LG – Your experiences with this consultant are so dire that I wonder about the suicide rate of people attending his clinic.
I think it is really important that you are highlighting the kind of terrible treatment that some of us have to put up with. People should know that they are not the ones at fault, that some docs simply have their heads up their arse. I think there is a real concern that vulnerable people might be going to this clinic and coming out feeling abandoned and hopeless. Let’s hope that they are reading here.

dt

Your experiences with this consultant are so dire that I wonder about the suicide rate of people attending his clinic.

I am not suicidal. but the ‘consultation’ with this Dr has definitely had a delayed effect on me and I am feeling down about it.
I think delayed shock.

The fact is, he made me feel like I shouldn’t have been there and am selfish to ask for treatment. Worthless.

Yes, I have decided to highlight it. I’m sure this won’t help my ’cause’ – but I feel it is important that people know how things are for some of us , especially if we dare to ask any ask questions.

My previous consultant was a lovely, kind and excellent Dr, so they’re not all the same, but I was allotted this one without any notice. I do feel they are shipping in younger, less experienced Drs to save money now.

It was very awkward because he also contradicted himself – and it became apparent to me he had lied. He knew it and I knew it. This was at the start and unfortunate – For me that is. (I did manage to keep quiet re the ‘contradiction’ and not point it out)

I have been urged to ‘press for an Ultrasound and treatment as soon as possible’ by another Dr, would rather not say who. How can I do this if I am not to be seen until minimum June 2016?

I have brought up the matter of the questionable 2nd fibroscan and this Drs reponse ws ‘There’s no o difference between 8.7 and 6.1’ .

It has made me rather tearful, you seek medical advise, wait 8 months for an appointment and they make you feel like a ungrateful beggar. I will clearly have to treat myself, although I get the feeling monitoring will not be forthcoming on the NHS.
This is not my point of principle though, that is the manner in which we are (un) – treated

Then what the hell are they there for, just asking! (apart from drawing a salary under some kind of bizarre false pretences)

My feelings exactly zhuk.
Think he was drafted in to tell patients they will not be treated yet and why. No intentions at all for a medical consultation.

I’m starting to wonder if there is something on my medical records – It’s been difficult all the way though – Excpet for one nice Dr and I originally saw him privately, but he did go the extra mile.

My first Dr after waiting for 3 months after diagnosis, didn’t turn up – He just left a note with the receptionist saying ‘He didn’t want to see me’.

LG – I also note that you are a small woman. I am quite tall but I have friends who are small women. When we compared notes on the behaviour of (UK) men we found to everybody’s astonishment that small women seemed to draw an inordinate amount of bullying and generally threatening behaviour. My smaller friends reported feeling threatened when they were on the street by themselves, much more than me. One of them has now left the UK and lives in the Netherlands. One of her stated reasons was that she never felt safe in public places, on the street or the buses, etc. I was shocked to hear of her being touched inappropriately on the buses. Nobody ever did that to me, but I am big enough that I would have got up and punched them, or so they might have thought.

So, please appreciate that this is all hearsay from my diminutive woman friends. It has not been my own experience in the UK. But I trust them. Unfortunately for you, you may have encountered a bit of this neanderthal throwback.

Apologies in advance to all UK men to whom this does not apply.
dt

I do see your dilemma.
So if you have to work with the NHS then can you change your GP? Pick a woman, preferably a small one. No guarantees but at least you’ll eliminate the neanderthal male factor.

If you were not anxious about all this it would be a miracle. Unfortunately the times when we have to be the most strong are the times when we are feeling the worst. It does not help your cause to break down. I learned this on the trial I did when I had to really fight for what I wanted at a time when I was completely messed up by the drugs. So I guess there’s a lesson in this. Do the fighting before you get on to the drugs.

You are entitled to get a complete copy of your medical records for a small fee (£10ish) and I would recommend you do this, if only to check on your suspicions that you have got some kind of a black mark against you. Demand this and demand a timeframe for receiving them. There must by law be one. Also when you have your records it will be easier to correct any mistakes in them. Then you and your new GP can start off on the same page.

Have no doubt that others will be helped by reading this who are currently going through their own encounters with mediaeval mindsets and practices here in UK.

dt

Thank-you DT and Jolie I don’t know if it’s bullying, yes, maybe emotional bulling, I have my reasons to suspect that, or just pure arrogance.Many NHS staff are overworked and stressed too, but they are being paid to do their job and we are the patients, you know?I am a teacher, when I was diagnosed it was because I also danced and muscles had wasted so had to give it up as muscles were not supporting joints and I was getting injured and I had mentioned this However, I notice on all my letters I am listed as an ex-dancer. Maybe snobbery, thinking dancers are not very bright? The last consultant definitely talked to me like I didn’t have more than one brain-cell, maybe he thought that one was was in my feet !

I have already changed hospitals once. The 1st hospital was when Dr didn’t show up & left note.
Then Hep C nurse ‘forgot about me’ (admitted it and apologised eventually) so I couldn’t find out my Genotype or blood test
results etc After months or more of fighting for these, I changed hospital. At that hospital there is no way to contact them, you just get an answer-phone IF you’re lucky. Eventually I left a message saying ‘I do hope I don’t have to take this further’ then someone called me to say they had ‘forgotten about me’. Not that they had my notes to hand, so still had to fight for those details!

Was so much happier at my new hospital, it has been great compared to the first, nice staff, never had to wait for long, even with admin mistakes and questionable fibroscan I have been much happier there until now as I had a good consultant. To change again and set myself back to the beginning is not something I relish the thought of. and no doubt will be noted on my records. Also, I as told the new Dr ********* ‘may not stay long’ by the nurse. I could change hospital and find I’d been allocated the same guy – Arggg – The stuff of nightmares!

Re GP, He’s the nicest one out of a questionable bunch. Finding one with space around here is not easy.
I am just getting to the stage where I can hardly bear to talk to any of them, you know? but at the same time, I cannot afford private scans etc although have paid for my own blood tests recently Have found if I say ‘my consultant said it would be helpful if ‘ …. GP would offered LFTs and even VL test – However if I ask about anything, it is just poo-pooed. Sexism? Doctorism? My partner says he has never had anything like this and is listened to. I do think they are very set in their ways, in more ways than one. Maybe I should just use this prelude before saying anything.

Treatment wise I will take matters into my own hands, Monitoring wise I will sort it out, somehow – Hopefully!
ps Sorry so long!