am I right to be unhappy with doctor?

[hatter]

This is kind of a strange one (and long, coz I want to give you the background) - but I'm interested in the court of MN opinion. I have ms, which, for me, means that I am mostly fine, but sometimes (like now) feel pretty crappy. About 6 months ago I missed my annual appointment with my neurologist, it was entirely my fault - in that they give you the date about a year ahead and then you forget. Am willing to take the blame. They said they would get me another, so they did. I had to cancel at short notice coz the kids were ill. I wasn't too bothered coz I was feeling very well and had been for a long time. They said they'd send me another appointment, which they never did. A few weeks after missing the second appointment (divine retribution or something)I started to feel quite ill. I phoned and left a message for the MS nurse at the hospital. She never got back to me. The symptoms went away (ms is like that). So I forgot all about it. Now I'm feeling quite ill again. Went to the GP today. My normal GP is good and sympathetic and knows me well - and I have known her to book me appointments for 2 days' time at the hospital while I sit there next to her. But she's on holiday so I had an appointment with some muppet who hadn't even bothered to look at my notes. She asked very little about my symptoms, did not ask if I was ok to work, did nothing that might confirm or disprove my suspicions that they were indeed attributable to my ms (again, ms is very odd and it's often difficult to tell - my normal doctor would have had a prod and shone a light in my eyes etc to rule out other reasons) and said she would make an "emergency" appointment for me with the neurologist, which would be in 2-3 weeks' time.

So MN-ers is that good enough? Being me, I kind of mumbled that it was fine and thank you very much. But don't feel like that now. My leg is painful my eye hurts, am finding it difficult to work (but don't really want to sign myself off). If I hadn't been going to meet my mum straight after I would have been in tears. Given that I did my share of mucking them about earlier this year am I just being an arse by expecting to be seen straight away? has my usual doctor "spoiled" me?

reading that through, I think I have been spoiled. And a hospital appointment in 2-3 weeks is probably par for the course

It's worth trying to get hold of Issymum, whose DH has MS. I do a bit of stuff on neurological conditions including MS but unfortunately that's on specialist work at the National Hospital. But I think that whether or not you've missed previous appointments isn't the issue - the fact is that you are there, in the doctor's room, feeling crap with a fluctuating unpredictable condition this minute. The only way in which you have been 'spoiled' is in receiving good treatment.

If you are worried, then can you go back (see a different gp to the one you just saw) and say, "look, my symptoms aren't good, when I've been in this situation before, my gp has got me a hospital appt, can you sort one out please?".

It doesn't sound as though your normal gp spoils you Hatter, but takes your illness seriously which is good.

I missed out "within 2 days".

Yes, go back? If you're feeling utterly crap, can you get someone to come with you, as well?

i don't know anything about specialist neurologist referrals, but if your ordinary GP can get one through within a couple of days, then it obviously can be done! i agree with PMDD, that it would be worth seeing another GP at the practice. do you have any familiarity with your consultant's secretary, so you could try and bring the appointment forward yourself?

an emergency appointment shouldn't take 2-3 weeks imo.

I'd ask for a second opinion too, hatter. Especially if your symptoms are persisting. The "muppet" may be a locum who has little longterm interest in his/her patients at the surgery, and may not be clued up on waiting times at the local hospital. People forget appts all the time and you shouldnt be penalised for it.

Emergency appointments are usually about 2-3 weeks IME If something was required more urgently then usually it would neccesitate a hospital admission. Don't think you have been spoilt but obviously your GP knows their way round the system. Would it be any good ringing the MS nurse again? If not do go back to the GP.Hope you're feeling better soon

Hi again everyone. Thanks for the posts - I think Clairabelle hit the nail on the head with my usual gp - I think she does know her way round the system, and she very much sees herself as her patients' advocate. One time when I was really ill she told me the best thing to do was go there and then to the Eye A&E - and she rang them up to tell them to expect me and see me asap. (I guess that was pretty serious - ie I couldn't see out of one of my eyes and, at the time, she didn't know why) - I think she just knows which levers to pull. Thinking about it now I can live with a wait - I was particularly upset and stressed at the time, coz I'd had to wait 30 mins at the surgery, on a day when I'm meant to be working, which I've had to do with 2 children crawling all over me, even tho' granny's here to look after them. Just been a crap day really. TBH I can't afford the time for a second gp appointment - and not sure there's any point anyway. At the end of the day I know what's causing my problems and there ain't a whole lot they can do about it.