# Do you trust your GP



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

A few weeks ago grannie was feeling dizzy and feint, she also had a bit of a slur in her speech and trouble reading. I sugested to mum that she needed to see a doctor.
Doctor diagnosed vascular dementure and made a request for her to see a specialist..
Specialist diagnosed that she had probably had a stroke but was fine other than the headaches and dizziness

Yesterday she was taken into hospital .......Brain tumour

How competent are some of these profesionals.
Dave p


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Didn't know I had a choice Dave??

:roll: :roll:


----------



## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

Sorry to hear of your troubles, but you need to remember they are GP's

General Practitioners

They know a little about a lot of stuff.

Problem is there are a lot of symptoms that could relate to several causes, so they opt for the most likely.

Its a risk, but thats how it works


----------



## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> A few weeks ago grannie was feeling dizzy and feint, she also had a bit of a slur in her speech and trouble reading. I sugested to mum that she needed to see a doctor.
> Doctor diagnosed vascular dementure and made a request for her to see a specialist..
> Specialist diagnosed that she had probably had a stroke but was fine other than the headaches and dizziness
> 
> ...


Sorry to hear about Grannie, Dave - hope they can now do something about the tumour.

Regarding trusting your GP, as has been mentioned they do have the unenviable job of trying to keep up with many different disciplines. In fairness to yours in this case, whether or not his/her diagnosis was correct, he/she did refer Grannie to a specialist. Surely the onus would have been on the specialist then to diagnose the cause more accurately?

I had a couple of TIAs (mini-strokes) a couple of years back and was taken to hospital by ambulance, the second time given a thorough going over during a whole week's stay in the Stroke Unit including MRI and CAT scans and every other test they could do. The specialist showed me the scans of my brain, just to prove I had one (!) and also to confirm no sign of tumours etc. Now I just have to keep on the meds (and exercise, eat a healthier diet (most of the time) watch my weight, etc).

I would suggest in any similar situation the safest course is to call an ambulance, that way the diagnosis is more likely to be accurate as all of the specialists are on hand at the hospital.


----------



## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

The short answer is sadly in most cases no, and it is all too common for the elderly to be written off with a standard diagnosis simply because of preconceived ideas about their age group.
There are some superb GP's out there who approach each new consultation as a puzzle that needs solving and use all their skill and experience to get to the bottom of things, this is what we all hope to find when we go to see the GP. Unfortunately there are now a large number who go down the 'most likely' route and guess wrongly. 
I dislike our local GP practice so much that I haven't been near them in 20 years. There is a superb practice 12 miles away but of course I am 'out of zone'.
Hopefully when we move in a few months time I can register with someone I trust (so if anyone has inside knowledge of the GPs in north yorkshire let me know :wink: )

Chris


----------



## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

We have considerable trust in our doctors and discuss all sorts of things with them.

We have considerable trust in Dad's GP (we used to be with him when we lived in Teesside) but less trust in Dad (age 85): he has vascular dementia and can't always recall things accurately. Before Xmas I took him to the diabetes clinic: he was adamant he'd never had cataracts (I told them he'd had one done but refused to get the other one seen to - confirmed by optical investigation); he was adamant he'd never had any surgery (I told them he'd had prostrate done and then had to go back for a second attempt, but he couldn't remember). He's now on tablets to ease blood flow to the brain and his functions are improving noticably  

We leave Mum's medication to other members of the family. When talking about her recently, we mentioned her memory losses and the fact that she doesn't give the GP the "full story". Sister-in-law said "that's up to her; if she doesn't want to tell the doctor everything, there's nothing we can do - patient confidentiality".

So perhaps a second question: should the GP trust the patient? :roll:


----------



## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

As the pain I was in was not being resolved by the medication my GP prescribed, and there was no definite diagnosis, I asked to be referred to a Rheumatologist. I arrived to find I was not seeing the consultant but the registrar.
I entered the consulting room and sat down. He asked me lots of questions (most of which were answered in my referal notes) and wrote down, on a piece of paper, my answers. When he finished asking questions he turned and said and I quote "I think you have osteo-arthritis and I will not need to see you again". He then passed me a leaflet on osteo-arthritis. 
I think that he expected me to get up and go but I was wondering how he could possibly diagnose my condition from the comfort of his chair.
I asked if he disagreed with my GP who was wondering if I had Palandromic Rheumatoid Arthritis (quite rare). He paused and then said "I want you to have some blood tests today and also to have x-rays of your hands, hips and feet (never mind the knees which hurt the most!).

Would he have sent me for further tests had I not spoken? Hmmm? Was he engaged in list clearing? Hmmmm?


----------



## Dougaitken (Aug 14, 2009)

*GP's*

It is essential to recognise that GP's and Specialists are listeners and observers .

They can only work with the information that the patient gives verbally and the observations they make of the patient during the consultancy and or the results of Tests. We then rely on their ability to correctly interpret that information.

SWMBO was recently diagnosed by our GP as possibly having a Gallstone problem. Confirmed by Ultrascan.

During a visit to the Surgical Specialist re the Gallstones when examining her he noted she was a bit sensitive other than where he would expect it. He decided to have some tests done to check there was not another problem.

These tests revealed a Kidney tumour which has now been successfully removed.

If it hadn't been for his observing SWMBO whilst examining her we would have no idea she had the problem.

Your GP needs all the help he can get to help you quickly and efficiently.


----------



## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

Just moved to France and registered with a French GP. Now, that really makes one think about trust when we do not have a common first language, she cannot prescribe the same drugs as I took in GB to control long-term issues (although as a nurse I'm pretty sure her alternative will do the job), and she really knows nothing about me. She tells me some of the meds I am on she thinks don't do the job they were prescribed for in GB etc etc. Do I trust her? Well, either I must or I must find a new GP here. I think I'll give her a bit longer to prove herself. 

Meanwhile Dave I'm very sorry to hear about Grannie. Brain tumours would not be the GP's first thought with just symptoms of feeling dizzy and faint, but maybe there were other symptoms the GP was told about that should have been considered with those two. Either way, hopefully she will now get the appropriate treatment and will soon feel better.


----------



## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

MrsW said:


> Just moved to France and registered with a French GP. Now, that really makes one think about trust when we do not have a common first language .....


WOW How I agree with that!  "Our" doctor, "Maria", in Spain (and getting registered was a monumental exercise) spoke a modicum of English and entered some(?) of our (translated) details on her computer. She was OK, albeit officious.

Then, one day, we had a locum. He didn't speak a word of English. Amongst one of the "conversations" we needed to have was to indicate that Barbara was not pregnant (age 55+  ) so that he could decide what drug to prescribe. Eventually we got the meds from the pharmacy and one of the "comments" in the leaflet said it clashed with one of Barbara's prescribed drugs. Did "Pedro" know she was taking it?

We phoned our GP in UK who said he couldn't really help - we must trust the prescribing doctor. We talked to the pharmacist (a German who spoke some English). He advised not taking it.

When we reported this to Maria, she hit the roof. How dare we believe a pharmacist in preference to a doctor? Suffice it to say, Barbara is still alive and that is the most important thing. (We actually got her condition sorted when we flew back to UK for a weekend, a few days later)


----------



## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

Andy had a problem with just falling over unconcious for no apparent reason. I researched it on the net with what happened in previous few minutes to find he had Cough Syncope. 

Took it all with us to Dr's, told him of symptoms and result, he looked confused. Gave him print out and hey presto!! that was it exactly and required no treatment needed. He can do this any time and any place and nothing can be done about it. 

I work in health service and all I can say is no matter what, Dr's are humans and make human errors, but usually pass you on a bit like being the first stop but they "know a man who can" so to speak. 

I think most people have negative things to say about a GP at some stage in their lives but how many positive things are done without credit given. 

Mandy


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I feel we usually go to the Doc when it's too late and he can only try this or that.
It is nice to have confidence in your GP but often this is created when his diagnosis coincides with our own... :? 

So far the Docs here in Normandy have been excellent and thorough in their examinations and diagnosis. Long may it continue.

Ray.


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

I do trust my Doc 100%, providing her last statement to me proves correct.

She did tell me that with the medication that i am on,if I am *unlucky *I will live to 100.

Dave p


----------

