“I believe the GP is now flawed as they cant remember everything and now act as a referral service. Even the nhs knows this and has set up nhsdirect.”

Not quite true, NHS Direct was put in place to stop people accessing the NHS inappropriately. In essence it hasn’t worked as they could only say go to hospital due to the risk of litigation. NHS Direct is now being scrapped and more local referral systems put in place.

GP’s are not expected to know everything and do a very difficult job. Yes they act as a referral service, surely as a patient that is what you want, to see some one who can make an informed decision as to who can give you the specialist care you need?

As to original post, it may well be worth talking the Practice Manager and logging the incident. That way it will be brought to the attention of the Partners and the GP concerned. Nobody is infallible and it could well be a learning point for the GP concerned.

As to all the other comments about you knowing better than the GP or the internet being a better source of info…. I needed a good laugh this morning !

I really wish GPs would credit folk with some intelligence

My original quote. I was dismissed as a moaning menopausal women despite having ALL the classic symptoms of a particular condition. I questioned his judgment – big mistake. He wanted to prescribe me AD’s.

I had to seek treatment elsewhere due to being in no fit state, physically or mentally, to argue my case.

I have since seen a female GP who has taken me seriously and has wanted to know about my alternative treatment.

Perhaps GP’s people skills need to be improved upon?

Probably.
I don’t know what the percentage of proper patients to time-wasters are in a typical GP’s day, but judging by some of the drivel that I’ve seen work colleagues go to the GP with it must be pretty high. So I guess it must be pretty hard to switch out from the “yes there’s a lot of it about, you won’t die” mode into one which is more investigative.
I’m not making excuses for your GP BTW, but I sure as hell haven’t got the people skills to pay 100% attention to everyone in a day 🙂

We have just had our 3 child in an NHS hospital….once again, they f***ed it up. Can’t even bring myself to talk about it right now, but the NHS is so poor it’s heartbreaking. It’s not a money thing, it’s a competence and attitude issue.

I’m afraid I credit GP’s with a lot of ‘intelligence’ but wrapped up in so much arrogance that they cease to perform a useful function. TBH, for health problems i’ve had, I would rather have seen a nurse who listens then a doctor who technically knows his stuff, but won’t listen to the facts. It does not matter how much training a doctor has, if he won’t listen, it is impossible for him to make a judgement.

M_F – Hope things get better soon.

“I don’t know what the percentage of proper patients to time-wasters are in a typical GP’s day”

I don’t know the figures either, but I do know the reason why you can’t always get an apppointment.

GP’s receive income based on their list size. This means they can only afford to employ x number of GP’s. More and more people are booking appointments to see the GP when they have a cold, or even just because they fancy a chat with the GP (I kid you not). Unless GP’s start refusing to accept these types of patients, then unfortunately waiting times are going to get longer and longer.

@ the OP, commonest viral infection in younger kids at this time of year is respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, which produces the symptoms you describe – bronchiolitis, it is usually over & done with in 5 to 10 days. Nicely contagious, so no surprise twin 2 has developed same symptoms. Common complication is a chest infection/pneumonia, at the point GP saw baby 1 first if they listened to baby chest it is unlikely that a significant chest infection was present.

RSV information sheet here

RSV damages the inner lining of the airways, particularly the cillae so all the crap & gubbins stays stuck, and produces the very distinctive and harsh cough you’ve heard.

Both twins will probably now endure a winter of coughs & colds, and possibly viral associated wheeze. These problems can persist for up to 12 months or so.

I’m no GP lover, mine didn’t investigate me properly when I was developing my brain tumour, but they are increasingly jacks of all trade and under a lot of pressure on a daily basis.

NHS DIRECT, LOCAL WALK IN CENTRE, LOCAL PHARMACIST, all advertised on the back of the buses round here there are alternatives to a gp, not all of them do a good job, just like us skilled tradesmen ,sometimes we make mistakes , and dont we just know off the customer when we do.

Not happy with the gp change gp,s complain, i fhe gets a lot of complaints, then hopefully he will be puishing trolleys at asda.

Missingfrontalobe – twin 1 had a mucus swab tested and it came back negative for bhroncilitis (sp?)

It was confirmed bacerial and fortunately they both seem a bit better this morning, twin 1 eating for the first time in 72+ hours – Cheerios and cheese!

Glad to hear your little ones are on the mend MF

Do you always make sure you see the same GP with your kids MF?

I know its not always possible, but I think it makes for a better service for both sides in the long run.

We do when we can but our surgery operates an emergency on-call doctor service so if we ring same day and/or out of normal surgery hours we have no choice.

Do hope the liitle ones get better M_F.
Worth remembering that GPs are as described, general practitioners, and may only have spent 6 weeks doing hands on paedeatric training.
With little ones if your worried you can always go straight to A and E and you will be assessed by paed. on call who can get advice from a consultant.

“With little ones if your worried you can always go straight to A and E and you will be assessed by paed. on call who can get advice from a consultant.”

Really? That would be the case in a Childrens Hospital, but I know that certainly isnt the case in most District Generals where over night there will on be a junior on who more than likely will have no Paeds experience.

“Really? That would be the case in a Childrens Hospital, but I know that certainly isnt the case in most District Generals where over night there will on be a junior on who more than likely will have no Paeds experience”.

Fair point, i guess i was trying to say that by going direct to hospital with little ones if concerned your more likely to get a more sympathetic ear and not fobbed off and sent home.

Unfortunately I think the GP profession attracts the doctors who are either not good enough or are too lazy to succeed in proper specialities.

I’m biased because a couple of people close to me have had some terrible experiences with GPs recently, one of whcih ended up hospitalised for a couple of months and will probably never recover fully from a heart infection that could have been nipped in the bud had the GP listened early on. Dr Google managed to get the right diagnosis!

The GPs, especially those partnered ones are a huge drain on NHS resources and are effectively just an expensive triage service.

Not many with anything positive to say about GP’s here…?

Not many with anything positive to say about GP’s here…?

Of course in my situation I have been terribly cynical and thought that GPs were under orders NOT to refer anyone to a specialist. A cursory glance at my records would have indicated that I very rarely visit a GP.

Not many with anything positive to say about GP’s here…?

Well i’ll stick up for them. At 5 weeks old my 2nd child has what I regarded as a bad cold. She was too young for me to officially give calpol to – I called the GP got an appointment straight away – and when I walked in he said “what wrong” – I said “she’s got manflu – but she is too young for calpol”. He didn’t have much of a sense of humour, but half an hour later she was in hospital getting a lumber puncture for suspected meningitis. She didn’t have meningitis – but spent 4 days in hospital on IV antibiotics.

mastiles_fanylion – Member
Missingfrontalobe – twin 1 had a mucus swab tested and it came back negative for bhroncilitis (sp?)

Fair enough, but accuracy of that test depends a lot on the skill of the person taking the aspirate sample or swab. Easy to not get into the naso-pharyngeal cavity, therefore it misses the area that the RSV is found.

Really? That would be the case in a Childrens Hospital, but I know that certainly isnt the case in most District Generals where over night there will on be a junior on who more than likely will have no Paeds experience.

If the district general has a paeds department, many do, they’ll have paeds cover up to specialist registrar on site & consultant cover off site 24/7.
Junior might be a GP trainee on a paeds attachment, Spec reg will generally be a career paeds though. Problems are usually that they are covering A&E, maternity & special care, & whatever paeds inpatient wards the hospital has, so they tend to be stretched thin on the gorund at night.

Fair enough, but accuracy of that test depends a lot on the skill of the person taking the aspirate sample or swab. Easy to not get into the naso-pharyngeal cavity, therefore it misses the area that the RSV is found.

It was taken using a pipe inserted into her nostril and suctioned out – not sure what more they could do, but I am sure you will tell me 😐

More to the point, how are they both now?

They are both much better thanks – walking around, smiling and playing – but still not eating properly and sleeping lots. But thankfully the worst is well over now and we are happy we pressured for the anti biotics for twin 2 because she never got anything like as ill as twin 1.

🙂