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nhs treatment

brenda walker

Well-Known Member
Messages
78
Location
Basingstoke
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I finally saw my doctor in May 15th to arrange a blood test

She also provided 3 different antibiotics and referred me an ultrasound appointment and an appointment to remove a lump on head for 18th July.

Appointment 16th June with the nurse. a whole month

On enquiry by phone appointment with Doctor told to make appointment with Nurse.

Earliest available14th of July

an ultrasound appointment 25th June. also took biopsy sample

Results unclear had MRA 30TH June
on 10th of July when I phone was told there was no consultant to look at the information

On 14th of july told the results of the first blood test – 94mmol, suggested joining slimming club and see the doctor to increase my metformin. They could have said that in June.

ALL other results yet to be given, nothing as yet is resolved.

What is the story behind all these infections?

What was seen on the ultrasound then MRA scan– cyst, tumour or cancer?

What is the results of the second blood test?

My health has been going noticeably down hill since October

Mol May 2014 74

Nov 2014 87

June 2015 94

I used to worry about the tightness in my chest but they have been going on for so long I have concluded they are the symptoms of stress. I have been 2 nights without any sleep and as I sit here I don’t feel that I will not sleep tonight either. My leg kicks off and I have to get up.

The practice nurse said if I don’t sort myself out I may have to go on to insulin. She recommended a book and joining a slimming club. I have lost 10K in the last 6 months, what do I want with a slimming club.

On the plus side the infections are clearing up.

My father did not make retirement, my mother only just. I am days away from reaching 58 wondering how long this is going on for.
reading other posts it seems it is this bad for everyone. What has happened to the nhs, the sooner we die the less liabilty we are
 
Have you been referred to a Consultant for the lump on your head? Or is this your GP doing all your scans etc?
I would be going back and asking for a referral to a specialist that can identify the problem.

Scans are taking a long time to be interpreted especially if they are for a GP. Not the GPs fault but the hospitals. You could email an enquiry to PALS at your hospital if your GP is not getting results back. You could also contact the FOI officer and ask for the length of time that your particular hospital is taking to handle your various treatments.

What infections are you getting?

With diabetes management and also cholesterol GPs should under NICE guidelines be talking to the patients about exercise. Weightwatchers is not exercise. GPS should have referal schemes in place for exercise to strengthen your body as whole and to increase your wellbeing.

Normally by the way if there is a possibilty of cancer then there are guidelines for GPs and NHS to follow to ensure that treatments are given within set guidelines...

And yes the NHS is falling apart... The demand upon their services as more people live longer, expect medications for everything the worse it becomes.

I met a type 1diabetic last week that has been diabetic for 62 years without complications. He put his good health down to rationing during the war, weighing everything he ate, only good meat and veg and exercise. He is not on any other meds except insulin.

The NHS is trying to keep us all alive longer but it is struggling..
 
WITH AN AUTOMATIC DO NOT RESUSCITATE FOR THE OVER 60's I do not think they are trying to keep people alive. the lump on my head is to be dealt with by another GP within the practice. there is a growth up my nose and permanent period despite going thro menapause years ago and a very large dark shadow on the ultrasound these have all been dragging on for nearly a year.So if it was serious something would have happened by now, oh and my BS is steadily rising. But not to worry I'm only 58 this month, not yet 60.
 
You have options open to you...
Have you directly asked your GP for a referal to a consultant regarding permanent period?
Have you considered writing to PALS with reference to time of scans?

Bs rising.. Have you analysed your diet and exercise amount to consider if there is anything that has changed over the past year? If the answer is that 100% nothing has changed then it maybe that 1) a change is due or 2) you really do need insulin??

DNR's. Over 60's with strokes etc are kept alive... When their quality of life is impaired etc..
Many people do not have DNR's or POA or health & wellbeing or finance LPA's in place....
I have had a DNR in place for 3 years and this was before I was 50.
There are many examples of people wanting the opportunity to die at their time of choosing and currently the law prevents this - we have not got dignitas here.... Me, if my life is going to be a burden on my hubby (no children) there is no way I want to live. Therefore I hsve a DNR in place. The NHS does not simply stop treatment... It isn't as simple as that.

You do have more options open to you for various things regarding your care.
 
My sister who is a nurse, pointed it out to me. The nurse on duty said she could do nothing, My mother was in pain for the last 4 hours of her life and no doc came till after she died of blood clot from operation. Options - I was not told of any.
 
The last three months I've been seen at a number of hospitals orthopedic urology neurology eyes bowels and I have to say I have been treated like royalty.
Absolutely fantastic.
Recently there has been nothing but bad news about the NHS in North Wales and that might have caused a big shake up I don't know but if I was royalty or paying privately anywhere in the world I don't think I could have been treated any better.
 
Thsre are options for patients to take if anyone is unhappy with care that they receive from any medical person... Not just NHS.

I have battled with pain for almost 2 decades. After asking to see my medical notes and them being reviewed it was noticed that in 2003 it wad thought I had an intolerance to aspartame and sweeteners. By now removing artificial products from my diet my health has returned...however, I could be angry about this but what's the point?

The best thing to do for me and others is to raise awareness to others...doing something positive.

The NHS needs patients to take active roles in shaping it. There are a lot of CCG's actively listening to patients and there opinions and thoughts.

If any patient has problems with their care then they must follow complaint procedures.

I do not work for the NHS. I am just trying through volunteer involvement with my GPs and CCGs to gain improvements for all patients.

You can complain about your care.

Patients can try and help the NHS to improve.

Me, although I was not informed about aspartame intolerance... I choose to turn it in to a positive for others. I have had **** good care from NHS keeping me alive for 30 years on taxes... I am grateful and wish to give something back to help them.

I would suggest that the OP starts a formal complaint with GP about care and contacts PALS and CCG. Complaining does not black mark a patient.. The NHS uses complaints as opportunitys to make improvements.
 
A DNR (DNACPR) is a request that should you go into cardiac arrest then they will not start CPR/Basic Life Support/Immediate Life Support/Advanced Life Support. Any other condition will be treated with the relevant medication or procedures.
You can stipulate what treatment you wish should you become unable to express your wishes through an advanced directive.
Note that in exceptional circumstances a senior doctor or nurse can impose a DNACPR without consulting the patient or the family.
If you are in the final stages of life then there are procedures in place to ensure that you are comfortable, previously this was the Liverpool Care Pathway, but thanks to some inappropriate reporting this has been abandoned.
 
Can you make a request for this at any time or only if you are under treatment for something that might necessitate resuc?
I spoke to my GP about DNR about a year ago and she dismissed it, as if you collapse in the street medics will always do everything they can to keep you alive so she said it was pointless.
 
Medical professional have to attempt to keep you alive until they see your DNAR paper work. They are not allowed to take it from word of mouth that you have one in place
 
Hi @brenda walker, Forgive me if I've missed something in this thread, but I think we've got a bit off track with all this DNR stuff. Looking at your original post, it sounds like there are several things going on for you at the same time and you have fallen victim to the new (broken) NHS!
Firstly despite the rubbish systems in place, if they thought you had anything serious (especially cancer) they would apply the 2 week rule ie you should be seen within a 2 week window. And in all fairness to our poorly health service they are still pretty good at getting moving when they really have to!
I don't know how long you have been diagnosed with diabetes but I know infections are quite commonplace in new or uncontrolled diabetics, in fact I know someone who found out she was type 2 because she kept getting infections!
Sounds like you are doing really well with weight loss, how are you doing it? Are you low carbing like many people on here? As for the comment the nurse made, - if you don't sort yourself out you might have to go on insulin - whilst it could be true, if she said it like that then it sounds like she was trying to give you a scare - at any rate, maybe you need to look at your situation and see whether you can make any more adjustments to help your blood sugars go down.
Now the harsh bit, and my apologies for being blunt. You sound so stressed my lovely, and possibly a little depressed. That in itself can raise your blood sugars. Like I said before, I don't know how long you've been diagnosed but they say the first year is the hardest, and long term diabetics sometimes get burn out. @Robinredbreast started a brilliant thread on burnout that's worth a read. Am I on the right track or talking rubbish??? Sue xxxxx
 
Last edited:
Victorri said:
Medical professional have to attempt to keep you alive until they see your DNAR paper work. They are not allowed to take it from word of mouth that you have one in place
Click to expand...

Also... So I discovered recently.... An advanced directive logged with your GP does not go on your hospital files!!!! So you have to get it somehow on your medical files. I have a copy in the house in a drawer for ambulance people. I am actually thinking about framing it by the front door as a reminder to hubby... He will over time forget which drawer my our directives are in!!

Why on earth the GPs cannot send a copy of the directive to the hospital to log I do not know... Besides the fact that their computer systems don't talk to each other!!
 
You are on the right track Sue.I am depressed. To back go to the beginning, in my 20's I would keep collapsing from low blood sugar. It upset a lot of people around me. I once crashed my car on the way home from work because of my low bs ( the other driver took me to pub for some orange juice, sweet really). Later I was quite relieved to have high blood sugar, it was easier to live with. But then it got too high. so for the past 2 years I have been taking metformin. Only, last October things were getting out of control but I got no help or understanding from my GP's. At the beginning of December I found myself unable to get medication for 2 weeks (lost oin the system). My bs were in the 20's and the practice manager was darn right rude.It took till the end of January to get it down to 15-20. I have had infections after infections which I know is partly due to high BS. I have had various test but the hospital does not communicate with the GP, or me for that matter, and they have never told me one result but asked me to go for other tests. When I have chased the results I am told there is no consultant to 'read'them. It has been over 2 weeks since my MR! scan and no one has been in touch by phone or letter. I therefore assume that the tests showed nothing.
So I have been worried nervous, anxious, relieved and frustrated, and still do not know the cause of my headaches , my failing sight in 1 eye, the lower abdominal pain and guess that the pain in my hands, wrist, and feet are arthritis and the inflammation in knees and lower back that keeps me awake at night. Yeah, I'm a bit depressed and I can't find a wayout of this. it has been a very long 9 months - hey! you don't think it might be a surprise pregnancy?
 
I thought they were now linked on some multi million network system that apparently does not work properly.
 
I have to go to two hospitals in England.
Their stuff is not available online to the NHS hospitals I attend in Wales.
 
brenda walker said:
I thought they were now linked on some multi million network system that apparently does not work properly.
Click to expand...

Not for DNR's or advanced directives!! These get put on to the GP EMIS system which is not communicating to hospitals...

Incidentally MRI scans are taking a lot longer than 2 weeks as well.

Xrays- the dtandard for these to get read and back to GP is allowed to be 48days.

MRI scans with our hospitals can be longer than 6 weeks! That is a minimum.

Even 8 years ago I was asked to sign for my agreement for the scans to be interpreted in India!!! If I did not agree (I didn't) then the scans could take very much longer.....
 
My hospital cannot access any records as it is outside of my CCG area. So everytime I go I have to take my blood test results etc with me if they are done by GP. Or if I get taken to local hospital for say my bowel-my diabetes consultant at the best diabetes care hospital will not be aware so I will have to tell her etc....

Our hospital doesn't even have our folders on site at the hospital.. They are collected everyday for outpatient appointments and operations etc. So there is very little actually done electronically....
 
Hi @brenda walker, sounds like you are having a really cr*ppy time. Firstly it sounds to me (and I'm fairly new to this diabetes lark and a type 1 so happy for more experienced/knowledgeable people to chip in!) that many of your problems could be down to your diabetes and possibly long term high blood sugars taking their toll. The rest of your problems are down to having a rubbish GP!
Firstly, are you testing? What are your blood sugar levels like? Is the metaformin sorted now?
Secondly is there another GP or nurse at the practice you can talk to? If not can you change GPs? It's actually really easy to do, I changed last year. My old GP made me feel like a time waster and even told me I was stupid because someone my age couldn't get type 1diabetes (even though the hospital had diagnosed me)! I was pathetic signing up at the new GPs, I was terrified that they would think I was a time waster or trouble maker for changing but they were lovely, took me seriously and sorted me out!
As for the tests, whilst I'm not a doctor, I know its not unusual for what they consider "non urgent" results to take weeks. Of course their idea of non urgent is different to ours - but sadly that's the result of our broken NHS, they are just over whelmed.
You need to make another appointment with a GP or nurse, before you go write a list of your symptoms (including feeling depressed) and a list if questions. I did it because my head was so fuzzy when my bloods were high, and the GP was chuffed because it made the consultation easier! Ask for the test results, a print out of your blood results and of your scan results. That will prompt the doc to check that they have seen them. Sometimes we patients have to give these poor over worked, knackered doctors a nudge in the right direction (ha ha). I know it feels like climbing a mountain right now, but you needed to get this sorted. Take care if yourself Sue xxxxx
 
X-Ray results a week.
Scn results ten to fourteen days here in North ales.
Blood tests three to fourteen days depending what it is.
 
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