You do Wonder Sometimes....

tillytop

I have posted previously about the ongoing battles I have with my GP surgery to record my Rituximab on their records ("not prescribed by us so nothing to do with us" etc etc).

Anyhoo, the other week, prompted by a letter about the upcoming national Emergency Care Record (or whatever it's called) I wrote to the practice manager, asking her to confirm that Ritux was recorded on my notes and would therefore be included on the Emergency Care thingy. The response was an extremely snippy letter saying basically - "as I told you before when you asked, your record shows the correct details and they are noted properly on the system where they will be obvious to anyone who looks."

I had my suspicions that this wasn't actually the case so today, when I went for blood tests I asked the nurse to check for me. After a good few minutes of looking, she could find no record of the Ritux (so much for it being obvious) and no record of the letter the practice manager had written to me. So she rang the practice manager and had a very patronising conversation about me "she's here with me and although you have told her it's on the system, she actually wants to see it on the screen". Eventually the nurse pulled up the right screen and said, yes, it says "patient is self administering Humira". So I told them I wasn't on Humira any more and was having Ritux infusions at the hospital to which the practice manager replied "well Humira and Ritux are the same drug - just a different brand name". Apparently that's what the GP told her (not my GP) I just couldn't believe it because Humira and Ritux are not even the same class of drug. The nurse's only response was a very stroppy "we'll take it from here" and "well the practice manager isn't a doctor". Never mind an apology!

I won't let this one go cos it's too important - but honestly! :roll:

Right - rant over. Time for a cuppa. And here's a little giggle for anyone who has read this far - I can't be cross for long cos I'm too busy laughing at myself. I have my pink rucksack stuck on my back - can't get it off so will be stuck like a pink tortoise until Mr Tilly comes home at lunchtime! Wot a plonker!

Tillyxx

Numptydumpty

Now Tilly, I don't think it's fair to call Mr.Tilly a plonker, after all it's you stuck in the pink rucksack, not him!
That has brightened my day.
All the best,
Numpty

tillytop

Oh Numpty you did make me giggle! It does read like that doesn't it?

Love Tillyxxx

stickywicket

Oh Tilly, Tilly, Tilly! You are in the pink! All day. Thank you for a lovely image and for being you, with the ability to laugh at such things.

Now, the surgery. You are absolutely right not to let this go. I don’t know which route you will decide to take – manager herself, PALS, whatever – but it needs sorting for you and for others. I am blessed with a practice that is spot on with such things. It sounds to me as if your docs have lazily appointed someone who is not up to the job and are quite happy to abdicate responsibility to her. The nurse sounds a bit of a nonentity too.

Please keep us informed and, if you need any rucksack (sorry, pocket ) duties, I’ll be there.

Any chance of catching a strap on a door handle and wriggling it off your back that way?

dreamdaisy

It is all too common nowadays, isn't it? I nearly miss my flu jab as my meth etc is not on the GPs records (nuffink to do wiv us, mate) now your surgery has the wrong info on you. Barbara didn't have her epidural thanks to faulty admin - perhaps we should just take charge ourselves. We cannot rely on the accuracy of those in charge of keeping our records - according to another letter sent from my rheumatologist to the GP I am taking adalimumab twice weekly. Ye gods. :roll: Meanwhile . . . .

Let's drink-a-drink-a-drink
To Tilly the pink, the pink, the pink
The saviour of the human ra -hay-ace
For she created
A giggle for Tuesday
Most efficacious, in every way.

DD

Folara

Lol Tilly, I had visions of you as a pink turtle stuck upside down on your back with you little legs wriggling hehehe.

Anyway on a more sensible note: they have a duty of care which means ALL medication you are taking should be on your medical notes held at the GP's and anything held at the hospital needs to be added. If there was an emergency and all your medication was noted there could be serious implications with drugs not mixing, symptoms not being shown etc.

I would write to the Practice Manager again and let her know you will also be sending a copy to the GMC (or whoever in charge of Practice Managers). Also send a copy of your previous letter and her response.

It really shouldn't be up to us to ensure the records are kept correctly, we have enough to worry about.

Fols x

mig

Sorry Tilly did have a giggle at the end of your rant,could see you with rucksack on your back,then fell about laughing at DDs song.Mig

Colin1

I recieved a letter to contact my GP for an appointment
I telephoned and asked why, they did not know. i recieved another letter some weeks later asking me to make an appointmen
I telephoned and asked why, they did not know.
I made the appointment ans saw a Doctor who said we need to send you for blood tests, because your on Methotrexate, how offten i asked, Every 2 weeks then every four weeks he replied telling me he was responcible for those patients who take methotrexate. I asked why he had not sent me in the past as i have been on Mtx for 5 years, i then asked if they took the time time to read the reports from the Rheumy and blood monitoring he was in one of those could not care less moods and it must have all been someone elses fault
Colin
Colin

tillytop

Thanks for all your replies - the (lack of) competency of our health professional astounds me sometimes. And they just don't even seem to think it matters!

Thank you too for "sympathy" for my pink tortoise/turtle dilemma! And thank you to DD for the song and to Sticky for suggesting a possible extrication method!

Well I am now free of my rucksack thank goodness and will have to find an alternative method of carrying my "stuff" which is manageable with my newly acquired crutches (hopefully only a short-term measure) :roll:

All I can say is that it must be very hot being a tortoise!

Tillyxxx

Annah

Tilly, what I can't understand is why you are continuing to see those numpties. Can't you change GP?

dreamdaisy

I don't think it's necessarily the GPs fault - surely they are not the ones responsible for updating systems etc. It's the standard of secretarial work which concerns me - or rather the lack of it! My usual GP has no qualms in taking my word for things and will happily amend any errors but the one I saw on Monday was a the polar opposite - oh, and a professional rheumatologist to boot :roll: (unlike me, I'm only an amateur one!) DD

bubbadog

I always have arguments with my doctor's receptionists & my doctor's secretary about my M.S.T meds due to them being a controlled drug and not being able to put on repeat pescriptions. My G.P has noted on the meds list that I can have my M.S.T tabs for upto a month without having to see my G.P rather than me being dragged into the surgery every couple of weeks. And I can see on my Surgery site online when I need to speak to my G.P as a monthly check up to make sure I'm still alright. So when I ring inbetween to ask for them I end up having the same problem as you tilly they reckon there's nothing on the screens and then I get put through to my G.P's secretary to sort it out and she's the same and I end up speaking through gritted teeth I can see it on my records screen on line I'm looking at it now! And she will ask what screen and I tell her and she's talks like a little girl saying oh there! When I put the phone down I scream cause they are such idiots! So I know tilly what's it like! You feel like your doing there job for them!

I did have a giggle picturing you sitting in the nurses room looking like a pink ninja turtle!! And being stuck like it all day I'm chuckling now typing! And DD's poem is great!!

mouseymousey

Just a thought but could you have a word with your chemist too? Mine is a very good chap (he really goes the extra mile) and he/she may be able to write a letter too - saying they have issued you with it blah blah?
Hope it all works out - and hope you aren't laying on the sofa attached to a rucksack! Mx

cthornley

I would write again to the practice and copy in the primary care trust - chief executive, google them to find out the details & make sure you write cc. Chief Executive of blah blah PCT on the bottom of the main letter so the GPs know that a copies gone. This will hopefully light a fire under them to ensure they get it sorted.
I would go down the route that states something like " despite trying to inform you on several occasions that I am on xyz under the care of the hospital, it seems that the GP has no correct record when I last visited. Please could you ensure that my records/ the computer is updated with the following information..... as I am concerned that drug interactions will be missed and any emergency treatment could be compromised"

Chrissie

pinkbritishstars

Ohh Tilly.

Hugs

xxx

tillytop

Belated thanks for your replies - really appreciate them and the good ideas about how I can move this forward.

Thanks again peeps.

Tillyxxx