All Hail the great GPs

[Positivo]

I was recently part of a check on my GPs. The people conducting this phoned me to say that I had ticked every category as 10 and asked me why. I said 'Because there was no 11'. On the same principle as Dolly Parton why do you wear size eight heels Because they don't make a nine.

When first diagnosed five or so years ago I was overweight and with a reading of 129. It felt like a death sentence. I am now about four stone lighter and last Hba1c was 58. Disappointing - the previous two were under 5o I think. But the big news is that the Guide Dog bloke who told me that I would lose my sight was wrong; I started back writing professionally again this month since I can now see the screen properly. I have been helped by so many people. The GPs; the Practice Nurse herself a Type 1 and full of life; dieticians - I expected some thin neurotic young women, and met instead highly qualified advisors who answered every question I had. Then the wonderful specialist Nurses on the Diabetics Experts Course - I even ALMOST understood 'carbohydrates' at the end of that.... and then someone said fruit was carbohydrate... oh, well,., you can't win \em all.

I `m fanatical in support of the NHS which I believe is under wicked threat. Just as it was when I began unpaid voluntary work in December 1949 in support of the NHS, Service charities and such. When newly graduating Doctors were being told that they would have no future in the profession if they signed up to this 'Socialist Medicine'.

To me the true mark of the NHS is the Hospital staffers I still meet every week while doing patent support work. They are downhearted by the loss of so many colleague jobs, ,and feel taken for granted , but Dear Lord, do they do all they can for us.! Or the eminent Eye Surgeon who had me in at seven am on an Easter BankHoliday Sunday to operate personally on my eyes.
He could not merely increase his income, But multiply, by going 'private' Yes, I think I truly DO love the NHS.'.

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. You are lucky to have had good NHS support; mine has been mixed and some posts show it's been awful. When the course talked about carbs, did it say you should have them or keep away from them?

 

[JRW]

I'm glad someone has a good experience with the NHS, mine has been terrible.

 

[Brunneria]

Hi and welcome.

I would like to say that i had similarly excellent NHS experiences, but that isn't the case. It has been a very mixed bag.

Treatment for a non-diabetic health issue has been very helpful. Not so for my diabetes.

My current HbA1c is below pre-diabetic, but this is due to reading (books, internet, this forum), researching, self testing, diet and lifestyle changes.

In contrast, the NHS has told me to eat carbs that raise my blood glucose above safe levels at every meal, that it will wait til my HbA1c rises to over 53 before it will give me drugs to lower my blood glucose (the blood glucose driven up by those same carbs), and that i should not test my bg because it will worry me.

 

[Prem51]

Hi @Positivo and welcome to the forum! Although I don't agree with the standard NHS advice for diabetic diet, I do appreciate the wonderful doctors, nurses and other NHS staff. I just wish they could get to grips with updating treatment for diabetics.

 

[Garr]

Hi @Positivo and welcome, I'll hail the great GPs when I come across one. No luck so far.

 

[November1115]

Hi good morning all... I think it's so important and gratifying that we hv the NHS for when things go wrong. I shudder to think the amount of money we hv yo pay and the debts we would get into if there was no NHS. Like all prestigious professions the NHS has to follow a set guidelines set up by professional bodies incl NICE which, helps to produce evidence based guidelines.... these guidelines guide the practices and in this day of legislation and legal claims, these guidelines are followed otherwise when things go wrong the first question asked will be "why weren't the guidelines and protocols followed?" Yes... there are new research all the time but these guidelines hv to be based on solid evidence and research before being adopted as such ... we are fortunate on here as most of us are well educated and motivated enough to search for answers ourselves.... but until there are enough foolproof concrete evidence these findings we hv will not be official...

 

[Chook]

Hmmmm - I agree to an extent but good manners and actively listening to people don't come under those guidelines or protocols - nor does taking people seriously when they have concerns or something valid to say about their own health.

 

[November1115]

@Chook hi ... I find rude people in all walks of life... my loveliest best est person I met was a consultant surgeon who taught me sooo much ... and rudest pp could be anybody too... in a Chinese restaurant the waitress are ready to snatch your plates away the minute you put your chopsticks down for a pause.... sometimes it's cultural, stress, wrong time etc.... but it could be arrogance but there are all sorts in all professions

 

[November1115]

@Chook I am sorry you don't find your GPS not helpful .... you can speak to your practice manager or patients manager at your practice or the Pals dept.... I think most pp in the NHS want to care and improve their patients lives emotionally and physically

 

[Positivo]

Positivo responds: I did not know what I was starting, as the peanut farmer said to the monkey.

I could not be more aware of just how blessed, not merely lucky, I am with why GP practice people at every level.

The contrast I might make with the NHS and my experience when living in Canada many years ago is: A colleague was unwell; before the ambulance crew would release him to the hospital he had to sign a cheque for thirty five dollars.. The hospital checked his medical insurance; only then did they admit him, and give him two aspirins with a six dollar charge on his account. Six dollars being close to half a day's pay for many at that time. The day his insurance cover expired the hospital dumped him. His friends flew him home to the UK, where the NHS took over his treatment for polio.
I can write endlessly about the good asp;acts of the medical, nursing, technical and support services of the NHS. I could also get very heated at the closed-minded stupidity of too many admin. wallah I have encountered therein.
It is very clear to me that the seniors in my GP Practice are voluntarily taking out much less than hehe cold easily 'get away with' in order to get in keen dedicated caring staff, enthusiastic learner GPs and unusually perhaps, a great staff Pharmacist.
I will add more later, if I may, but duty calls! Warmest regards to all who responded to my first effort.

 

[Brunneria]

Hi good morning all... I think it's so important and gratifying that we hv the NHS for when things go wrong. I shudder to think the amount of money we hv yo pay and the debts we would get into if there was no NHS. Like all prestigious professions the NHS has to follow a set guidelines set up by professional bodies incl NICE which, helps to produce evidence based guidelines.... these guidelines guide the practices and in this day of legislation and legal claims, these guidelines are followed otherwise when things go wrong the first question asked will be "why weren't the guidelines and protocols followed?" Yes... there are new research all the time but these guidelines hv to be based on solid evidence and research before being adopted as such ... we are fortunate on here as most of us are well educated and motivated enough to search for answers ourselves.... but until there are enough foolproof concrete evidence these findings we hv will not be official...

There is absolutely no solid evidence that advising type 2 diabetics to eat carbs at every meal is good for their health.

And please define 'foolproof concrete evidence'. Considering how NHS guidelines are created by committees and based on fallible, often out of date, often flawed, selectively chosen studies, I cannot see how the words 'foolproof' and 'concrete' can possibly apply.

It is ironic that most policies on treatment decisions within the NHS are affected by money concerns, yet the advice given out to T2s (eat carbs, don't test, and we will give you drugs to handle the complications when they arrive), is what is causing the high cost of diabetes care. Think how many fewer amputations and dialysis machines would be needed, if people were given dietary advice that would prevent or slow the development of those complications.

 

[November1115]

Hi @Brunneria ... hmmmm. ... a lot of research once published may be deemed to be out of date.... hence we need to update ourselves constantly. .. the NHS is not perfect but it's the best in the world ... and I think we need to celebrate that we at least still have care at every point of contact.... hence guidelines once written will need auditing and revision.... I doubt there had been much published audit in the old guidelines etc..... it could be years later that we realise what works or do not.... Eg last Sunday episode of the thalidomide disaster which is a true disaster took a few years for doctors and statisticians etc to link up to the drug...

Like I said NHS is not perfect but definitely better than a lot of health care systems in the modern world.

Pp like Jason Fung prof Taylor etc are leading the way into LCHF and wt supportive evidence and if the results are good... am sure these findings will be adopted. .

Hv a great day all x

 

[November1115]

Sorry the thalidomide disaster was in Call the Midwife

 

[Mep]

I'm glad to hear you've had a positive experience. I have to say I too am impressed with my GP. I've been seeing him now for about 10 years and he has seen me go through a lot in that time considering I just kept getting one thing after another and I've pretty much spent most of that time quite sick. He's not given up when things look like a dead end and he just keeps trying to find answers for me. I've also noticed he is usually right with what he thinks is wrong with me too. He was the one that referred me to a new endocrinologist as well so I've been seeing my endocrinologist for about the same time. Funnily enough I initially met my endo when I was in hospital and he came into my room so arrogant and followed by a group of student doctors. But since that encounter I've come to realise he has been one of my best specialists because not only does he discuss my diabetes and other hormone issues but he also wants to know about my other health issues and where I'm at. He takes note of all my new meds I'm put on and keeps a record of all the specialists I'm seeing. I'm not in UK so not under NHS. But we have a mixed system here of medicare and private health funds, along with other subsidy programs. But I'm glad you brought up the good work that medical staff do. I'm definitely thankful for the good docs that have done their best to help without the attitude. They're the ones that don't give up and will go that extra mile for me.

 

[Positivo]

Positivo responds. I had no idea of the scope of Diabetes UK; glad you are there. Things can and do go wrong, but in my experience it is seldom with the real front line NHS staff. I do not waste much time listening to phone in stations, but I am astounded at the vicious attacks and vilification of Junior Doctors airing this day.

Is it possible that the man who said that we killed many of our finest in 1914-18 and lots more in 1939-45, and we are now breeding the mongrels had it right after all?

Even allowing for the fact that the job of the radio presenters is held as 'be controversial' and 'play Devil's advocate' (in fact their only function is to fill the holes in the air that the Advertising Sales bandits have not been able to flog). But I do wonder what kind of media managers repeatedly call in a flatulent ageing Tory ex-Minister to speak on Health matters and not about his directorship(s) in a tobacco giant.

It just so happens that this comes on a day, in a week, when I freely say that I should down on my knees giving thanks for all the help, and compassion I have received from NHS hospital staffers. If I am again able to get back to the writing level I previously reached I will be delighted to pay the resultant additional income tax. Sixty eight years after I first started unpaid voluntary work I still live in a Country where we have to raise more and more CHARITY funds for Children's Hospitals, Blind ex-servicemen, hospices, cancer nurses, patient support, disability caret; make your own lists.

And all the fault of greedy, avaricious selfish uncaring Junior Doctors? Does not the odd Politician have a few questions to answer?

Q. I have been using spell checkers facilities for years, and I do not think the words suggested have ever been remotely like the ones I had in mind. Is this a record?

 

[Chook]

Oh dear - have you ever met a junior doctor? Maybe you need go actually do so before making such judgements. I have met Junior doctors who are so tired they can barely stand and string a sentence together yet they make life and death decisions on a daily basis. They definitely deserve our respect. It's the money grabbing GPS that are the problem.

JMHO, It's a bit strange that you talk about your ID in the third person.

 

[Deleted member 83869]

Oh dear - have you ever met a junior doctor? Maybe you need go actually do so before making such judgements. I have met Junior doctors who are so tired they can barely stand and string a sentence together yet they make life and death decisions on a daily basis. They definitely deserve our respect. It's the money grabbing GPS that are the problem.

JMHO, It's a bit strange that you talk about your ID in the third person.

I totally agree with you! I'm re-doing dafne this week and we had a junior doctor sitting in and she had to strike...she didn't want to but had to! But they have to do so much....cover for so many people! Don't have 5 minutes to themselves and 9 out of 10 times they do more than a bloody GP anyway.....not dissing GP's though!