Are GPs useless?

powlesY

powlesY

powlesY

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12 Dec 2010
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I'm certainly of that belief. I've been ill for absolutely ages, like proper life altering ill. Seen like 4 or 5 different GPs dozens of times and it seems like i could go in with a broken ankle and they'd prescribe me anti-depression tablets, and i hear the same off of a lot of people.

A mate with a stomach bug went in and got prescribed SSRIs. Whenever you explain symptoms and they don't have an answer, the majority will use google directly in front of you, all the whilst telling you not to look up stuff on the net.

And then, if by some miracle they end up sending you to a specialist, it takes a ridiculous amount of time. I know that's mainly down to specialists perhaps being busy and there's always going to be waiting lists, but if the GP didn't feed you a load of rubbish for months you'd have had some sort of diagnosis by now.

Go on, insult me for my ignorance guys. :(
 
powlesY said:
Seen like 4 or 5 different GPs dozens of times and it seems like i could go in with a broken ankle and they'd prescribe me anti-depression tablets, and i hear the same off of a lot of people.
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My hyperbole alarm just went off. Twice.

powlesY said:
the majority will use google directly in front of you, all the whilst telling you not to look up stuff on the net.
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Oh there it goes again. "Now don't you be looking things up on the net young man! g o o g l e. "itchy yellow discharge""

powlesY said:
And then, if by some miracle they end up sending you to a specialist
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The Vatican will want to know. Right?
powlesY said:
Go on, insult me for my ignorance guys. :(
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I don't know that you need my help there.

:) I realise you're just venting, I'm just having a bit of fun.
 
powlesY said:
A mate with a stomach bug went in
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There's your problem there.
If people didnt go in ever time they feel a little bit sick or have a cold, etc. then you'd get seen a lot sooner and they would have more time to spend with you.
 
Isn't the OP a teenager?

Anyway, guess the OP has more knowledge and experience than a GP. guess he too did six years of medical school and thus has a complete grasp if the situation.

BZZZZT. Thought not.
 
powlesY said:
A mate with a stomach bug went in and got prescribed SSRIs. Whenever you explain symptoms and they don't have an answer, the majority will use google directly in front of you, all the whilst telling you not to look up stuff on the net.
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You do know there are a couple of websites specifically designed for doctors to look up symptoms... Right...? I'm sure they aren't just googling... ;)

Either way they understand what is actually written on the websites they are looking at far better than you.

I also question the fact you seem to be life alteringly ill yet none of your GP's know about it. Either it is a known ongoing condition, in which case they should know about your medical history, or you have been looking on too many websites...;)
 
If you do your research and go into the doctors knowing what you want then it's pretty easy. I have these symptoms and I want you to refer me to Dr./Mr. X for diagnosis and treatment.

As long as your request is reasonable they will just sign your referral. I don't think I've ever spent more than 5 minutes with a GP having taken this approach and I always get what I want.
 
Some are great, some are adequate, some are terrible. I'm not sure any of the ones I've met were worth their average wage of £100,000.
 
LordSplodge said:
Isn't the OP a teenager?

Anyway, guess the OP has more knowledge and experience than a GP. guess he too did six years of medical school and thus has a complete grasp if the situation.

BZZZZT. Thought not.
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I'm 23.

I never claimed that so don't put words in mouth. All i'm saying is they don't often take things seriously enough (like someone else said, down to the hypochondriacs no doubt). There's gotta be a point where they must think "ah, perhaps something is wrong here". I actually coughed up blood in front of the doctor once and he was like "try and keep active, bye", you know, despite the symptoms i'm describing to him making that very hard to do.
 
I expect it's quite a hard thing to do. I work in IT and I have hundreds of tools I can use to diagnose a problem. When you're a GP you have to rely on the patient describing their problems they will have a habit of over or under playing the symptoms.

You can't send everyone with a stomach ache to be MRI'd. You've got limited time and resources and your diagnostics are based on past experience and guess work.

I do know I'd not want to be doing it!
 
I've been ill for absolutely ages, like proper life altering ill
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If it was Life altering as you state then im sure your GP would have referred you or sought specialist care for you, depending on you're complaint.

Like InKursion said there is always the private route.
 
Amp34 said:
You do know there are a couple of websites specifically designed for doctors to look up symptoms... Right...? I'm sure they aren't just googling... ;)

Either way they understand what is actually written on the websites they are looking at far better than you.

I also question the fact you seem to be life alteringly ill yet none of your GP's know about it. Either it is a known ongoing condition, in which case they should know about your medical history, or you have been looking on too many websites...;)
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I have looked on websites, yeah - but that's after months of getting no proper answers from the doctor/s. I've had this "condition" or whatever for 18-24 months now and it's progressively getting worse. To be fair, i have had a few tests (a basic chest x-ray and sputum) and nothing was found so it's basically them thinking i'm psychosomatic now despite me proving an array of symptoms to them. 'Cause i'm a young lad that's not had any health problems before they don't consider it anything to worry about.
 
powlesY said:
I'm 23.

I never claimed that so don't put words in mouth.
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So still a kid then. I'm not putting words in your mouth rather pointing out you seem to think you know better than a well trained professional. You may well get one bad GP. I've seen plenty, I have more experience with that profession than you have had hot dinners.

However if you had seen plenty then at least one would spot something is amiss. Therefore I think we have, like stated, a severe cae of hyperbole.

PR. said:
I expect it's quite a hard thing to do. I work in IT and I have hundreds of tools I can use to diagnose a problem. When you're a GP you have to rely on the patient describing their problems they will have a habit of over or under playing the symptoms.
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GPs and medicine in general has hundreds of tools to diagnose problems. End users, like patients, tend to exaggerate issues or tell a version of the truth.

The difference is that in IT if you get it wrong people don't tend to die (mostly...)
 
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