Update on Yesterday

This morning I recieved a call from the GP receptionist who informed me that in the light of the letter i'd brought in yesterday that they could offer me an appointment if I would like to call back after 2pm

WHAT THE F***?


update ***

Husband had an appointment with another GP who has asked to see me and offered to take more interest in my care. Welcome to health professional no. 33!

Handed in

I wrote this yesterday after experiencing another panic attack ... It has been slightly altered due to hand writing it for the GP due to printer issues

Dear Doctors

I think I need to see you. I don't know. It has become impossible to cope with living like this anymore and I am desperate for help. I tried to talk with one of you in January, but you were too busy to listen. I felt the upshot of my complaint to the practice manager went along the lines of - well you should have waited longer for the doctor to make time for you - I had booked the appointment on 29th December for the 18th January, you were running 20 mins behind, left me in a room for 5 minutes (to speak to another doctor about another issue not related to me) after I told you I was thinking about suicide. Unfortunately for me, the accumulated anxiety from waiting FOR 3 WEEKS, the depression, the pain, then being ignored, meant that I left and could not bring myself to come back.

When I returned, 2 weeks later, to ask for advice regarding my upcoming appointment with the bowel surgeon, you told me not to come back until I had seen him and gastroenterology.

The referral to the pain clinic has yielded little help. At the follow-up, I was informed that if I want to see what pain really looks like hang around there for a while and had I ever tried meditation? Yes, I have; often and regularly.


Friday I had the exploratory in my bowel booked (and possibly fix the rectocele that gynaecologist refused to do when removing my uterus 3 1/2 years ago and I've been referred 2x to Mr. Clarke for, but I don’t know as it hadn’t really been communicated to me). It has been 4 months since I saw the surgeon in clinic: I was quite uncomfortable and unsure about the whole situation. You made it clear you didn’t want to discuss it; there was nothing more you could do to help or support me, you said. Come back when I've seen all these other people, you said.
On Friday morning I was very nervous. The nurse told me not to be silly. I was extremely constipated, but there was no one to discuss this with. How does one stop being silly? 

I was going for bowel surgery with a loaded bowel; how would that work? There was no one to ask. 

Is this really so unreasonable and silly?

I waited to be seen and when the surgeons assistant (?) came to see me, he didn’t know who I was 2x, he still came to see me a 3rd time and, although he got my name correct, proceeded to tell me they would be operating on the mass found in my bowel. THE MASS FOUND IN MY BOWEL. I asked what mass, he said it was probably an abscess. Again I asked what was he talking about, he told me a mass was found on my MRI. I said I hadn’t had one, I’ve never had an MRI. He said I had and then that he didn’t know what was what and wandered off. At this point, and over the following 10 minutes or so, my reasoning went out of the window. My husband, being unable to calm me, helped me leave the ward whereupon I had the most horrific experience of my life. I experienced extreme panic, I could not breathe, think or move. All I know is that I could not remain there.

Since then I have felt, really, it would be quite important to come and see my GP. That what people do isn’t it? That's what all the literature concerning anxiety and depression says … see your GP, talking it over with your GP, let your GP know how you feel. This morning I didn't let the anxiety stop me leaving the house, I walked down the road see a doctor. I spoke to the receptionist and realised that I couldn’t leave the house again to come back for the appointment she offered for 1 hour 40 mins later. She then rang me offering me half an hour later, but I cannot cope with the prospect of going outside. It further fuelled my panic and I couldn’t think of anything other than how ridiculous I was being. Ridiculous for feeling like this and stupid for thinking there would be anything other than pills to help me. The pills don’t work, or they don’t do what you want them to, or the side effects are just more issues that stand in the way of life, or … I don’t know. 

I cannot see what benefit I would get from seeing a GP other than wasting an appointment on me that would be better served helping someone you can. I am not an emergency; there seems to be very little you can or will do to help. I don’t know where else to go for what else to do but stay in my room.

I don’t know.

Follow up to complaint 22/2

dear mrs wilson
further to my letter of 7/3 and as promised i write detailing the outcome of my investigations. I have now been able to discuss the consultation with dr jee and have read the notes made on your medical records of the consultation of the morning 18/1.

on the morning of the 18/1 dr jee was one of four members of stand at fernside surgery that day. the other three staff were a physotherapist, a steps to wellbeing counsellor and a receptionist. Dr jee was the duty doctor both for heather view and fernside surgery that day which means if an emergency situation arose by a patient or another heathcare colleague Dr jee would need to attend to it immediately, either on the phone or face to face.

you were the third patient on dr jee’s list and unfortunately after about 2 minutes into the consultation Dr ponton, who was working at our main surgery telephoned dr jee regarding an urgent matter. he was aware from our computer system that dr jee was consulting at the time but he felt that it was urgent enough to interrupt her. our protocol is that a doctor is only to be inturrupted by a telephone call if it is extremely urgent and for the doctor to be contacted by electronic messaging system for any other issues. we operate this protocol as we are totally aware of how disconcerting it is for the patient when a consultation is interrupted.

as the only doctor at fern side that morning dr jee was the only persona available to deal with an urgent clinical matter. she answered the phone and spoke to dr ponton briefly. she informed him she would call him back and ended the call and continued the consultation with yourself. when speaking with you it soon became obvious that you had a complex medical history and she needed to ensure that she had all the clinical information on your notes. when hospital letters or letter from other healthcare organisations come into the surgery they are scanned onto the patients notes by reception staff. this is not always done the same day and dr jee left the room to go and check there were no letters waiting to be scanned onto your notes in reception.she did this in order to ensure she had all the information available to her to ensure that she could offer you the best and correct care available. dr jee advised you of this and let the consultation room. dr jee is sorry that her communication regarding the situation was inadequate and made you feel abandoned. this is not howe we want any of our patients to feel when the come to see a doctor or nurse.

Whilst dr jee was in reception she realised that she needed to return the telephone call to dr ponton and wanted to give you her full attention on her return she called dr ponton. unfortunately the telephone call took several minutes and at this point you left the consultation room and fern side surgery. i believe dr jee then followed you out of the building asking you to return to the consultation room which you refused to do so. dr jee then telephoned you to try to explain what happened as asked if you would like to come back and continue the consultation, which you informed her that you would not be coming back to the surgery. dr jee is sorry that her communication regarding the situation was inadequate and made you feel abandoned; this is not how we want any of our patients to feel when the come to see a doctor or nurse.

as mentioned earlier i have checked the consultation records and have conferred with dr ponton and dr jee and i am of the opinion that this is a very unfortunate situation with a doctor trying to attend to several issues in a very busy practice. as previously stated dr jee tried to explain to you why the interruptions we necessary and offers her sincere apologies as this is something that does not normally happen.

in summary, i am sorry that the event of the 18/1 have upset you to the point that you felt that you had to write a letter of complaint. on behalf of the surgery please accept my most sincere apologies for any distress this may have caused you. the unfortunate circumstances around an emergency call coming through to dr jee whilst in the middle of you consultation, i hope is not a frequent occurrence, however i hope you understand that as duty doctor that dy she had a duty of care to contact dr ponton as soon as possible.

once again, please accept my apologies for the distress caused to you on the occasion.