How Good Is Your GP?

I'll let you know on Friday going to see her about changing my insulins after lots and lots of research! Been good up till now though

Well there have been several "superstar" G.P's at my local practice.....the one who wrongly diagnosed me as having asthma, the one who wrongly doubled my prescription of iron tablets and made me really ill, the one who missed my son's spine being damaged in a quad bike accident that led to nerve damage, the one who was found asleep at the wheel of his car..totally drunk, the one who has recently been in the local paper for forgetting to tell a patient they had cancer and they subsequently died....oh, which one shall I nominate for the title of superstar?!!! :roll:

Before anyone says "why are you still at that practice"........it's the only doctors within walking distance of me and I like the diabetes nurse AND doctors that are good in the area are full.

Mine's lovely. I've been his patient for about 30 years and he does his best for all his patients. His surgeries are always running late, because he never pushes anyone out until they've said what they need to. Mind you he runs late at 0830 am too. He's unfortunately just done a diabetes course, which has filled his brain with high carb diets and no need for testing, but I'm bringing him to learn better. Altogether he's very good and I'm dreading what happens when he finally retires. I know how old he his, because we determined ( 25 years ago) that we did our "A" levels the same year.

As a doctor myself, I will have to use, in the near futute, validated questionnaires from our patients to form part of my portfolio for revalidation. Scary thought. I consider myself a popular consultant, but I can't win over every patient with my stunning charm and considerate care (?). I know one GP in my practice who I try not to see. We all know who is a good medic, and the ones we wish to avoid. How is that measured?

You can also vote on http://www.ratemds.com or something like that. Quite a few nasty reviews of Lord Darzi are in there (probably posted my some of my English colleagues). The local UK site (http://www.iwantgreatcare.org) seems to have some teething problems. The nephrologist who started this site is not popular within the British medical community.

You will have your chance..........

Hi Marty,
As you are a surgeon it shouldn't too hard for your patients. If they survive then you are fabulous, if they don't then they aren't going to tell anyone!!

:lol: at Dennis.

tubolard said:

Marty, is that the same site that has 7 glowing recommendations for Harold Shipman? :lol:

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Yup, and most of his patients loved him. Just goes to show........

Dennis said:

Hi Marty,
As you are a surgeon it shouldn't too hard for your patients. If they survive then you are fabulous, if they don't then they aren't going to tell anyone!!

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Hi Dennis

unfortunately, the health departments caught onto that one a while ago. (Confidential enquiry into perioperatives deaths, Scottish Audit on Surgical Mortality etc). I can run but cannot hide.

Medicine, especially surgery, is an incredably humbling career. Not quite the exact science we all would want.

My GP in the UK was a superstar in my eyes anyway. We lived near Newton Abbot in Devon. He specialised in diabetes and he was brilliant. He was usually the only person who could take my blood first time and not have to mess around (the technicians used to have a really dificult time as I have small veins) and he was a very kind and caring chap.

A shame that I don't experience the same kind of treatment here in Canada - even though my GP is in fact from the UK! Systems are different here and there is no computer generated letter reminding me to come for a diabetes check up - I have to think about it myself and then make an appt to see him and suggest that I have a blood test. This means he has to give me a form to take to the laboratory where I have my blood taken.Then I have to make yet another appt to discuss the results. No telephone consultations or being able to speak to him on the telephone as I could in the UK. The reason is that he wouldn't get paid for it so he has to see me in person. The surgery has only recently gone over to computerised records and this is in fact not unusual over here!

There are in fact only two doctor's surgeries for our town of around 12,000 people which is growing rapdily. If I want a repeat prescription, then if its for insulin or test strips then I just go to the pharmacy and they will give them to me.The doctor makes out a prescription every year which says "unlimited" and I can just request them from the pharmacy. Any other repeat drugs, I have to make an appt to see the doctor which is a complete waste of his time and energy. In the UK, I used to email my doctor's surgery for repeat items.

I also have to PAY for my drugs here! A bit of a shock coming from the UK where I got everything for free