Really bad experiences with GP surgery

OP

Original post by sophiehickman

your right the issue should of been addressed properly at the clinic, and its terrible the way you were treated.
If i was you i would put in a formal complaint to the surgery and see what is done about it, i wouldn't change surgery's but i would say if anything like this issue occurs again then i would consider changing after that.
Hope this helped

Thank you.

Reply 82

Original post by Anonymous

Everyone at times has a genuine need to see a doctor, whether a hypochondriac or not.

Your needs are being met; you are seeing a doctor twice a week. The nurse on the phone obviously didn't know this information and advised you as she would advise anyone else who doesn't go to your level of appointments. I'm sure for sickness and vomiting (which isn't something you should see a doctor for anyway), you could have waited a few days until your next set appointment. Go to bed, have a hot water bottle and a hot drink, stay off your feet, etc. What is it you expect to have done to you at these appointments? Why do you go there if nothing is actually going to happen whilst you are there?

Reply 83

OP

Original post by Pectorac

If nothing works, what is it you expect your GP to do in 2 or 3 appointments a week?

I dont know. It was her idea, not mine. I didnt push for it.

Reply 84

Original post by Anonymous

I dont know. It was her idea, not mine. I didnt push for it.

She doesn't want to see you twice a week. She gives you two appointments a week because she is being nice to you, because she thinks she's keeping you happy. She is not forcing you to go to these appointments and you can just tell the receptionist that this arrangement is now pointless and you don't need these set appointments any more, and cancel them.

Reply 85

OP

Original post by Pectorac

Your needs are being met; you are seeing a doctor twice a week. The nurse on the phone obviously didn't know this information and advised you as she would advise anyone else who doesn't go to your level of appointments. I'm sure for sickness and vomiting (which isn't something you should see a doctor for anyway), you could have waited a few days until your next set appointment. Go to bed, have a hot water bottle and a hot drink, stay off your feet, etc. What is it you expect to have done to you at these appointments? Why do you go there if nothing is actually going to happen whilst you are there?

She gives me five minutes, which isn't enough time to diagnose a condition.

Reply 86

Original post by Anonymous

She gives me five minutes, which isn't enough time to diagnose a condition.

With a medical degree and years of qualified medical experience behind her, diagnosing a stomach bug takes a few seconds, which is what you have. Do you expect a barrage of tests like blood cultures, swabs, an ECG, EKG, MRI, CT scan, etc?

Reply 87

parentlurker

Original post by Anonymous

Everyone at times has a genuine need to see a doctor, whether a hypochondriac or not.

Of course - but you have to learn to recognise yourself that you panic if you have any sort of symptom and therefore need to ask yourself if you have to call 111 or see a doctor immediately or if you can wait until the next day to phone/ a day or two to see if things improve. If you have to phone 111 give them all the relevant information, including that you suffer froom health anxiety. On this occasion it doesn't seem that you had a genuine need of a doctor's help, you simply needed reassurance.

Can I suggest that you get a magnesium oil spray and some epsom salts. When you suffer from anxiety about any form of pain put some epsom salts in a warm bath and soak for 15 minutes while repeating this will pass. If you are not able to take a bath use the spray on bare skin. Magnesium is an excellent remedy for both pain and anxiety.

Reply 88

BeanofJelly

Original post by Anonymous

I am a hypochondriac. Does that mean that the clinic shouldn't provide a basic service when I am genuinely ill?
Health anxiety is very stigmatized compared to other mental illnesses. Its not something I can easily control.

I thought this might be the case. Usually arrangements where a patient only sees one doctor are made for a reason, hypochondriasis being one.

The thing is that arrangement to only ever see a single doctor is a lot about your own anxiety and receiving the best treatment for you.

Hypochondriacs who are not identified and see many different doctors can end up being subjected to too many different opinions and investigation, causing them physical and mental harm (worsens the anxiety).

This is probably why your practice has made a "one doctor only" policy for you. Please bear in mind they have also set up your very regular appointments to help control you anxiety and keep you at ease (and check your symptoms and physical health).

(EDIT: This policy is to prevent you from making numbers of appointments which are totally out of control, disturbing your life and the running of the practice - whilst maintaining the regular appointments to ensure your physical, and to an extent mental, health. Your assessment of your GP as wanting to profit from you is likely to be very unfair and inaccurate. If she wanted to profit from you then she could have left things as they were, with you having an appointment almost every day. Your current arrangement is much better for you and the practice, even if sometimes you feel very uncomfortable not being able to have an appointment straight away. I really want to reassure you that this is tried and tested with hypochondriac patients, who can otherwise be very difficult to look after well. Your GP has not made any arrangement which is unusual or particular to her. I cannot imagine there is a financial or other personal incentive for her to make this arrangement - it is one that is known to be helpful for patients who suffer intractable health anxieties such as yourself. I'm afraid that threatening to leave the practice will not grant you any leverage. You would be better discussing your concerns in a non-confrontational way and making a plan with your GP. Your anxiety will make it very hard for you to ever feel happy and completely reassured by any medical care anywhere, the more likely outcome is that you may always be driven to seek more and more, and could end up moving constantly between practices. Losing the steady relationship with a GP who understands you and your symptoms/concerns, will be less good for your anxiety, and less safe for your physical health too. You should try to weigh these things up before you make any decision.)

Given your hypochondriasis, and that NHS direct have only advised you see the GP, I really strongly imagine this problem can wait until your next appointment and that that would be best for you. Perhaps you could ask to speak to another GP at the practice on the telephone to reassure you that this is the case?

There is still no excuse for the receptionist being rude to you. If you feel that she was, you should complain about that. It might be helpful for you to discuss all of this with the GP you usually see anyway, whether you want to complain or not. Perhaps it would help you to make future contingency plans together should something like this happen again. For example, another GP to be your "back up" GP.

EDIT:
I don't want to patronise you, but your health anxiety itself may be making it difficult for you to have perspective on how best your health anxiety can be managed, if that makes sense? The approach which helps to manage the anxiety best, is probably exactly that which you are inclined to feel may miss the health conditions you are worried about having. That is - trying really hard only to see one doctor, avoiding tests which you don't need, etc. If it is any reassurance, to me it sounds as though your GP is managing you in a very standard and considered way, which I have seen with lots of patients who have health anxiety. This approach will still be looking after your physical health, though you may not feel that way. You are right that your problem is stigmatised and under no circumstances should staff be rude to you, but some may find it difficult to understand where you're coming from.

Hope this helps. Apologies for the multiple edits.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 89

redferry

19

Original post by Anonymous

not in the sense that you have to pay anything to see a doctor. its run by a couple of doctors and they get a certain amount of money per patient. the doctor I see co-owns the surgery, so she can decide to see a patient on a regular basis if she wants to. you can even get a whole 5 minutes if youre lucky.

Again though, you might not get those regular appointments elsewhere. Or do you feel they aren't helping anyway?

Reply 90

Reece Sure

Original post by Anonymous

Something happened today which really takes the biscuit. Yesterday night I was sick, and I was advised by 111 to call the GP in the morning to make an urgent appointment. Because I'm a regular patient there is an agreement that I will be seen twice a week by the same doctor. I understood that if I was sick and needed an urgent appointment, I would still be seen, however when I called the receptionist said I was only allowed to see that doctor and she wasn't available today. She then practically accused me of making up my own sickness. she didn't give me an apt, not because there were no doctors available, but because it was me. I am very angry and upset about this. the staff are now not only being rude, they are being hostile.
what can I do about this? Should I wait until I see my doctor and tell them what happened, or should I just change surgeries? this isn't the first time I've been treated unfairly and I don't want to be in this situation again. I still feel sick and I will probably go to A&E for something that could have been addressed at the clinic.
I don't believe I can rely on them anymore when I'm ill but I wanted other people's opinion.

I can't help but wonder what warrants twice weekly visits to your GP?

Reply 91

Revenged

Original post by Anonymous

Well I thought it was implied that if I was physically unwell on other days of the week I could still see someone. But she only thinks of the money. ill tell her what happened and then I'll unregister unless she can guarantee that I will be seen when I am in need of medical help, unless they are already fully booked, which wasn't the case today.

i would be very careful regarding changing practice. i have never heard of someone having a one-to-one regular appointment twice a week. perhaps you have a small practice but most places you are lucky to get an appointment in 3 days, even if urgent.

Reply 92

OP

Original post by redferry

Again though, you might not get those regular appointments elsewhere. Or do you feel they aren't helping anyway?

I dont think its helpful to see a dr unless i actually need to. Theres not much they can do about my mental condition.

Reply 93

KanKan

11

Original post by Pectorac

Thousands of people in this country are sick every night and do not waste their GP's time. They have a hot drink, get over it and go to work in the morning.

You clearly missed the point of health anxiety. Your post is as effective as telling someone with depression to 'cheer up'.

Reply 94

Original post by KanKan

You clearly missed the point of health anxiety. Your post is as effective as telling someone with depression to 'cheer up'.

Health anxiety should be treated by a referral to a mental health nurse and continual appointments with them, not bi-weekly visits to a GP, then expecting more appointments. There's nothing the GP can physically do, because they are not mental health trained and cannot actually deal with health anxiety.

Reply 95

OP

Original post by parentlurker

Of course - but you have to learn to recognise yourself that you panic if you have any sort of symptom and therefore need to ask yourself if you have to call 111 or see a doctor immediately or if you can wait until the next day to phone/ a day or two to see if things improve. If you have to phone 111 give them all the relevant information, including that you suffer froom health anxiety. On this occasion it doesn't seem that you had a genuine need of a doctor's help, you simply needed reassurance.

Can I suggest that you get a magnesium oil spray and some epsom salts. When you suffer from anxiety about any form of pain put some epsom salts in a warm bath and soak for 15 minutes while repeating this will pass. If you are not able to take a bath use the spray on bare skin. Magnesium is an excellent remedy for both pain and anxiety.

It wasnt just for the reassurance. As i have said before i really was sick this time, with vomiting and cramps.

Reply 96

Original post by Anonymous

I dont think its helpful to see a dr unless i actually need to. Theres not much they can do about my mental condition.

Then why don't you permanently cancel your twice weekly appointments which are not useful, so you can make appointments when you feel you need them?

Reply 97

parentlurker

Original post by Anonymous

It wasnt just for the reassurance. As i have said before i really was sick this time, with vomiting and cramps.

Yes, but there is very little a gp can do about that except provide reassurance. So you have to learn to distinguish between those cases where a gp is needed (like vomiting blood needs investigation) and where it isn't a serious illness and they can't do anything except tell you that.

Reply 98

BeanofJelly