It’s Official - being a pushy patient is good for you
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Professor David Haslam, Chairman of the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said on 2 October 2014 that NHS patients should adopt American attitudes and become more assertive to ensure they get the treatment they need. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph he said that too many patients were not being offered medications already approved by NICE and that they should become more knowledgeable about their conditions and ask for dugs which should be prescribed for them
2 likes, 23 replies
fiona51388 Oregonjohn-UK
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Oregonjohn-UK fiona51388
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EileenH Oregonjohn-UK
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My daughter was assertive with the consultant who said her daughter had laryngeal dysfunction which was causing her asthma (she doesn't) and was non-compliant with medication (she isn't, mum is a nurse) and wrote an action plan for admission which brought her to resus at least twice and she nearly died - but the consultant has now chucked my daughter out because of her requests for correct care. Not much loss - but the local hospital consultant admits he doesn't know what to try next. The prognosis is bleak - so we're hoping for the Brompton - but they live in Scotland.
Communication, communication, communication!
fiona51388 EileenH
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fiona51388
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Oregonjohn-UK EileenH
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EileenH Oregonjohn-UK
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Just recently I've seen a load of posts where doctors are questioning the patient's pain levels. OK, some people do lay it on a bit - but to tell me that post op or in PMR "you can't have pain because others don't" is downright rude.
EileenH
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Very apposite I think.
fiona51388 EileenH
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BettyE fiona51388
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jane0118 EileenH
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I have reduced the Pred to 12.5 after 6 weeks on 15mg and I am ok but not brilliant,have some pain in my hips but no stiffness.
Anyway enough about me. If your granddaughter has bad asthma, then get her to the Brompton. They run 10 asthma clinics a week and the waiting time when we were referred 4 years ago was 11 days! My son had a life threatening attack because the house officer did not follow the instructions of the senior reg and give IV steriods so my son's SATs got down to 85% and he ended up on IV aminophlyn in HDU.
The team at the Brompton are fantastic and look for causes of asthma - my son's triggers are house dust mites, viral infection and grass pollen. We have a treatment plan and have not been in hospital since he started under the care of the Brompton. Prof Bush and the team are fantastic. Have a look at the hospital's website under childhood asthma.
misdiagnose Oregonjohn-UK
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EileenH misdiagnose
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You assume wrongly: I think you will find that there are several of both USA and UK patients and, as far as I know, all the UK patients are NHS patients. There are one or two who have themselves paid to see a rheumatologist privately when they had problems with GPs or a rheumy who wouldn't listen. One lady I know was covered by company private health insurance but the others were added to their rheumatologist's NHS list after the first consultation which is a common practice by good consultants.
Both US members and NHS members have difficulty getting correct treatment for PMR. In both cases it is usually lack of knowledge on the part of a GP about PMR that causes the initial problem - and then it compounds. I had 5 years of no pred PMR because the GP I usually saw didn't know PMR can occur without raised bloods and the clinical picture is paramount. When I saw a different GP in the practice she knew all about that. I hadn't seen her before as she was part time and had been on maternity leave. That's why I often suggest seeing a different member of your practice - it can make a big difference even with a 10 min appointment. For many of the US patients too the system is not so different - as anyone who has had to use medicaid or the free clinics will attest. If you have no money in the USA you are far worse off than someone in the UK, however poor the service at your local GP may be.
They aren't "trained to come up with this nonsense" - it is managers who run the practices attempting to make more appointments available. Unsuccessfully it would appear. Some doctors happily spend a bit longer with the patient who needs it - and profit because the patient only comes once not having to come repeatedly to get an answer. To a great extent it is a result of patients demanding an appointment and that it should be on time. Here, also a state run system, I have to turn up and wait my turn as do the rest of the patients - I can find anything from walking straight in to waiting an hour and a half. No one cares, we know when it needs more than 10 mins we will get it too. We also have small co-pays for everything other than seeing the GP - a 15 euro fee dissuades people turning up at A&E for a plaster for a cut or because they have a cold. You are exempt these if you have a small income so, again, no-one is denied treatment when it is necessary on finance grounds.
misdiagnose Oregonjohn-UK
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Nefret misdiagnose
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My medical history is now a complicated one and although I have moved home, areas and GP's in that time I am still satisfied with my care and the routine attention I get.