Or any indication how long it will take to get seen again. But to just be so dismissive that she is in pain and not willing to do anything on that front just seems cruel. I will look at some of these medications. I did recommend some stronger things my husband had for a bad back. But I know there are a lot of medications you have to be careful with taking for a long time. Although, to my mind, that's all the more reason that the GP should want to be involved in prescribing pain killers.

There is a huge backlog for gynae diagnoses and treatment. My step daughter has waited nearly 3 years and has been in agony and desperate the entire time. She is only now receiving treatment.

Thus is my advice for your neighbour. She should email her complaint not telephone. She needs to write up a summary that is a clear, concise account of what has happened since she first saw her GP about the problem. She should include her approach to the practice manager and her response - this shows the ICB that she has done all she can. Also, have you a decent MP? If so, I would copy in the MP as, sadly, this sometimes means you get taken more seriously. My MP was very helpful in actually getting communications actually responded to. Do you know which ICB you come under?

That sounds awful! Sorry for your step daughter. It's just not acceptable to leave people in pain with no kind of idea how or when they might get treatment.

Yes it has been dreadful. I don't know how she's functioned and carried on working through it, it has been awful for her, and she never gave up fighting for treatment.

Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure she has made an actual complaint yet, she is still trying to get help. She has been down to the practice in person to try and get an appointment or talk to someone.
I'll look up the local ICB.

Given what you’ve told us, she seems to have grounds for complaint. Sometimes, it’s only by formalising a matter that something might happen. What it appears she needs is a double appt with a GP who will actually listen and review her case . It doesn’t sound as though that’s likely - in fact, she’s probably been put in the ‘not to be taken seriously’ category already, a category which women with gynae problems end up in quite quickly.