Do you TRUST your GP?
Discussion
Anyone see this documentary on Monday? C4 I think!
The following reflects my personal opinion only, based on my experiences which are supported by the above documentary.
I know there are some very good, indeed excellent GPs and Specialists around for which I have nothing but praise, but equally there are some questionable ones in varying degrees ranging from positively dangerous, totally imcompetant to mildly disinterested.
Doctors are only human and equally suffer from the good and the bad as every service provider, vocation or post has, from Road Sweeper to Judge!
The BIG problem is where a service can have a significant or critical or even terminal effect on our wellbeing, and unfortunately some in the medical profession still seem to think that their 'craft' warrants elite status, ever since the early 1900s.
This may seem harsh critisism, but you only need to review the attitude of the GMC in regards to properly reviewing complaints and introducing controls to make sure their members are competant practitioners and are up-to-date with latest techniques.
The lack of action, or adoption of proper controls has been highlighted by many emminent people (and some GPs) over quite a few years, yet the GMC appear still to do very little or nothing for the benefit of our society, only for benefiting their members.
...and it is a 'closed shop'! Some Local Health Trusts/Authorities it seems would rather not act effectively on some serious complaints with significant potential harmful ramifications to their patients as seen in this documentary. The 'weasel' words of senior management when interviewed just reinforce where their allegance is!
I for one am disgusted at their self-serving attitude I believe that there should be a new impartial body appointed to control the profession, but all attempts so far have failed.
The only saving grace is that there are still some 'gems' as GP's, doctors and other medical specialists out there, some who are prepared to 'blow the whistle' on others that don't perform. Unfortunately in these cases, the 'whistle blowers' suffer for ther actions, even losing their jobs - yet Govt said they encourage 'whistle blowers' but do nothing to protect them.
So it is down to us, the public!
Unless we are stalwart enough to fight for our rights and formally complain when things are not what they should be, rather than keep quiet, not much will change!
The following reflects my personal opinion only, based on my experiences which are supported by the above documentary.
I know there are some very good, indeed excellent GPs and Specialists around for which I have nothing but praise, but equally there are some questionable ones in varying degrees ranging from positively dangerous, totally imcompetant to mildly disinterested.
Doctors are only human and equally suffer from the good and the bad as every service provider, vocation or post has, from Road Sweeper to Judge!
The BIG problem is where a service can have a significant or critical or even terminal effect on our wellbeing, and unfortunately some in the medical profession still seem to think that their 'craft' warrants elite status, ever since the early 1900s.
This may seem harsh critisism, but you only need to review the attitude of the GMC in regards to properly reviewing complaints and introducing controls to make sure their members are competant practitioners and are up-to-date with latest techniques.
The lack of action, or adoption of proper controls has been highlighted by many emminent people (and some GPs) over quite a few years, yet the GMC appear still to do very little or nothing for the benefit of our society, only for benefiting their members.
...and it is a 'closed shop'! Some Local Health Trusts/Authorities it seems would rather not act effectively on some serious complaints with significant potential harmful ramifications to their patients as seen in this documentary. The 'weasel' words of senior management when interviewed just reinforce where their allegance is!
I for one am disgusted at their self-serving attitude I believe that there should be a new impartial body appointed to control the profession, but all attempts so far have failed.
The only saving grace is that there are still some 'gems' as GP's, doctors and other medical specialists out there, some who are prepared to 'blow the whistle' on others that don't perform. Unfortunately in these cases, the 'whistle blowers' suffer for ther actions, even losing their jobs - yet Govt said they encourage 'whistle blowers' but do nothing to protect them.
So it is down to us, the public!
Unless we are stalwart enough to fight for our rights and formally complain when things are not what they should be, rather than keep quiet, not much will change!
Never go to the doctors . But no i dont, trust my old family doctor . Last time my dad went he openly admited he was an alcholic.( THE DOCTOR THAT IS). And the doctor f--k us around when my dad was diagnose him with throat cancer.
I don,t trust hospitals either .When they were treating him . They misdiagnosed him told us he was goin to lose half his face and troat .Then after admited they diagnosed the wrong cancer .Buy this time it was to late .
They also treat him with out of date kemo.And left him fitting after each treatment when they new he had epilepsy . We went mad about that . Then they told us we could stop the fitting by an injection which they did . But my dad died in the end .
I don,t trust hospitals either .When they were treating him . They misdiagnosed him told us he was goin to lose half his face and troat .Then after admited they diagnosed the wrong cancer .Buy this time it was to late .
They also treat him with out of date kemo.And left him fitting after each treatment when they new he had epilepsy . We went mad about that . Then they told us we could stop the fitting by an injection which they did . But my dad died in the end .
Had him looking after me for over 30 years ( admittedly nothing wrong except the minor injuries that happen when you play sports ).Every time I have been to my GP, (not often thankfully), I have seen a different one. A lot of people are in some kind of awe of their GP, I’m not, I know as much about my specialist subject as they do about theirs. My sister’s s
tty ex was a neuro surgeon so some of the glamour attached to the role isn’t there for me.
I don’t let them do the “now tell me what you think is the matter…etc…” whilst filling in the paperwork of the last patient. This infuriates me - I have caught a few on this. They listen a lot better when you pull them up on their bad habits.
There is a certain way of communicating with them, i.e. clearly, which I think is appreciated.
Then again with my sister being an ex-nurse, her ex being a surgeon and my mum working as a consultant’s PA for the best part of 40 years, you learn a few helpful things.
On balance, yes i do trust them
tty ex was a neuro surgeon so some of the glamour attached to the role isn’t there for me. I don’t let them do the “now tell me what you think is the matter…etc…” whilst filling in the paperwork of the last patient. This infuriates me - I have caught a few on this. They listen a lot better when you pull them up on their bad habits.
There is a certain way of communicating with them, i.e. clearly, which I think is appreciated.
Then again with my sister being an ex-nurse, her ex being a surgeon and my mum working as a consultant’s PA for the best part of 40 years, you learn a few helpful things.
On balance, yes i do trust them
V8 Vum said:
Anyone see this documentary on Monday? C4 I think!
The following reflects my personal opinion only, based on my experiences which are supported by the above documentary.
I know there are some very good, indeed excellent GPs and Specialists around for which I have nothing but praise, but equally there are some questionable ones in varying degrees ranging from positively dangerous, totally imcompetant to mildly disinterested.
Doctors are only human and equally suffer from the good and the bad as every service provider, vocation or post has, from Road Sweeper to Judge!
The BIG problem is where a service can have a significant or critical or even terminal effect on our wellbeing, and unfortunately some in the medical profession still seem to think that their 'craft' warrants elite status, ever since the early 1900s.
This may seem harsh critisism, but you only need to review the attitude of the GMC in regards to properly reviewing complaints and introducing controls to make sure their members are competant practitioners and are up-to-date with latest techniques.
The lack of action, or adoption of proper controls has been highlighted by many emminent people (and some GPs) over quite a few years, yet the GMC appear still to do very little or nothing for the benefit of our society, only for benefiting their members.
...and it is a 'closed shop'! Some Local Health Trusts/Authorities it seems would rather not act effectively on some serious complaints with significant potential harmful ramifications to their patients as seen in this documentary. The 'weasel' words of senior management when interviewed just reinforce where their allegance is!
I for one am disgusted at their self-serving attitude I believe that there should be a new impartial body appointed to control the profession, but all attempts so far have failed.
The only saving grace is that there are still some 'gems' as GP's, doctors and other medical specialists out there, some who are prepared to 'blow the whistle' on others that don't perform. Unfortunately in these cases, the 'whistle blowers' suffer for ther actions, even losing their jobs - yet Govt said they encourage 'whistle blowers' but do nothing to protect them.
So it is down to us, the public!
Unless we are stalwart enough to fight for our rights and formally complain when things are not what they should be, rather than keep quiet, not much will change!
I saw the documentary and must admit to being slightly bemused. As well as being an eye surgeon, I was until last year working with my college (royal college of ophthalmologists) to produce standards with which we will be measured to enable revalidation of surgeons and to ensure standards are being met and adverse events are investigated fully.The following reflects my personal opinion only, based on my experiences which are supported by the above documentary.
I know there are some very good, indeed excellent GPs and Specialists around for which I have nothing but praise, but equally there are some questionable ones in varying degrees ranging from positively dangerous, totally imcompetant to mildly disinterested.
Doctors are only human and equally suffer from the good and the bad as every service provider, vocation or post has, from Road Sweeper to Judge!
The BIG problem is where a service can have a significant or critical or even terminal effect on our wellbeing, and unfortunately some in the medical profession still seem to think that their 'craft' warrants elite status, ever since the early 1900s.
This may seem harsh critisism, but you only need to review the attitude of the GMC in regards to properly reviewing complaints and introducing controls to make sure their members are competant practitioners and are up-to-date with latest techniques.
The lack of action, or adoption of proper controls has been highlighted by many emminent people (and some GPs) over quite a few years, yet the GMC appear still to do very little or nothing for the benefit of our society, only for benefiting their members.
...and it is a 'closed shop'! Some Local Health Trusts/Authorities it seems would rather not act effectively on some serious complaints with significant potential harmful ramifications to their patients as seen in this documentary. The 'weasel' words of senior management when interviewed just reinforce where their allegance is!
I for one am disgusted at their self-serving attitude I believe that there should be a new impartial body appointed to control the profession, but all attempts so far have failed.
The only saving grace is that there are still some 'gems' as GP's, doctors and other medical specialists out there, some who are prepared to 'blow the whistle' on others that don't perform. Unfortunately in these cases, the 'whistle blowers' suffer for ther actions, even losing their jobs - yet Govt said they encourage 'whistle blowers' but do nothing to protect them.
So it is down to us, the public!
Unless we are stalwart enough to fight for our rights and formally complain when things are not what they should be, rather than keep quiet, not much will change!
The program seemed to suggest that this process was non-existant, and that is simply not true. A huge amount of work has been done by many colleges, including the college of GPs, which will enable them to be assessed. The system will not be perfect in its initial iteration, mainly because the amount of information that needs to be collected by the individual doc is enormous and currently the systems available don't provide extraction of that data. Also producing objectivised measures of performance are not as easy as many of you may think.
One thing that I must correct is that it isn't down to the public and doctors as a whole are not self-serving or without insight about this fact, remember many of us have our own doctors who we must trust to treat us. There is some resistance, mainly from the older school docs, about this process of revalidation, but it will be compulsory. In my speciality, we have tried to make it as objective as possible and tried to ensure that the data required is a by-product of the surgeon's routine practice, but also will capture serious adverse events AND also takes into consideration the multiple medical conditions affecting our (often elderly) patients that can have an effect on outcomes.
It's not easy, but we've made huge progress and it will be rolled out in the next year. Already we are encouraging the collection of such data and already more rigorous appraisal is happening up and down the country.
I do and don't trust my GP. I don't trust anybody easily, had too many bad experiences with people in positions of power over me. I DO like and respect her, and appreciate how well she understands my situation and works with me as a partner in trying to minimise my medical problems and maximise my quality of life. She's also tactless, bossy and sometimes spectacularly grumpy. She's retiring next spring. 
I have two main GP's that i always end up visiting.
1) Guy in his late 60's, proper old school. Always shakes my hand, very polite, to the point and has a very sharp memory. For example he asked me about a work project i had discussed with him 12 months previously. Considering the amount of people he must see, very impressive. His methods of diagnosis are also old school, he uses experience and wisdom, all in all a brilliant guy. I once bumped into him while shopping and he even stopped and askedhow i was and if the medication had worked etc. Amazing.
2)Guy in his late 30's. A total moron. You get the impression that you really are ruining his day and wasting his time. Very vague answers, he uses Google! Yes Google while talking to you looking for an answer. My dad has also noticed this. He never seems to have time for you and you always walk away with a prescription that does not usually work. He just sits and stares at you and i am not convinced he is even listening to what i am saying to him. I avoid at all costs, but occasionally get lumbered with this one and promptly book another appointment with the other doctor
But in all i do have confidence in the GP's in general. Just another trade with good and bad apples!
1) Guy in his late 60's, proper old school. Always shakes my hand, very polite, to the point and has a very sharp memory. For example he asked me about a work project i had discussed with him 12 months previously. Considering the amount of people he must see, very impressive. His methods of diagnosis are also old school, he uses experience and wisdom, all in all a brilliant guy. I once bumped into him while shopping and he even stopped and askedhow i was and if the medication had worked etc. Amazing.
2)Guy in his late 30's. A total moron. You get the impression that you really are ruining his day and wasting his time. Very vague answers, he uses Google! Yes Google while talking to you looking for an answer. My dad has also noticed this. He never seems to have time for you and you always walk away with a prescription that does not usually work. He just sits and stares at you and i am not convinced he is even listening to what i am saying to him. I avoid at all costs, but occasionally get lumbered with this one and promptly book another appointment with the other doctor
But in all i do have confidence in the GP's in general. Just another trade with good and bad apples!
I can't remember the last time I went to see my GP. Many moons ago the guy there gave me the impression he didn't really know what was wrong and always seemed to prescribe the same medication regardless of what the problem was.
Since then a lot of my friends have become doctors, so the illusion of them being anything other than reasonably intelligent normal people has been dispelled. If anything is wrong with me now I always ask their advice before proceeding, at least I can be sure they will actually care and have my interests at heart. I usually find what they are best at is advising how to deal with others in the medical profession, making sure you are taken seriously and not messed about.
Since then a lot of my friends have become doctors, so the illusion of them being anything other than reasonably intelligent normal people has been dispelled. If anything is wrong with me now I always ask their advice before proceeding, at least I can be sure they will actually care and have my interests at heart. I usually find what they are best at is advising how to deal with others in the medical profession, making sure you are taken seriously and not messed about.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Interesting story, but actually complete bks, like much of the daily fail and the attention seekers that write articles for them.This woman had a choroidal melanoma, which I know much about, as it's an eye condition. She was treated perfectly adequately. She would not have been refused an mri on the basis they couldn't afford the contrast. That is just complete hysterical nonsense. Gadolinium which is the contrast medium does not cost much. It's given ALL the time and little cost and would not have been the reason for the radiologists refusing to do the mri.
She would also have been followed up closely and any liver tumours would have been detected with blood tests and scans. The fact she had to wait 6 weeks for an operation is not a big deal. She also says that she was being told to go away and die, which is a complete distortion of what was actually being said. She was wanting treatment despite being disease free, which is not tenable. Even if she had ongoing treatment, there is every chance the tumour would have returned to her liver.
She complains about not being given funding to pursue incredibly expensive treatments, but chooses not to discuss the success rates of these treatments. Yes, the NHS is rationed, and I have had to fight for my patients to get funding for expensive treatments (far cheaper than hers and far more efficacious). Unfortunately, there isn't an unlimited pot of money and before anyone says that taxation should cover it all, well it doesn't and it can't, hence the NHS needs to be reformed to encourage the private sector to provide services and the public to be incentivised to take private insurance policies, not punished as they were under Labour.
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