Dealing with doctors — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

Dealing with doctors

cracker
cracker Community member Posts: 324 Pioneering
I had an appointment at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, an excellent hospital four hours away. It was for tomorrow.

Dartmouth clalled me today and said the doctor never sent in a referral. She had two weeks to do this. So no appointment tomorrow, and I need to see someone at Dartmouth.

I am amazed at how I have to keep a close eye on doctors. They forget to do what they say they will so often. 

Dealing with disability and getting proper treatment seems like a job sometimes.
«13

Comments

  • Firefly123
    Firefly123 Community member Posts: 530 Pioneering
    I agree having the same problem at the minute having to remind them why I'm there when it's them who told me to come back for steroid injections or whatever.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 58 Connected
    edited November 2018
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • gts
    gts Community member Posts: 13 Listener
    edited November 2018
    Yes my previous doctor is an [expletive removed by moderator] he wouldnt contact the specialist i was advised to see but i told him who do u think you are ? he soon changed his mind when he saw my reaction change ur doctor pal good luck.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @cracker Thanks very much for this. I know had issues with Doctors before.

    Looking at advocates. Someone to represent me.

    Had that a few times. Even had one advocate asking the Doctor in your situation a referral and reminding the Doctor to need that report.

    Had one time most Doctors treated me like a number and next before even sat down.

    Seven minutes. So tried writing it down and that worked then contacted advocates someone to sit in with me. Through mental health charity.

    There are several in this country.  Look on line.

    Appointment arrived and the Doctor it was all different got what I needed.  Listen to me and it was OK from then on.

    Especially later when support worker intervened as well.

    Understand every ones issues. One time I was a advocate to my former friends when they had an appointment went with them.  Many were disabled, mentally ill. 

    If I need an advocate can not get any body now ask my friend to attend . Ask some one who knows you to attend with you. More people in the surgery often has the effect because they can often tell the Doctor from a friends perspective how you are really.

    All of us do not really say what is wrong and often want to say but struggle to talk.

    Surgery were notified  that I was being in attendance and that changed the attitude of many.  Also say my friends is coming.  That helped as well.

    I know we are all adults and sensible members of our community. Not stupid or need to be holding hands but sometimes this is the only way.

    Hope that helps.

    Take care 

    @thespiceman
    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • gts
    gts Community member Posts: 13 Listener
    Hi thanks for the advice, my daughter is a specialist child nurse travelling around Gtr Manchester making sure the kids are ok & the things she tells me is heartbreaking ? UC paying all the rent money UC etc to claimant & drug addicts feeding their habits & the kids starving & cold & this is the UC approach to this CRAZY situation. She is contacting a welfare rights lady to see me & sort out all my queries & benefits ? i have a 37 week wait for my ESA tribunal & 45 weeks PIP mobility & my UC assessment coming up as there are thousands of appeals & few judges ? perhaps they should train more judges & reduce the 4 grand a week these assessors get paid it `s so unjust profit`s have quadrupled in 8 years ? sounds corrupt to me good luck pal.
  • topshoes
    topshoes Community member Posts: 442 Pioneering
    edited November 2018
    @gts and you can get pip if you are a alcholic too , and if you lie on your form and say you can not do this and that you get the high rate pip for both , i know what gos on and it makes me sick , they just want the money for beer
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    edited November 2018
    Hello @topshoes I totally disagree about your comments regarding alcoholism.

    Understand the criticism of the system.. That is your choice and view to express that.  but I am an reformed alcoholic been clean for eleven years.

    Was an alcoholic for thirty as well as drugs.

    This is a serious condition an actual disease. Alcoholism is classed by The World Health Organisation as such.

    Addiction is a serious illness and blights more than you think.  Effecting families and loved ones all over the Country. I myself have lost a lot friends due to addiction and it constantly haunts me so many  days.

    Took me eighteen months to come off because if you just stop. The body reacts causing firstly heart papultations, sweaty pallor and can disrupt the functions of the kidneys and all organs.

    So you need to come off slowly .  Understand also the body has itching, pain, bowel, bladder problems and issues.

    Which can be destressing to any body like me. Still have the constant need to go to the toilet . Drink eat anything like kidneys and bowels the urge to go all the time.

    I am free but have fear of relapse all the time. Stress, anxiety and depression all prevalent all the time the end result.

    Effects bones, weight I lost from 15 stone plus to a mere 7 stone.  Dietary needs had and did have blackouts, sleep problems, night mares. paranoid feelings.

     May I add any body can be an alcoholic.  There are limits per day what you are drinking.

    I thought I was not but was, after a stint in rehab. Now on here to support my brothers and sisters of the community. Especially those like myself.

    One of the team of community champions.

    Please take care 

    @thespiceman
    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • topshoes
    topshoes Community member Posts: 442 Pioneering
    Hi @ thespiceman first of all i was commenting on gts post what he said , second i married into a whole  family of them and he was one to , but i think we will not go down that road , glad you are all good now 
  • colindunne
    colindunne Community member Posts: 20 Connected
    I can totally understand people’s frustrations with doctors as I have had an horrendous experience with my previous doctor/surgery.As far as I’m concerned it is lying when they say they haven’t done anything wrong and keep denying it but hey ho when you prove it,it’s not deemed serious.Doctor prescribed my mother a incompatible drug for her and it caused her to have strokes,In the end she died on her fourth stroke but apparently it had nothing to do with her death,even though she had never had a stroke before.It turns out this drug has not been clinically trialled in this country but has in America.My mother had a mechanical heart valve and in America the trial was stopped because of strokes in people with that type of valve and in some cases death and stopped very quickly,how the hell did he not know this information and it turns out he asked a colleague but they still hadn’t picked up on the fact,so again in my view two doctors got it wrong!So after months of emails phone calls I finally got some answers and yes I was right all along she should never have been prescribed them.It ended with me having a meeting in London with the GMC,great I thought.How wrong I was!Whilst they found him negligent they asked me if there was anything I would like to ask.So I said yes and handed them 11 questions of which they answered  NONE!These doctors are really not held accountable why!He blatantly lied which is highly disturbing.I mention a bit more in my other post today but this has been such a stressful time all because he refused to admit his mistakes,all my mother wanted was an apology so he was the architect of his downfall (he has it permanently on his records)as it would not of gone that far if he had held his hands up. The point I would like to make is they make it so hard to question a doctor but if you have problems you have to persevere and be prepared for plenty of setbacks as the system is totally on the doctors side. I am still dealing with the legal side of it over 3 years later and 2 years since her death but have today received a letter from my not very good solicitor stating that the only the 15 days in hospital and a bit of dribbling was the only damage caused by the mistake,REALLY what about her inability to use her left arm properly and dropped face and the fact it has changed her energy levels to virtually nothing.Let alone the fact that it’s proven the risk of secondary strokes is greater after having your first stroke this has been completely ignored. I still have a massive fight to get the truth but will now do whatever I can to prove at the very minimum that his actions contributed to and speeded up her death.He thinks it’s all over but we will see.Good luck to anyone involved with problem doctors as you will need it but if you know you are right keep going I’m now getting to the interesting stage when I refuse any offer and refuse to except the outcome so hopefully I can get to court to get the truth. I am more than happy to help anyone (if I can).
  • topshoes
    topshoes Community member Posts: 442 Pioneering
    edited November 2018
    Hi @colindunne this is so sad  what i have read , you will always find  drs and nurses will always stick together dont matter what 
  • colindunne
    colindunne Community member Posts: 20 Connected
    Thanks topshoes it certainly does not fill you wth any confidence but my partner lost her partner 20 years ago due to serious medical negligence.Two doctors got struck off it was a massive case.But fortunately a nurse came forward and her evidence proved the case so there are some people who will be truthful thankfully.
  • topshoes
    topshoes Community member Posts: 442 Pioneering
     you are more then welcome @colindunne ,  any time you need to talk just give me a shout ,  yes its so bad when they do not face up to what they done, they know alright ,its a sad old world , and i bet all this has took over your life  too , 
  • colindunne
    colindunne Community member Posts: 20 Connected
    You are so right about overtaking my life it’s totally consumed me and trying to deal with my own personal battle is exhausting thanks for listening and replying.
  • patriciahendy
    patriciahendy Community member Posts: 20 Courageous
    Are the assessors really getting 4 grand a week?
  • topshoes
    topshoes Community member Posts: 442 Pioneering
    edited November 2018
    i do understand, any time 
  • topshoes
    topshoes Community member Posts: 442 Pioneering
    edited November 2018
    @patriciahendy i can not see that can you , what makes you say that 
  • Topkitten
    Topkitten Community member Posts: 1,285 Pioneering
    I have had all sorts of problems with doctors.

    The most common is to be misdiagnosed initially with crumbling spine as they only read the one line description and not the rest of my notes and this has also led to a lot of "being over-medicated" comments. I have had a senior partner refuse to talk to me and no other doctor would treat me either because of his seniority. On 2 occasions I have tried to start the complaints procedure only to find my letter ignored and to be kicked off their list (de-registered). I have even had a doctor shout and swear at me and then slam the phone down and then follow that up by claiming to the Practice Manager that it was me that acted that way. I have been given lectures by doctors and Practice Managers and currently have a PM who refuses to discuss medical issues at all. I've had referrals done to wrong departments or not done at all or for the wrong type of treatment (such as my recent referral for an OT assessment which was turned down as they don't treat long term conditions?). My current surgery just reports a busy signal when telephoned 6-7 hours a day. I have had promised call-backs forgotten and referrals for GP treatment sent by 111, A&E and ambulance crews ignored. I've even had a doctor refuse to discuss medication (just mumbling in response to my requests) for 6 months because he didn't want to tell me he would refuse to raise it further. I have had a senior partner refuse to change me from the maximum Tramadol dosage (highly addictive) to opiate patches because it was "against his principles to put anyone on addictive medication".

    GP's make a general diagnosis of a condition and then follow a set procedure (never varying it by observed results) to treat it (like following a script). They will only vary things if results point to an incorrect initial diagnosis (though most will NEVER admit such a thing). Almost none will make the effort to properly follow up medication changes, poor reactions or other problems.

    Doctors expect to be given complete respect disregarding completely that respect and trust are earned and not given. Many junior doctors are like teenagers and always assume they are right, if they haven't heard of it then it doesn't exist and will never research the situation.

    You name a bad situation and doctors will do it and cover up for each other if things go wrong and are not averse to putting complete fabrications onto patient records to support their pov.

    TK
    "I'm on the wrong side of heaven and the righteous side of hell" - from Wrong side of heaven by Five Finger Death Punch.
  • topshoes
    topshoes Community member Posts: 442 Pioneering
     @topkitten so sorry to hear this , got to say you have been through it aright ,shame they do not go back to pen and paper like many years back , and you just have one dr who knows every think about you .
  • Topkitten
    Topkitten Community member Posts: 1,285 Pioneering
    Too many patients reporting too many trivial problems and overloading even the best of surgeries, not that I would class my current one as being even competent,

    TK
    "I'm on the wrong side of heaven and the righteous side of hell" - from Wrong side of heaven by Five Finger Death Punch.
  • topshoes
    topshoes Community member Posts: 442 Pioneering
    @Topkitten lol i know what you mean far to well up drs and hospital ,

Brightness