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GP & Hospital not working together

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broomstick 1 flyer

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Hi I don't know if anyone else has the problems I am having I am a diabetic because for 53 years I suffered with chronic pancreatitus and eventually ending up having my pancreas, my spleen and my duodenam removed in December 2003, prior to that I had my gall bladder and septum duct removed.

My consultant says that I am neither a type 1 or type 2 diabetic but a secondary diabetic due to pancreatic insufficiency or if only type 1 & 2 available I am an enforced type 1 however my GP surgery insists I am a type 2 and consistently disagrees with my consultant what my blood sugar levels should be and how many times a day I should test my blood glucose.

My GP's surgery says my sugars should be between 4 to 7 my consultant says 5 to 10. I have lost my hypo warnings as well and dont know when my blood sugar is going low until I get down to about 1.5 and my consultant has advised me to test regularly about 4 times a day to try to avoid hypos but my surgery says I should only test once a week. My consultant has written to my surgery to outline these differences but the surgery just seems to file the letters and ignore them. I feel I am in the middle being pulled hither & thither, has anyone else experienced these problems? :?:
 
This sounds totally ridiculous. :?

No GP should be dictating or overruling what a Consultant says. I would listen to the Consultant and I think in the circumstance look to change my GP/Practice if possible.

What the GP is quoting is the NICE guideline figures for a T1 or a T2 Diabetic regarding Bg levels.
The testing regime of once a week is something that many GP's now think is all that is required. This has been the subject of much debate on here recently and in the past. Nothing ever seems to change. However, the Consultant obviously wants you to run with different levels because of your many conditions. He may also want you at those higher than normal levels because he is trying to get your hypo awareness back. The Consultant is the Professional, the Expert. I take it he is an Endocrinologist ?

So, change GP's/Practice, make an official complaint......but most of all do not put up with this. It is scandalous. :roll:

Ken
 
Hi broomstick.

Sounds to me more like there is consideration being given to budget issues in the local GP practice rather than in consideration of your care! :shock:

If you have no confidence in your doctor then it makes sense to complain and change your doctor if you get no change in attitude and performance:!:
 
The reason why there is a difference between the advice given to you by your consultant and that from a gp is because gps' are target driven to follow the Nice guidelines.

Like Ken has said, follow what your consultant has told you to do. To get your gp to prescribe teststrips phone up your PCT and ask for a copy of their letter on the prescribing of teststrips and explain to them what your health situation is. Most PCTs ask gps to use their discretion on prescribing teststrips so if your gp is not doing so, then a phone call from your PCT to your gp will be done and a polite telling off will no doubt take place.

To get your bg control ok again so that you don't go really low before you realise what is wrong, is to test about 6 times a day. My target bg now is to be on 6- 7 before I eat a main meal, and to be between 8-10 mid morning and mid afternoon. I now don't over correct with insulin and am feeling very well.
 
y
 
My advice is to consult your local Patient Advice and Liason Service (PALS) and let them set your GP straight.
If you want to find out all about PALS, I have put a link below so that you can read all about their service. I have used them to good effect in the past and I would not hessitate to use them in the future if I needed them.

http://www.pals.nhs.uk/
 
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