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Furious at NHS ignorance (IMHO)

nannoo_bird

Well-Known Member
Messages
215
Just saw on Sky News (5th Jan) a report on the latest T2D statistics. They interviewed a guy who had been diagnosed some time ago, who said that he was given drugs by his doctor and told to come back in 3 months. He had no proper advice from the NHS. He took his health into his own hands and his diabetes is in remission. I have also been doing my own research and now feel I have a better understanding of this insidious disease and, the more I learn, the angrier I am at how uninformed - in my opinion - the NHS is about T2D, and how their clutching at straws with regard to treatment is ultimately ruining people's health. That doctors can feel this ignorance is acceptable is criminal.
 
I too got the same response from the GP as he did. I think they just assume that everyone has access to the internet and do their own research, probably what more than likely happens is that they think if the doc doesn't make a huge fuss why should they.
 
I think it is more likely that doctors have given up.

Time after time they get a new T2 in their consulting room. They give the you-need-to-lose-weight lecture. And the you-need-to-exercise lecture. And the eat-a-healthy-balanced-diet lecture.

And, time after time, the new T2 continues to gain weight (a carby diet + insulin resistance will do that) and feel worse, so they don't exercise.

After the doc has seen this 100s of times, they must lose the will to live.

Of course, if they gave out helpful info (control your carbs, test bg and eat to your meter, so you will feel well enough to exercise, and may find that weight loss is possible) then their experience would be different.
- but they are bound by the NHS guidelines.

The current system is a vicious cycle of defeatism.
 
I don't think the doctors are informed in the first place. No doctor has told me to give up refined carbs in order to lower my BS. No doctor has given advice on when to test. I am given insulin, but that is not the solution for T2D - we make enough insulin, but our cells are resistant. Why give more insulin? We need to be told how to make our own insulin work for us and yes, this means the right diet and exercise, but this could be done in a palatable way. Of course this would mean more education for the medical services, therefore funds need to be found, but if you weigh this up against the cost of T2D to the NHS, you would be saving millions/billions. The current 'advice' and medication given is ultimately killing people - in my opinion.
 
When I was first diagnosed, my gp and diabetic nurse were excellent. I find now that they Don, t care.on October 30th I started on victoza and the diabetic nurse said I would have a blood test at one month, three months and six months. I,m still waiting for my first blood test. I have been ringing the surgery twice a week to find out when I will have the he first blood test and just get told the surgery will ring with an appointment. No phone call and have left various messages for the hehe diabetic nurse to contact me but to no avail
 

This is so irresponsible. You have to get this done. Make an appointment with your doctor and tell him/her about this, and how unhappy you are. Don't leave the surgery until you have a time and date. Good luck.
 
nannoo_bird said:
This is so irresponsible. You have to get this done. Make an appointment with your doctor and tell him/her about this, and how unhappy you are. Don't leave the surgery until you have a time and date. Good luck.
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I rang the surgery for an appointment, the receptionist said my gp is off on long term sick and unless I have an emergency, then scan,t see another gp as they are very short staffed
 
That sounds like a surgery that could do better. At my surgery I book the blood test and the double appointment 2 weeks later to see the DN or GP. My surgery expects it to work that way and it means I have control. Are you sure you can't do the same with your surgery and if not ask to see the Practice Manager?
 
I agree about giving insulin to T2s who have excess weight. I'm surprised at the number of posts from those T2s placed on insulin when they claim to be overweight and hence most likely to have insulin resistance and hence have too much insulin. I accept that in some cases the pancreas will have become damaged over the years with less natural insulin but you can see from some posts that isn't the case.
 
ally1 said:
I rang the surgery for an appointment, the receptionist said my gp is off on long term sick and unless I have an emergency, then scan,t see another gp as they are very short staffed
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How ridiculous. Sounds like the NHS isn't just failing, it has finally failed!
 
ally1 said:
I rang the surgery for an appointment, the receptionist said my gp is off on long term sick and unless I have an emergency, then scan,t see another gp as they are very short staffed
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Seriously Ally, your surgery is being irresponsible. As someone has suggested, at the very least ask to see the practise manager, or change surgeries if you can. This is downright unacceptable.
 
Hi Ally. The receptionist is telling porkies, she has absolutely no authority to stop you making an appt with any available GP in your practice. As your doc is on long term leave, then he is unavailable so you need to see someone else. It's as simple as that.
The advice to see the practice manager is good, and if you ask to speak to that person, you cannot be refused. I know it can be tough taking on docs and nurses and receptionists, but just think of us as your virtual army of support

Go get 'em!!
 
If anybody thinks this is a recent problem, then from my experience it's not but it is getting worse especially in the poorer city areas. The lack of GPs and the lack of appointments is a disgrace, the funding is not there.
In my surgery, I have had five named GPs in over fifteen years, now I have the head doctor in the surgery, there used to be five doctors, now only two with a locum now and again.
It is so difficult and political interference in modern surgeries.
If you go private you will get one without a problem.
New doctors and not enough of them are going abroad and into private practice.
Because of the stress and strain and the lack of financial support, the NHS surgery is becoming untenable.

Don't like bringing politics into this forum but that's the truth!

The other day, we waited an hour for a paramedic to arrive and another two hours for an ambulance because the the hospital has no beds available and not enough staff to cope with the winter patients. The NHS system is crashing and broken, but as long as the Tories are ok, then that's fine, isn't it!
 
Just a suggestion - if that's the level of care that you are being offered then report your gp surgery to CQC. My gp practice got such a lot of complaints to CQC that it has been put in to special measures and things are changing rapidly especially concerning availability of appointments.
 
nannoo_bird said:
Seriously Ally, your surgery is being irresponsible. As someone has suggested, at the very least ask to see the practise manager, or change surgeries if you can. This is downright unacceptable.
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the next surgery is, t taken any more patients on. Yesterday I rang up and demand to have a blood test, got one for 25th January, next I asked for an appointment for the diabetic nurse, the hey said it's April, I complained that we a 4 months after my year for a check up, complained again and got and appointment with her for February.
 
Sounds like your surgery is behind with the times, for the past few years my surgery has sent out an automatic text reminders telling when yearly check is due. Also reviews of the blood results are carried out within a week. I had bloods taken on 30th Dec and the review done yesterday 5th Jan. You can leave your own rating on your GP service at http://www.nhs.uk/service-search

Just Search for GP and fill in your post code and a list of practices for your area, it will also show who is taking on new patients.
 
I don't think you can take politics out of it, it is run and owned by the government after all, its them that are doing the damage.
Saw on TV this am that some surgery's aren't taking on any new patients because they don't have the GP's to staff it.
If you read the list of MP's that are on the board of private companies with medical interests its appalling, they are hovering in the background waiting for its collapse. So its no wonder doctors are disillusioned and leaving in droves.
My MIL cant see a GP because 2 of them are retiring early because they are wiped out.
If diabetes is seen as a life style problem which it is (and shouldn't be) then the mantra 'go lose weight' is an easy get out.
 
Well done Ally. Proud of yer.
 
My surgery has no Diabetes nurse or clinic and I thought I was missing out, but on the other hand I can rock up any morning and have bloods taken and get to see a GP within a day or two for non urgent things so maybe I am not.
 
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