How to get treatment?

seven-day-weekend

fred246 wrote: »

I am going to stick my neck out here. I don't think these several visits to the GP actually happened. He was given gaviscon and anti-histamines by his GP. A second doctor on holiday gave antibiotics and said he needed a referral by his own doctor. The patient never went back to his GP. Months of neglect later his wife decides he needs urgent treatment and blames the GP. They still don't actually see the GP. She sees cash as the only way to jump the queue but there was no need to be in that situation in the first place.

How dare you suggest the visits never happened. I do not tell lies and totally resent the implication that I have done so.

My husband saw the GP (as well as on the previous occasions I have mentioned) on Thursday 24th October for a referral letter, saw the Consultant the day after at 7.30 pm, visited the surgery yesterday for a referral letter to the Consultant's NHS list (although he may still chose to go privately) .

And yes, he paid to jump the queue for the Consultant as he free to do in this country.

fred246

What was happening at the visits? I assume you got a referral as the holiday doctor had suggested?

seven-day-weekend

fred246 wrote: »

What was happening at the visits? I assume you got a referral as the holiday doctor had suggested?

He saw another Dr in our practice on October 18th, and asked him for a referral, he was told to have a chest X-ray first, which he did and then saw our own Dr, after the results had come back, on Tuesday 24th October, when he got the referral letter, but decided to go privately (for which he still needed the letter) and saw the consultant the following day.

I notice that as well as questioning my honesty, you have also made some cryptic remark about teachers and their ability.

Do you have some sort of problem with Teachers or with myself?

fred246

You said the problem had existed for months. Was the GP refusing to refer you? Was he refusing to prescribe anything except gaviscon and antihistamines?

seven-day-weekend

fred246 wrote: »

You said the problem had existed for months. Was the GP refusing to refer you? Was he refusing to prescribe anything except gaviscon and antihistamines?

No he did not refuse to refer. A referral was first mentioned by the Dr he saw in Wales on 6th October, after that my husband made the visits I have mentioned above regarding the referral.

His condition was present for months before that and our own Dr never mentioned a referral during that time, despite my husband making several visits. My husband asked for one after the Welsh Dr had recommended it.

And I repeat, what exactly is your problem with me and/or teachers?

seven-day-weekend

I have come to the conclusion that it is our expectations that are the defining matter here. We assumed that our Doctor would have recommended a referral, inot that my husband would have to ask for one.

fred246

On the first visit he was given gaviscon & antihistamines. What happened on the next visits? I assume your husband said they aren't working. Did the doctor just say "go away"? What happened at those visits?

seven-day-weekend

fred246 wrote: »

On the first visit he was given gaviscon & antihistamines. What happened on the next visits? I assume your husband said they aren't working. Did the doctor just say "go away"? What happened at those visits?

The Dr gave him the gaviscon on one visit and the antihistamines on another visit and on another told him to carry on taking them. After a couple of other visits he prescribed some tablets which turned out to be the correct treatment but this was after months and the referral procedure had already started.

He saw the Dr about five or six times for about three months before the referral procedure started.

fred246

I only made the comment about teachers to make you realise that NHS doctors are the same ones as private ones just as teachers in private schools are the same as teachers in state schools. You can have the added assurance that most doctors in the private sector are just there for the cash so you are more likely to be offered a procedure or operation. Why would you opt to pay a fortune for a procedure when the same procedure is free on the NHS? salmon sandwiches afterwards?

Katiehound

fred246 wrote: »

I only made the comment about teachers to make you realise that NHS doctors are the same ones as private ones just as teachers in private schools are the same as teachers in state schools. You can have the added assurance that most doctors in the private sector are just there for the cash so you are more likely to be offered a procedure or operation. Why would you opt to pay a fortune for a procedure when the same procedure is free on the NHS? salmon sandwiches afterwards?

Maybe because you want the GP to realise that there is a very real problem and you are prepared to pay up to get the condition assessed by a consultant because your concerns are not being taken seriously enough?

and in this part of the world you would be fortunate indeed to see a real live GP. I kid you not. 2 replacement knees (on the NHS) with a 6 month gap in between and I haven't actually seen a GP!(I have spoken with a couple on the phone) so, I have seen the consultant many many times more both at clinic and on the ward.