DAILY MAIL ARTICLE ON PMR/GCA

Think I might be declining the GP personally! What on earth is the matter with saying \"I don't know for sure - but I'm sure I know a man who does\".

My optician was telling me about a \"colleague\" who saw a lady with eye-symptoms and sat on it for 24 hours - she lost the sight in that eye, the other is compromised and he is in trouble. My chap ignores the rest of his list if a patient calls and describes anything that could be construed to be GCA - they are seen immediately and if there is anything to concern him they are sent to the local eye department 15 miles away (by taxi if they don't have anyone to take them) with a phone call from him to the person that matters before they get there. He's a gem - only an optician because the research he started out with after qualifying wasn't reliable enough in terms of income to start a family and he promised himself he'd buy any toys he fancied. I got retinal photos (no extra charge) as soon as they appeared - I trust him not to get it wrong.

I haven't read the letter yet - will go and look and see if I can find it. The only thing Scurr should have added was go to A&E - you might wait 4 hours but that's peanuts and they will find an eye specialist who'll get it right quicker than the GP will by the time you've waited for an appointment with him.

Poor lady, that sounds dreadful. How on earth can a GP be so irresponsible. It sounds as though he's just brushing her aside due to her age, we need to set Granny Moss on to him/her :yikes:

Lizzie

After reading the article I did write to Dr Scurr, although it does say that no personal correspondence will be entered into. However, I took a chance as I was just wondering if they were able to pass on information about the forum, support groups, DVD etc to the lady in question, mentioning that the forum advice to anyone posting in her predicament would be to go immediately to A&E. It's obviously possible that the lady in question may not have internet access but I did also add that 'phone contact with support groups was also available. I just hope that this poor lady gets help sooner rather than later!

Have just read the article.

Hair loss. Maybe the steroids? Mine certainly got thinner first time but not this.

Red spots. Perhaps bruising. Steroids again? Fragile skin was something I was warned to expect and most days there are marks on my arms and if I bump into a piece of furniture, you'd think I'd been mugged. No real damage done as yet and heal quicker now only on 6.5.

What's this \"Your doctors declined \" ( a referral )?

I wonder if she'd have been fobbed off if she'd been one of his private patients. By the sound of most of us on here we'd not have taken taken that lying down but if anyone IS a bit shy/timid, take someone with you.

A political thought... Will the \"reforms\" make this sort of story more or less common? If we can take our custom elsewhere then maybe this sort of doctor will think twice. On the other hand, if he has control of all that cash, he might be even more unwilling. It will still be up to us to fight our corner and to support those who lack the confidence to do so.

A bit late to join in but read the following, It will be interesting to see if it is posted in the comment section.

\"In my humble opinion, Dr Scurr has treated this query lightly.

GCA whilst not life threatening needs to be treated as though it was a stroke or heart attack – in other words as an emergency.

If not diagnosed and treated quickly, it can lead to partial or total loss of sight and once this happens it is irreversible.

How do I know, I am a GCA patient, who was lucky. The RNIB has quite a few members who were not treated promptly.

Currently there is no known cause or cure and neither PMR or GCA have a high profile. This situation must be altered and the profile of both raised.

How was my attention drawn to this article, a reader who googled and found PMR&GCA UK North East Support a registered Charity. We directed her to the BSR Guidelines on Diagnostics and Procedures for both GCA and PMR.

The lady is on her way to the nearest A&E armed with the information.

Chair PMR&GCA UK North East Support.\"

Yes, I got out of my pram again :steam: and this emotion shows just why. I make no apologies and take no prisoners when it comes to GCA.

I, after reading this post, went and read the page on the Internet and was absolutely horrified and I am new to this disease :roll:

Thank goodness one of you lovely ladies took control....... why on earth do many of our medics not know or understand these things.

I KNOW ..... as a patient obviously.... so one would hope our doctors would too...... extremely worrying :roll: :roll:

Thank you Lizzie Ellen....I can admit in having won over Anglia Water. Shamed them in The local paper (had the photographer take the picture of the large water leek in the street...) Repairs done in the same day !..Resolved a problem with Sainsbury's...They are really nice to me !..I supposed they dread my E.mails.....After they deliver my groceries (shop on line) they send me an e.mail, but also, the manager of the store telephones me to check that the order is all OK ! :wink: Told them I did not want vouchers,to pacify me, I liked better service !....Told them I have Tesco pestering me on line, Asda, and Waitrose, and I am 5 minutes walk from The Co-op and M&S.... :wink: .Local Green Councellor called, and I told him : the Road is a wonderful example of a Victorian St. With all the large Terraced houses, and that the trees were a necessary part of it. So, The next day, the missing tree has been replanted... :P .I really enjoy fighting the good fights, but always with a smile and a small,ever such a tiny sense of humour with a double edge.......This is because I have reached that age, when I remember Giles Grandma....and it is a lot of good fun !....... :wink: Granny Moss :oops: :evil: 8)

Hello All

I read the Mail before the postings as I have been out all day and I was shocked and stunned and very grateful for my own Dr !!

I agree with Mrs K I think the Mail Dr treated the other Dr lightly but with litigation etc if he said well you could lose your sight etc ????? As for refusing a referral !!! and it sounds as if no monitorring at all and possibly because of her age being ignorred

I have a great Optician who many years ago spotted my mothers Glaucoma ( not noticed by other Opticians )!! when she was on the verge of losing sight in one eye sent her straight to the eye hospital Later a hospital Dr stopped her drops said stop everything !! when changing heart medication and I had to get my Optician to phone her eye specialist to phone the hospital as stopped for even a day could have lead to real damage !! I am checked every year for Glaucoma My Optician was the first one in the country to have the eye mapping machine and spotted a few people with diabetes and one of his receptionists (20s) with dangerously high cholestral

The Mail are the only people who have mentioned PMR/GCA even if sometimes they dont get all the facts right !!

Best wishes

Mrs G

Hi \"Girls\"......what a pity we aren't all politicians....we could rule the world with \"girl\" power :wink:

I read the article and was shocked that a GP would not automatically refer this lady to a specialist, regardless of her age....is this \"ageism\" in the surgery??? My late father developed PMR at age 79...3 years before he died, but he was treated in pretty much the same manner as I have been, diagnosed at 51, so the age of the patient should not be a factor :?

Unfortunately, there are good and bad GP's in every practice and many people are still loathe to query their family doctor...particularly the older and more vunerable patients.

Did anyone notice that on the same page there was another article on Vitamin D regarding the severely low levels in a sample group who all thought they were perfectly fine??? Makes interesting reading aswell and I think I will be reducing my sun-screen for the family from now on as I always insisted that they wear a minimum of factor 30 :roll:

Damned if you do and damned if you don't....all very confusing :wink:

best wishes to all, Pauline.

Dublin Ireland

This site (scroll down and look under Vit D) discussed this lack of Vit D weeks ago. Eileen H did a sterling job on researching facts and figures.

You can read a full article on Vit D posted on the usual website under Health and Wellbeing.

Here is an extract before you stop using sun screen altogether.

\"apart from not getting enough sun (which is 20 minutes per day – without slip, slap, slop)\"

So slip slap slop after the 20 minutes or sooner if you begin to burn.

As my Mother used to say 'all things in moderation'. I now realise there is truth in old sayings somewhere, it just needs to be dug out and not forgotten.

[quote:c25e0b995e]In my humble opinion, Dr Scurr has treated this query lightly.

[/quote:c25e0b995e]

And in mine,too, MrsK.

The sad truth is that with a very few, very honourable exceptions, professionals' first consideration is loyalty to their colleagues. The client's best interest takes second place. Bad enough when just money is at stake...but health??...justice?

There was a very interesting interview on Newsnight, last evening; legality versus morality. The young man on the side of morality held his own very well. BettyE

As a young schoolgirl, in Italy, Mussolini's ? youth (the future of the Country...) We were sent during summer school holidays, to stay for a month, either at the seaside, or the mountains, and well fed and looked after. We were made to do gimnastics, in our shorts (topless, as we were well under ten...) in the sunshine, but NEVER after 11am - until 3 pm, when we had lunch and then siesta under the pine trees on blankets on the grass. So, Sunshine yes, but NEVER after 11 am until 3 pm. That was the rule. And always with a white cotton hat on. I still observe this rule, when we have our rare very hot summer days, and hoping that I can soak a lot of VIT D.. :P I am taking a supplement of it, with Vit A and also two tabs of Calcium a day. Given some more blood at the hospital this morning :cry: If this goes on, I shall be like a pincushion soon.... :roll: Had some pain in my hands, this morning, woke up at 4 am with it, and just burst into tears. Had a good cry, and husband made a lovely cup of tea. Thinking how lucky I have him still here with me.For as long as it takes.......Granny Moss :artist: