Mum who 'couldn't see doctor for months' during lockdown now told she has cancer

[LordLancington]

I think this unfortunate story is the kind of thing that will become increasingly common if we don't control infection rates.

All the people saying 'oh, but you're unlikely to die of corona virus' are right. It will instead be people like this lady who die when they can't access the medical support they need because of the NHS being overwhelmed by 'non lethal' covid cases (which still take up a bed and resources).

I'm certainly not a corona moaner, but I think the people arguing for us to 'just get on with life' are deluded.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-who-couldnt-see-doctor-22938221?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mirror_main

@LordLancington :
You've hit the nail on the head there.
It's nothing to do with saving people from dying of Covid but everything to do with stopping the health services from being completely overwhelmed with those cases.

Did GPS all over the country do things differently?

I had the same symptoms, had a telephone appointment, then was referred and had a colonoscopy to rule out anything serious (thankfully wasn’t). All during lockdown.

My Dniece gp sent her to hospital with a suspected ectopic pregnancy (unfortunately it was).

If there was genuinely areas of the country where you couldn’t once get hold of a gp receptionist in 6 months that is terrifying!

There have been loads of people on here alone talking about having had important ops and cancer treatments etc postponed.

And if you read the article, you'll see she kept being fobbed off.

My local GP is impossible to get in contact with. People on our local facebook group added screenshots showing they had called in excess of 50 times to get through to be denied even a telephone appointment. There are very few covid cases here so if they aren’t seeing Covid patients why are they so busy?

There are very few covid cases here so if they aren’t seeing Covid patients why are they so busy?

Your guess is as good as mine, but it was never like this prior to the last year. Perhaps they've been told to try and be as frugal as possible/only treat desperately urgent cases in light of the massive cost so far and the anticipated continuation of it with no definite end in sight. They're saying current infection rate is about to exceed what they originally predicted as 'worst case scenario' figures, aren't they?

A colleague went to the doctor fearful her cancer was back, they fobbed her off with "it's probably covid"

It wasn't, she was right, they were wrong. Maybe the outcome would have been the same, but ultimately she didn't get treatment soon enough.

So yes I do get angry when people can't access other medical services because it isn't covid.

Just read the below on another thread. Not really a situation we want nationwide!

The NHS where I live in March (covid central then and probably now...) was not taking people of any age who could say 5 words, compared with those who could say 3 - the ambulance service had that instruction. Indeed one mother of children in London died because of that - her husband found her the next day dead on the bathroom floor as the ambulance had come out but she could say more words than their rule as to who would be taken in.

'The NHS where I live in March (covid central then and probably now...) was not taking people of any age who could say 5 words, compared with those who could say 3 - the ambulance service had that instruction. Indeed one mother of children in London died because of that - her husband found her the next day dead on the bathroom floor as the ambulance had come out but she could say more words than their rule as to who would be taken in'

Can confirm this is fabricated bollocks, can't believe I even need to say this.

A lot of people stopped going to doc as we were told to protect the NHS.

My GP surgery has been sending texts for ages saying we are here please get in touch about anything etc

I think it's going to have long term impact. We were told not to bother them. So we didn't. There will be consequences of that. For a lot of things it takes a bit of courage to make an appt. They said don't come. So. That's a message that's been internalised.

Can confirm this is fabricated bollocks, can't believe I even need to say this.

Well, I was quite surprised to read it, but it was from a regular poster.

But either way, the last thing the NHS needs is a huge strain on it caused by people who are utterly unconcerned about covid because 'it's unlikely to kill me'.

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/25/london-woman-36-dies-of-suspected-covid-19-after-being-told-she-is-not-priority

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/23/blue-lips-and-black-skin-did-a-standard-111-question-help-cause-olufemi-akinnolas-death-from-covid-19

www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8220251/amp/Husband-Filipino-nurse-50-died-coronavirus-says-ambulance-crew-refused-her.html

Google carries on and on. I don't know about the one referred to earlier but yes of course people have been turned away/ told to wait till worse/ and died.

Do the poster who confirms this sort of thing happening is 'fabricated bollocks' maybe go and tell that to the families. And all the others that came up on Google. That was just the first few dead people.

Or is it oh those are true but that one is fabricated bollocks...? In which case. Why use such strong language when you know that people have died in similar circs.

Fucking hell. Actually. Where's the humanity. Zero...

What percentage of UK hospital beds are currently occupied by covid cases specifically?

What percentage of UK hospital beds are currently occupied by covid cases specifically?

I think the bigger issue is lack of staff.

That's very sad. I am however surprised she didn't go to A&E because she was in so much pain, that was something everyone was urged to do if necessary. Had she done that earlier she would have been diagnosed.

I'm speculating here now, but potentially the infection rate could at some point outstrip the speed at which we can build new facilities too. If we're now set to exceed 'worst case scenario predictions' then surely we're at risk of outstripping planned resources.

We were told to keep away from a and e to protect the NHS.

On why the woman in London didn't go to a and e. Assuming the story isn't 'fabricated bollocks'.

How does she get there? Loads of people in London don't have cars. Bus is out obv. Cab? Could be pricey.

But the main point is. They have taken medical advice and followed it.

I know on mn there's an idea that everyone rushes to the hosp etc at the drop of a hat.

That's not true. Most people don't want to clog up an important service unless they really need to.

People were told to stay away. Don't go to a and e. They are too busy. Sit tight.

People did die because they followed the advice they were given by professionals. And they didn't want to be a bother.

I read a news story back then about a child who died of an asthma attack. There are others. Who because they had bad the fear of god put into them about the virus, or they didn't want to make a fuss, or because they caller and were told. Meh. Call us later if you get really bad... When things were already really bad.

A lot depends on your GP surgery.

I had a breast lump in April. I spoke to my GP by phone, was seen and was referred to the hospital. It was checked and seen quickly and efficiently.

Someone locally is complaining that Covid stopped their lump being looked at, but the surgery they are registered at is notioriously shit and it turns out that it wasn't anything Covid related that caused the problem it was the dickhead lead partner driving more receptionists to quit (it happens regularly).

I think like schools, hospitals and businesses - shit surgeries got more shit and decent ones did well.

Erm op. In my area at least pretty much everything was canceled.

My friends dad cancer treatment. My mums cataracts. My uncle's diabetic stuff. Etc etc.

Like I say I had texts from the go essentially saying please get in touch! Where is everyone?

I had to book an appt to go back on ADs - which I put off for ages as I thought I had to keep away to protect the NHS-and when I spoke to the doctor and receptionist on the phone, they said they were dead. They were worried.

But yes. Protect the NHS.

Does that help up OP? People are staying away because we consumed that we should.

What is it you're angry about again?
the NHS playing hard to get on an appt... That's not new is it though? Waiting lists have been months for ages. Acquaintance of mine died due to cancer that she'd been told was all in her head...

It's tricky but more complex maybe than your op.

I was meant to have a blood test early in the year and was told to come back after the corona virus outbreak had died down. After about six weeks of being fobbed off I just drew the blood myself with a syringe and sent it off for a private analysis by post. It's only for my testosterone supplementation, so not immediately life threatening, but one of my previous tests had my testosterone levels at 4x the natural limit due to my skin absorbing the gel too well. My hematocrit was accordingly getting high at that point too, so I can't imagine it would've been great to have potentially had thick blood for months on end. My hormone levels were similar to what pro bodybuilders would take to bulk up and even they only do it for a few months at a time due to the risks.

'Well, I was quite surprised to read it, but it was from a regular poster'

Ah, 100% verified then, although every HCP with will tell you it is untrue.

'Or is it oh those are true but that one is fabricated bollocks...? In which case'

My 'fabricated bollocks' was clearly only in relation to people only being sent an ambulance if they could say three words or less or such bollocks, so calm the hysteria maybe.

What is it you're angry about again?
the NHS playing hard to get on an appt.

I thought I was pretty clear in my OP.

There seem to be absolutely loads of people arguing that we should be 'going about life as usual' because the virus is 'not fatal for most people'. In contrast to this we seem to have people already facing severe medical consequences through not getting the treatment they need. Higher numbers of corona patients being admitted is unlikely to help this.

Didn't mean above post snarkily!