I Give Up With GPs

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More battles with my GP Surgery today which have left me incandescent with rage (not good for my Chronic Fatigue!). Firstly, they denied my request to have bloods taken at home as I'm supposedly not 'housebound'. There are no wheelchair accessible taxis in the area and no safe route from my house to the surgery (indeed, I can't use my wheelchair outside around here at all). The last GP I saw in person in the summer/autumn said my entitlement to home visits would be put on my record.

Then, I checked the forms for the various tests and my medical history was completely and utterly wrong and some of these errors stretch back YEARS. No wonder I haven't been signposted correctly over the last two years and referrals have been rejected. When I was teaching abroad, if I had been this incompetent and unprofessional repeatedly then I'd have been on a plane back home in an instant but these idiots are allowed to continually make mistakes and earn a huge amount of money in the process. It's sickening really. That's also ignoring the fact that they've left me to rot and if it is something like Guillain-Barré then I'm boned as quick intervention is key.

 

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There are a couple of doctor offices staff that do not update charts.

I print out what they have and give it to the doctor when I see him. Black Print and blue ink with corrections. I do not use a highlighter or red ink because they do not scan well for electronic records.

 

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You have every right to be out raged OUTRAGED but after a cool down period when you can use that intelligent capable mind you will gather the medical records correct the errors and get to a proper doctor either within or with out the system

 

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I am so sorry that you have experienced this, especially now. I continually find errors in my record and bring them to light only to find them repeated. All we can do is make them aware each time and sometimes they do correct them. If they are serious errors, make a big squawk and request to watch them change it on the computerized record. Best of luck, friend.

 

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@Sci_Fi_Fan

HI there.

Does your health insurance cover/offer medical transportation to-from Dr's appointments? some also offer Pharmacy trips too.

I'd call your Health insurance company and ask about transportation services. If they do offer the above mentioned services they're usually free of charge to you.

If offered this service They'll ask if you use mobility aids including a power/manual wheelchair, and a paratransit van-bus or a wheelchair accessable mini-van will come and get you.

All you need to tell the insurance customer service agent is you need to schedual medical transport , they'll ask what day/time your appointment is and the name of the Dr your appointment is with their city,state zip,phone number . the agent will ask if you need a 1 way trip or round trip transportation.
they'll ask if you'll be alone or someone going with you. Also in most cases 24-48 hours schedualing is required unless other arrangements are made in a shorter notices.

when you get scheduled for your appointment to get picked up, you should be ready at least 45mins to 1hour before your Dr's appointment as the driver might have to pickup other clients or drop them off at home or even to another appointment yes you can have multiple appointments in a day they just need to be scheduled accordingly.

the driver should give you a business card with a phone number to call when you're done , either the same driver will come and get you or a different driver will get you.

I've used this transportation service many times, I've also worked for a medical transport company so i know how things work it's all from experience.

 

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Can you get a new Doc? Or pound on the table at his boss? How about the secretary.
Trying to brainstorm.
I was on "home-care", once - IV antibiotics. Nurse was great, and we're 25 miles from town but have insurance besides Medicare.
Record keeping in Med industry apaulling. Glad you have access to see and supposedly correct. Is there an Ombudsman? There are some laws about access to Med records, and the Disability Act.
My Nurse-Practicioner spent time to get my Medicine List straightened out. We did it via Zoom. In Seattle area, my hospital had clinics scattered around for blood draws, other testing, not sure if any came to home.
In general, I have found Nurses better for that sort of thing.
Not having handicap taxi is a word I won't use, on here. There's a Senior Service with a van, though. Between the senior groups, Social Services, Vets, maybe other charities, is there one that can help you? American Legion here helps out non-members, sometimes, especially during this Pandemic. The Fraternal organizations can, maybe. Think the Moose, Elks, Eagles, etc.

There is a couple of wheelchairs and substitutes that can work better in a non-compliant house. One of the Vets in American Legion here, drives around in a narrower wheel chair. His apartment on ground floor, so is lucky. Grocery store has those electric carts, so does Home Depot. Used them. Bless them. But you have to be able to get there, as you know.
Used to work for a contractor who did Handicap Remodeling. Expensive; unless you own your own home, qualify for state assistance. Is that an option, or other Handicap provisions, available for you?
Here's hoping for you.

 

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Friends please look at the flag and see he is IN ENGLAND on public health care but hopefully some of your brainstorming will bring some ideas

 

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Thanks for the replies guys. It's more that my GP surgery is genuinely one of the worst in the country but the only one in my area. The receptionists (who are awful) refused to book me an appointment with a GP to discuss my incorrect medical history because it wasn't a relevant reason for an appointment apparently, even though I obviously need the correct info. on my forms. Getting an appointment is impossible because heaven forbid the GPs do any actual work.

Re transport options - the issue is that you can get transport to hospitals but not GP appointments and I've had huge issues with hospital transport - turning up an hour late, refusing to park outside my house etc.

I think the only real option is to contact my local MP and make a formal complaint via patient services. I've contacted a local patient support group for more advice.

 

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There you go being intelligent and proactive again!
This is not a quality solution for your here and now but certainly NECESSARY to address at he MP level.

In the meantime I don't know how but sure want you to get medical assistance both papers and practical NOW.
I have faith you will work that out.

 

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@Sci_Fi_Fan “incandescent with rage” - a sensation very appropriately described.

Does the NHS have a way to file an appeal or request a change of a GP? The errors in your record are appalling!

@thudson1965 Very clever, your record-keeping methodology.

@compwiz878 Except, he’s in England without insurance, and the NHS can be appalling!

@Sci_Fi_Fan What a terrible racket you’re going through!

@compwiz878 Nice post; I appreciate the information you’ve shared. I will tell my parents, and try to remember for myself as well, when the time comes!

 

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Thanks so much for the support guys. My initial post was more of just a rant but I feel better for getting it out! Have a consult today and hopefully things will be clarified. This place is amazing and a real lifeline!

 

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Get everything in writing to take home and get any previous medical records sent to this doctor

Glad you are continuing to be so proactive

 

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So I was very naive to think a consult would change anything. Spoke to a doctor who had no idea who I was and refused to change my medical history and said I'd need referrals to specialists to undiagnose me, even though my later autism diagnosis shows that mental health issues were misdiagnoses. They also had no clue about Long Covid/Chronic Fatigue.

I just give up. I've made a complaint to the NHS commissioning board and copied in the surgery. I pointed out a formal complaint against the doctor who ballsed up my first referral wasn't followed up and attached a copy of the email so hopefully that will be actioned now. I feel like I'm waging a war.

My GP surgery out in the country was less than stellar but referrals were quick and thorough, my condition was monitored and I was offered treatment (I opted to do it privately locally because the taxi fare would have been more than the private physio). Here you have to discuss deeply private medical issues with the receptionists to even get an appointment (something I've never had to do anywhere else) and indeed there's currently a policy of 'no appointments' so you have to fill out an online form you have to game as if you're too ill then you're told to go straight to hospital and if you're not ill enough you're told you don't need an appointment. It's completely laughable!

I'm also sick and tired of GPs banging on about how hard they work - as an ex-teacher, teaching's a 12 hour day minimum including planning etc. with no real breaks. We're expected to know our subject (and have a decent general knowledge) and here's the crucial thing - paid a lot, lot less. If I had been as incompetent as these doctors when I was teaching abroad, I'd have been put on a plane back pronto!

 

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Sick on your behalf.

 

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Good News & Bad News:

Good News: My benefits are finally through (hooray!) so I have some money coming in which will be a big help with buying incontinence supplies. The Long Covid clinic have agreed to not carry out any more tests as I've had a ton done already. I've been referred to the incontinence services so should get some free nappies although they appear to be less than stellar but good for those times that I'm between big changes i.e. after dinner and before bed. Should cut my costs considerably!

Bad News: The surgery refuse still refuse to register me as housebound. I had a visit from the Lead Care Navigator and said that because I could technically get out a) if I had a better powerchair [however, there is no wheelchair accessible route, even in an armoured tank!] and b) could find an accessible vehicle. However, to me that's a bit like saying that if I didn't have Long Covid I could run a marathon!

The Long Covid clinic is entirely virtual so no way of properly assessing or treating me. I did email back and quip that I am curious to see how they can do this and that the only logical conclusion is that they employ Jedi who use the Force to assess and treat people and so don't need to be there in person.

 

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Keep rattling those cages man!

A thought to bear in the back of one's mind is what is called the good Old boys network in American slang. That is that professional people often stick up to each other even if they don't know each other.
So your pressure on political parties overseeing your medical care may help but the doctors might be self insulted.

I lived in Henley on Thames for a year as a teen and am an avid reader and britbox fan, I have always been an amateur sociologist looking at patterns of cultural and group behavior do I have a little idea of the pomposity and systems of England. Home made just my own special brew.

 

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@Maymay941 Yeah, it's an institutional problem there and has been for years (so any excuses about the pandemic don't stack up). Whilst the admin staff seem to make it their life's work to be unhelpful, there were a couple of decent GPs here but they've left.

I think it boils down to structural issues with the healthcare system here, which is due to underfunding. The other Europeans nations have socialised healthcare but fund it properly.

 

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Most UK doctors are hiding at the end of a telephone I told mine I think I had covid 19 as I came out in a rash on my back and arms still have the rash on my back for 7 months later also told me told them I couldn't breath or taste or smell things headaches did blood test said it was not covid then I went to see a 2nd doctor a few weeks later she done test and it was covid

 

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@joanne777 Sorry to hear that! Yes, it's a real lottery here re medical treatment. Had a completely pointless urology appointment yesterday - no investigations, nothing and indeed nothing that couldn't have been done on the phone but I had to muck around with the dreaded G4S patient transport system. Hopefully if/when I get a better powerchair I'll never need to use them again!

 

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SCi_Fi_Fan your so right it is a lottery here at the moment in the UK as for patient transport it's a nightmare