Bah @ doctors

[Garry Spight]

I have to say the doctors have always been good with my family. after the mishap that happened to my wife mum. She was left un diagnosed with cancer for nearly a year and sadly passed away. now they are incredably good with anyone in the family

[tenchy]

that's unbelievably awful Garry, sorry to hear that.

[Garry Spight]

it is awful but was many years ago now when docs used to be really bad

[tenchy]

Unfortunately, I haven't seen much personally to suggest any improvement...

[Garry Spight]

oh there is well at least at my new docs when i moved house they are so nice there i actually dont mind going. they are on time and go out there way to help you

[Markulous]

It so depends on who you see - but it's always compounded by the problem that most people expect whoever they see to have all the answers and prescribe instant solutions. Sadly, being mere humans and not Gods they can only come up with tentative diagnoses - couched in terms that imply certainty!

Personally, I find the listening doctors the best (especially as I self-diagnose). A case in point was when I had Giardia (a nasty little parasite); I made a list of my symptoms and conclusion, submitted it to my GP and he agreed with my diagnosis, immediately prescribing antibiotic which cured it in 3 days (usually to reach a diagnosis lab results are required which can take weeks!). But then the patient isn't always going to get it right - last night's TV showed a woman who quite clearly was psychologically ill leading to physiological symptoms but she was in total denial, maintaining she had a physical illness - because she had physical symptoms she'd decided she must be physically ill and that the doctors were wrong!

But, as suggested, if you're not happy with a diagnosis then seek an alternative (like seeing a different GP in the practice)

[tenchy]

I agree with you there Mark, they are not gods, and I don't expect them to be.
But, very often symptoms are dismissed, and patient sent packing with aspirin, or penicillin, or anti inflammatories, and serious conditions are not caught early, and only caught when it is past the point of remedy...

It does of course depend who you see too. Some are much better listeners than others.

[Markulous]

I wouldn't disagree (maybe just that I'm a BIG fan of the NHS!) - been in hospital only twice and both were misdiagnoses (luckily neither life threatening although one involved the wrong operation). OH was a *nurse* and was told not to make a fuss about her pain which she thought was appendicitis - it burst and she nearly died (and she has a list as long as your arm of incorrect diagnoses, incorrect operations, etc - has nearly died more times than I've had hot dinners!)