Re: The Demise Of The Family Doctor?
What do you think about this then, Ted.
Earlier in the year I kept getting chest pains, or perhaps it would be more accurate to describe it as 'discomfort.'
After a battle with the surgery's receptionist, she finally arranged for a GP to ring me back later that day.
When he rang, he told me to go to A & E and ask for an ECG.
So off I went.
l when I got there and was finally called in after a couple of hours waiting, the hospital doc was very sharp with me, and asked what I was doing there, and why had I gone, and seemed quite annoyed.
I was upset enough as it was without her being so ratty with me.
I said would she please not have a go at me as I didn't just drift in off my own bat - I was sent!
Her reply was . . . " What are these doctors doing all day? They are perfectly capable of giving an ECG themselves!"
Not my flipping fault though!
I have since heard of other cases the same. It seems the hospitals are not happy with so many docs sending patients off to busy A&E's when they should be dealing with these patients themselves.
Fortunately I was ok after various tests.
Then a few months later, I hurt my back. I was sent for x-ray (again without GP seeing me).
The x-ray showed problems so I was referred for physio.
Physio rang me to make an appointment to ring me back to make an appointment! (True).
When they rang the second time, they told me they would send me some back exercises to my mobile phone!
I asked how the hell was anyone going to see i was doing them correctly and safely over the phone???
It's an ongoing saga still . . . . .