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ER visits

Mep

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,461
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
Well I had 2 ER visits this weekend just gone. Of course my sugar level was quite high the first visit because I had a migraine. It stayed over 11 even though I hadn't eaten for hours. The 2nd visit wasn't so bad with sugar, but my BP was ridiculous. They had problems getting it down. Now with all this they told me both visits they will be sending test results and paperwork to my doc.... all done electronically of course and they don't hand you paper in hand these days.

Well I was unwell all this week. My migraine did go and I started feeling better from that. But I was having urinary problems more than usual and I've had headache after headache and palpitations all week. I saw my GP on Monday and he discussed about how I need to rest a couple of days which I did. At that point he hadn't received any paperwork from the hospital so I thought fair go I will wait and see if they send it. By Thursday I'd heard nothing and so I phoned the doc surgery and they still had nothing. I then phoned the hospital who told me my paperwork has been filed already. I asked them to send it to my doc which there were supposed to do. They said they've fax it yesterday. This morning, still no paperwork from them. So my doc surgery said leave it to them to follow up.

I get a call after lunch today saying I have to come in to see my doc today. I get there and get told I have another infection. I've been placed on cephalexin again.

It makes me shudder to think how many people this happens to and perhaps with health conditions more serious than me. So the hospital thought it was a smart idea to file my test results and doc letters when it showed I needed treatment. ugh. This unfortunately isn't the first time they've done this to me.

Does this happen for any of you?
 
We have only in this country started to get the relevant information from visits to the hospital.
When, before diagnosis, I got nothing at all, I had to make an appointment, which is now a joke! To get information.
Now, in the past two years, they have to send the report to both you and your GP!
This helps because if you get blood tests done in hospital they must send you any findings and results from the tests.
 
nosher8355 said:
Now, in the past two years, they have to send the report to both you and your GP!
Click to expand...

That's a great idea. At least I'd have information to say something doesn't look right if they did that here. Basically I've waited almost a week to find out I have a UTI. Given my main complaint was a migraine, but they couldn't explain why they couldn't get my BP down much the 2nd time.... now I know why as my body has been fighting an infection. What concerns me too is that my GP is always saying the quicker you treat a UTI the less risk you have of it infecting your kidneys. Also I get told too many kidney infections can cause damage. I don't want that. Apparently diabetics here are supposed to be kept in hospital on IV antibiotics if they suspect an infection.... but that doesn't always happen.
 
Though I received a copy of a letter sent to my GP telling him that My Hb1Ac was at 54 and that I had impaired glucose intolerance this was about two years ago when I asked my GP about it he said he had never seen it.. Result was not diagnosed as T2 till last December. My new GP is connected to the hospital by computer and all my test results are available to him. Much better.
 
I 'm going to Addenbrookes in Cambridge next week for an ETT (exercise threshold test) I think it's the scenario where they put me on a treadmill with a large mask to capture all the gases and make me run until I collapse or have a heart attack and then inform me if my old ticker is ok....or not. Should I expect therefore to get the written results sent to me as well as my GP? Would be great if so.
 
My Birthplace ! Purrrr!!!!
 
I think in this country (England) you actually have to ask for a copy. If you don't ask, you won't get. Last time I saw a hospital consultant there was a notice up advising of this. I have always asked for copies of letters from consultants to GP, and have always received them. (Going back over 3 years)
 
Thanks Bluetit
 
Wife works as admin in local hospital when ever they send a consultants letter to GP they all ways send a copy to the patient as a matter of routine .

We are in Nottinghamshire.

Though they have been restricted to second class post now so goodness knows when you may receive it.
Edit
I have been corrected by wife this applies in main to clinic letters unless consultant says not to say if it's a letter to another consultant but as a general rule all letters sent to GP are copied and sent to patient.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think the procedure here is to just send it to the patients GP. That's all good except when they don't bother like they've done with me. So it means I've been spent most of the week with an untreated infection thanks to their slackness. Doing this to me once is bad enough (they did it last month when I wound up in their ER), but to do it again for both visits to their ER last weekend clearly shows they're not good with the notify the GP part.
 
So I'll cover all my babes, repeat three times, get him to repeat and then expect it to get lost in the post, (1st class) or 2nd class arrive by Christmas.
 
When I have outpatient appointments at my closest hospital (Tunbridge Wells at Pembury), my GP always receives a report and I'm copied in. However, when I took my husband to A&E last weekend I noticed a sign on the wall saying that this would only happen for A&E visits if he asked for it.

My GP did tell me once that A&E reports are usually so generic as to be useless: things like "presented with: HEAD; treatment: REF TO GP" and nothing more!

I've also experienced frequent muddles in getting test results between the three hospitals we're closest to (Tunbridge Wells, Eastbourne and Hastings), any London hospital we get referred to and the GP, as well as occasional mis-filings - such as non-fasting bloods classified as fasting.

Unfortunately I was too healthy in the past to be able to judge now whether this is a new phenomenon or an old one.

Kate
 
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