Pulaski

Well that usually seems to be where 3-4 threads each year end up.

robin1234

A typical nuisance healthcare bureaucracy example from yesterday.

I get a letter from Excellus BCBS, who are my current insurance company from my old employer (I'm retired.) The letter says, we note you'll be coming up to Medicare age in a few months time. We have Medicare Advantage plans & Medicare Supplement plans to offer you! Attend a free seminar in your area to find out more! So I go online, login, and look for seminars. "Sorry, there are no seminars in your area." So why did they send me the damn letter?

Pulaski

Well if you do live beyond the out fringes of the back of beyond, what do you expect?

LondonSquirrel

It really is the staff themselves. I once had a problem with recurring throat infections that left me feeling like I was being stabbed in the throat every time I swallowed. Twice I was so desperate I went to A&E. First time at Roehampton Hospital I waited 3 hours and was given strong painkillers and antibiotics. I felt better within half an hour and was able to eat again at last. The second time this happened I was nearby Charing Cross hospital and went there. I again waited 3 hours. Not a problem waiting as I know that they have to treat the serious cases as a priority. My problem was seriously painful but not dangerous. When at last I saw a doctor, after a cursory glance at my throat she snapped 'All you need is aspirin and you needn't think you are getting them free here!' Seriously did she think I would wait 3 hours to save 20p on a packet of aspirin?

In both cases it was the doctor's attitude towards me that determined how successfully they treated me, it was neither the hospital's fault nor the UK system (NHS).

scrubbedexpat097

Sorry, but I have to say this. The ER or A&E are not the places to go for sore throats/throat infections. I am not surprised the Doctor acted the acted the way she did.

Why didn't you see your own GP? If you couldn't do that then why not check with a local pharmacy and see what they suggest to help you until you can get to your own GP.

Derrygal

I couldn't agree more. My daughter is an ER nurse here in NE Ohio. She never ceases to amaze me by the things she sees in the ER. People go there for all sorts of reasons and ailments (including pregnancy tests)!! If people can't see their own doctors or it's after hours there are Urgent Care Centers and also Minute Clinics in various drugstores. That said - I believe the uninsured may not have access to health care at these other institutions but know that they will receive care at the ER. That is a whole other thread.............

Yorkieabroad

Not sure if that was aimed at me, but if so, I was asked a direct question and I responded - should I just have ignored the question? If it wasn't aimed at me, err, ignore this!:-)

Pulaski

It was my question. I appreciate you taking the time to respond, and I agree, if it was me it would have affected my view of US healthcare.

LondonSquirrel

It was the weekend, the doctor's was closed, a pharmacy couldn't provide antibiotics and I was in agony. It was a lot more than just a 'sore throat' I was in agony. This was one of the very few times I have ever been to A&E. Thanks for the sympathy.

LondonSquirrel

See above post, the was the 1980s and no urgent care centres then that I knew of. Doctors have a duty to be professional and she failed miserably in that.

Pulaski

Unless I am much mistaken, back then in the UK GPs provided "on call" service, meaning either you dragged them off the sofa on a Sunday afternoon, or out of bed at 3 in the morning, OR they contracted a "locum" service to cover for them. ..... IIRC the GP's phone number was redirected to a call centre where someone could redirect the call to either the GP's home number or the locum. It didn't happen often, but I know my mother called our GP outside of office hours a couple of times when my sister and I were children.

I do not know if GPs are still obligated to provide this service.

jenninedinburgh

I don't know if they are obligated to make house visits, but here in Scotland, if you call NHS 24, a GP will ring you back if deemed necessary to chat with you and give you further instruction.

OnwardandUpward

Actually there is a medical emergency called quinsy which is an abcess in the throat/ tonsils, due to severe tonsillitis, I had it some years ago and the symptoms are high temperature, neck pain, headache, throat pain etc. Fortunately I got prompt antibiotics and didn't require surgery but my then doctor told me it can be a severe even fatal condition if not recognized or misdiagnosed. Aspirin would not cure it, in fact would disguise the symptoms.

I think most good doctors or nurses would be aware that a raging sore throat can be symptomatic of serious illness.

LondonSquirrel

These days most doctors conract out their emergency coverage eg our local one is called emdoc based at a local hospital. There have been numerous complaints about these services operated by private companies, such as misdiagnosis leading to the death of the patient. I believe the last Labour government gave GPs these new contracts with more money for less duties.

scrubbedexpat097

She didn't fail miserably. She was an overworked stressed out A&E doctor who had probably been puked on, bled on, and had been fighting to save seriously ill or injured patients for god knows how many hours.

If everyone spent a day behind the scenes at an emergency department they might think twice about sitting for 3 hours waiting to see a doctor for a non-emergency.


It is not all like an episode of Casualty...

We left in '89 and calling a GP after hours was still the done thing. There were also after hour Chemists that would be available if needed. This was in rural Suffolk/Essex border area.