GPs accused of failing to monitor diabetic patients or give them vital advice

Bluetit1802 said:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...ed-failing-monitor-patients-vital-advice.html

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Sounds about right to be honest, my GP doesn't really have a clue about my diabetes, but I do not see her for my diabetes anyway but it is true!! Even on a diabetic ward in hospital some of the staff have no idea!! About 2 years ago I was in for DKA, I had come off of sliding scale and back on injections but they wouldn't let me inject because not one person in the hospital knew what carb counting or DAFNE was so they didn't let me inject...I still did it though!!

@Bluetit1802 wow that's all very interesting... now that I am armed with some real knowledge about diabetes and what is and isn't good for me, I am really looking forward to my diabetic review with the Dr who specialises in it at my surgery. Personally I dont see how he can call himself a specialist when basically all he is done is given me pills and a diet that doesn't work. It makes me angry now where before it made me depressed....

My GP is useless too. She actually said to me once when she asked about my diabetes management, "ohh I dont know much about diabetes" Couldn't believe it! and two weeks ago I was in being treated in A&E for swelling in my leg, I had breakfast at 8am and by 4pm I was starving and missed my insulin, my BG was 4.0 I asked for something to eat and told the nurse I was diabetic and my BG was 4mmol/L she says "ohh I'll see if I can get you a glass of milk" I was thinking... Milk?! ***??

Thank you @Bluetit1802 for posting the link. A fascinating article

Bazzza said:

My GP is useless too. She actually said to me once when she asked about my diabetes management, "ohh I dont know much about diabetes" Couldn't believe it! and two weeks ago I was in being treated in A&E for swelling in my leg, I had breakfast at 8am and by 4pm I was starving and missed my insulin, my BG was 4.0 I asked for something to eat and told the nurse I was diabetic and my BG was 4mmol/L she says "ohh I'll see if I can get you a glass of milk" I was thinking... Milk?! ***??

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Almost as good as the half wit in mc Donald's (with kids, not my choice, didn't eat there self, someone else's kid) who told me to have sugar in my espresso as they'd run out of sweetener even though I told him I was diabetic and couldn't have sugar!

A few years ago my blood was 10.2mmol when I saw her and she had a bloody fit lol she acted asif it was in the 20's lol!! x

As a health care worker I get very annoyed when I read things like the Milk incident ...why not ask ..'What do you normally do when your blood sugar is that low?'
And what would you expect your bs to be after you have had .? .........

My gp doesn't even know what he's prescribing me,he just does what hospital clinic says. He doesn't know the difference between lancets and needles, and thought that insulin pens come with needle attached

I'm grateful to my surgery for diagnosing my Type 2 at an early stage. However I don't know who my GP is since the original one retired and his successor, who thankfully recommended this forum via Dr John Briffa, has also left.
A month ago I got a letter from two GPs at the surgery whom I have never met suggesting I enroll for a six-week course which doesn't target diabetes specifically. I didn't want to seem picky so I wrote back as below. I haven't had a reply.

"Dear Dr XXX/Dr XXX

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to attend a Self-Management for Life course next year. I have decided not to sign up to it because it isn't the X-pert course devoted to diabetes. After discussing the subject and purpose of the course on offer with a representative of Self Management UK, I don't think I would contribute to or benefit from a general review of "long term health conditions", since living with Type 2 has so far not caused me pain, tiredness, depression or relationship issues.

The DESMOND course I attended previously was obviously more relevant.

The DARE project in which I participated recently was very interesting. I got the HbA1c results from the surgery and I understand they show my condition to be stable, thus encouraging me to continue managing my diabetes without medication.

If there were a local discussion/support group for diabetics I would like to be involved, since the different types of diabetes, treatments and tolerances of individuals of medication and diet can be confusing.

I'd like this letter to be put in my records because I don't want to appear unco-operative, but I feel declining a self management course is a legitimate act of self-management!

Yours sincerely ..."

I'd be very pleased if someone offered me a glass of milk during a hypo (although I wouldn't consider a reading of 4mmol/l as a hypo).

I find milk is very good at raising my bg very quickly.
Which is why I don't usually drink it, choosing cream in hot drinks, instead.

Half a glass would probably raise my bg well out of hypo range within very few minutes.

And I think that my body would feel better afterwards (I tend to have jangly, seesaw bg after the rapid highs and lows that glucose causes).

I realise we are all different, but milk shouldn't be dismissed out of hand...

I fully agree with the most comments that some GPs do not really go into the depth of the situation with the diabetes pataints . I found that my GP likes to increase the doses only as the easiest way to bring down the sugar levels. In past 3 months he added 1x500 Metformin and 1x30mg Diamicron to my usual dose of 2x1000/50 Janumet doses . The reason was my HbA1c was ranging in between 7.1% to 7.4% .
I was desparate to change my GP because of his approach in advising me proper way of control . Though I started additional medications, as per his advise ,but also strengthened other meassures (exercise, diet ....) . I was able to bring down to 6.4% (sometimes skipped one of the two extra medicines) .
This time in December I was successful in seeing two new GPs ( to switch to either one from my present GP) .Both of the new GPs acknowledged that I am taking extra medication . One of them dropped just additional Metformin 500 , the other one advised to drop both additional medication (Metformin and Diamicron both) . I just started following the advise of the GP who advised to skip both additional medications , probably it will work . I may be able to maintain my levels without these additional drugs ( Just with 2x1000/50 Janumet) .
I am sharing the story with the members because I strongly believe that no GP can really know your health better than yourself . So, it is better to be more knowledgeable about our own body and health to determine what is best for us.
I have to decide which of these 2 GPs I will select finally based on my observations how their prescriptions to reduce the medicine works !

I loved what the T1 who l spoke to a few weeks back told me about when she was on the diabetic ward (november time) for DKA and was offered meals of amongst the following apple pie and cream, mashed spuds, curry and rice .. that by the way was for all diabetics on the diabetic ward for what ever reason