Maxwell Straker

Had a fairly bad cough now for about a week. I will spare you the worst of the details but it does include things being coughed up. I do not want to bother my GP with a simple cold so think that it will pass. Today was the last straw however so I decided to call.

I get through to my doctors secretary and she insists I tell her my symtoms and that I call back after 2pm. Great I think, health care by proxy.

2pm comes and I call back and get the following conversation:

MS (i.e. me!!) - Hello, I called earlier

Secretary - Yes sir, the doctor thinks you have Bronchitis!!!!!

MS - Fair enough (I have had this before)..........long pause.......well, did the doctor say I was to take anything?

Secretary - Yes, he is willing to prescribe you some antibiotics but he doesn't think they will work!!!!

MS - Oh!!!, well what does he think will work?

Secretary - He hasn't said

MS - Oh?

MS - well I might as well take the antibiotics then

Secretary - Good, we thought you would say that so have the prescription ready for you to pick up this afternoon.


Long live the national health service. Maybe if I was 75 and hadn't made my will yet I could have been seen. I think Dr Shipmans patients got more personal care than this

Chip

How can a doctor diagnose brochitis without even seeing you. You should not have to tell the receptionist what is wrong with you or your symptoms. Its got bugger all to do with her. She has no right to even ask you.

I too had been diagnosed by a doc looking at previous notes and diagnosing something completely wrong. Was told I had nothing to worry about then ended up in hospital having an op after I insisted on personally seeing a different doctor straight away.

So if your not happy let them tell your doc and insist on seeing him personally.

my symptoms were minor but if I hadnt made a fuss and got sorted could have led to a lifetime of problems.

Another guy I work with was also told over the phone he was suffering from heartburn as he had had this before. Two weeks later ended up in hospital having half his stomach taken away due to a tumour. His insistence on seeing someone saved his life.

Rant over.


Chip.

Funkii Munkii

Antibiotics are more trouble than they are worth, my girlfiend was on them for a year after suffering maleria in India, her immune system is now slaughtered, due to the antibiotics, and she now suffers from IBS which dramatically reduces the types of food she can eat, no wheat, no yeast,(both found in virtually all food stuffs) no dairy, all because she was wrongly prescribed antibiotics (she should only have been on them for a month max), doctors find it all too easy to prescribe antibiotics just for the sake of it, I for one would refuse them everytime, they cause more problems than good.
Whats the point in calling your doctor they can only see you in two weeks usually or they try to diagnose over the phone!!! Someone pointed out on a thread yesterday how well the Labour party werent doing re policing and crime, how about the NHS as well, what do you expect from a government whose three main players Blair, Prescott and Brown all loath each other and want all the toys in the toy box for themselves. Politics - bag o 5hite!!