GPs:Behind Closed Doors C5

[Northerner]

Just watching this tonight and they have just shown a consultation with a Type 2 person whose HbA1c had 'gone up slightly' (sadly, they didn't give the number). Cutaway to a GP explaining all about diabetes...

• There are two type of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2 (there are many more types)
• Type 1 is mainly diagnosed in children and teens (not from the experience of an increasing number of our members)
• Type 2 is caused by eating the wrong things and obesity (starting to fume)
• Type 2 is progressive, from D&E, then adding in tablet by tablet.

Grr! They then returned to the consultation. All very jokey as the man admitted that he was careful about red meat and fat, but had a weakness for sugar. The entire conversation then centered around sugar consumption, no mention of other carbs at all.

In my opinion, not much useful advice given, and a slew of myths and clichés for Joe Public

No wonder people don't take it seriously and don't know how to manage it

 

[happydog]

I have had T2 for three years now and it is hard to believe that this nonsense is still being trotted out to patients and the general public. As you say Alan it is no wonder that T2s are scared and bewildered. I was until I found this forum. I am beginning to see just the first green shoots of a different kind of thinking such as that not all T2s are overweight and don't do anything. 🙂

 

[Caroline]

There is a lot of bad advice from health care professionals in general about diabetes. On one of my stays in hospital a nurse said I needed insulin to treat my hypo of 4.6. I put me foot down and said no and then demanded to see the nurse in charge and the diabetic specialists to put the nurse right, The nurse was told not to treat hypos with insulin and that she needed further training.

 

[Northerner]

There is a lot of bad advice from health care professionals in general about diabetes. On one of my stays in hospital a nurse said I needed insulin to treat my hypo of 4.6. I put me foot down and said no and then demanded to see the nurse in charge and the diabetic specialists to put the nurse right, The nurse was told not to treat hypos with insulin and that she needed further training.

So dangerous Caroline - thank goodness you had your wits about you! 😱 When I was diagnosed, on the second night I had a hypo of 2.0. The night nurse panicked a bit and brought me some tea and sugar - I didn't have a clue how much I needed (and was very hypo of course!), so shovelled it in and ended up with a level of 30! 😱

 

[cherrypie]

I watched the programme. The HCP involved is the practice nurse. She had to get someone to sign the prescription and I have seen her before doing routine tasks.

I was cringing as she spoke. Her superior attitude to all things diabetic made me laugh as her observations about diabetes was so wrong. It also highlighted that some patients do not challenge anything that is said but assume that what they are being told is gospel.
Someone, somewhere is allowing her to provide misinformation because they are misinformed as well.
Sad state of affairs.

Edited to add. There was a student nurse with her and I wonder if this placement for him meant that he believed everything that she said?

 

[shirley]

I saw this too and it simply confirmed all of my worst suspicions. I posted yesterday about my uncle who reports to his "diabetes team" that his morning results are around 26 and they tell him to just continue. He can barely walk. I have lots of friends whose parents have type 2 and don't test ever and continue to eat whatever they want, believing that a couple of metformin each day will do the trick. Don't the NHS want save monies in the future? The nurse on the programme last night is simply negligent.

 

[Stitch147]

Dont normally watch this program but may have to watch this episode

 

[Northerner]

I watched the programme. The HCP involved is the practice nurse. She had to get someone to sign the prescription and I have seen her before doing routine tasks.

I was cringing as she spoke. Her superior attitude to all things diabetic made me laugh as her observations about diabetes was so wrong. It also highlighted that some patients do not challenge anything that is said but assume that what they are being told is gospel.
Someone, somewhere is allowing her to provide misinformation because they are misinformed as well.
Sad state of affairs.

Edited to add. There was a student nurse with her and I wonder if this placement for him meant that he believed everything that she said?

Hadn't noticed she was a nurse, I was only half listening with my back turned, but my ears pricked up when I heard 'Type 2' 🙄

The cycle of misinformation continues, since the nurse must have been taught by someone similarly misinformed I'm sure there are so many people who just believe that the pills sort everything out - they even probably come with side-effects just so the patient knows they must be working 😱

Dont normally watch this program but may have to watch this episode

The programme can be seen tonight at 8pm on channel 55 (freeview 5+24) 🙂

 

[Amigo]

I was told by a specialist (not for diabetes) this week that my HbA1c was too low at 41 and I was at risk of hypos.

I advised him that as I was an unmedicated Type 2 I didn't suffer from hypos. In fact my understanding is that real hypos don't happen in that situation? He just looked perplexed!

 

[Northerner]

I was told by a specialist (not for diabetes) this week that my HbA1c was too low at 41 and I was at risk of hypos.

I advised him that as I was an unmedicated Type 2 I didn't suffer from hypos. In fact my understanding is that real hypos don't happen in that situation? He just looked perplexed!

Hypos in non-diabetics can occur, but usually for another reason e.g. reactive hypoglycaemia where the pancreas overproduces insulin in response to a sudden high blood sugar, or in cases of extreme exercise/exhaustion e.g. Paula Radcliffe at the end of a 140 mile training week or Ranulph Fiennes crossing the Antarctic 🙄 😱

 

[Stitch147]

OMG!!! just been watching it on catch up! Offering to slap a patient as they are eating chocoltae isnt very helpful! Go away and i'll see you in 3 months time! If I had done that sort of thing instead of going back then my BG levels would still be all over the place rather than coming down like they finally are. It is crazy that this still happens in surgeries. Im glad that forums like this are here to help people.

 

[Amigo]

I was told by a specialist (not for diabetes) this week that my HbA1c was too low at 41 and I was at risk of hypos.

I advised him that as I was an unmedicated Type 2 I didn't suffer from hypos. In fact my understanding is that real hypos don't happen in that situation? He just looked perplexed!

Interesting northerner...though I'm not likely to ever be in that position with my back😉
I'd have thought he'd be pleased to see my HbA1c at that level however instead of encouraging me to reduce control. Seems very odd advice from a senior doctor but nothing surprises me anymore!

 

[Amigo]

Oops, included my own post instead of your response northerner. I haven't got the hang of this yet! Lol

 

[Northerner]

Interesting northerner...though I'm not likely to ever be in that position with my back😉
I'd have thought he'd be pleased to see my HbA1c at that level however instead of encouraging me to reduce control. Seems very odd advice from a senior doctor but nothing surprises me anymore!

I think we've discussed this a lot on the forum over the years, Amigo - some HCPs throw up their arms in horror at anything approaching a good 'non-diabetic' level and assume it's because you are constantly keeling over half-comatose and surrounded by paramedics 🙄 They present an interesting dilemma, we need to try our hardest to maintain as close to non-diabetic levels as possible, but if we do then they will tell us we can't possibly be achieving it without radical misbehaviour and lack of control! To me, this shows just how little they understand about living with diabetes 41 mmol/mol is bloody brilliant! 🙂

 

[AlisonM]

I think surgery staff, doctors and nurses should be the focus of a Training Campaign by DUK to ensure they at least know the basics. The things I've heard said, and seen reported here are enough to give a sane diabetic nightmares.

The worst part is for every one of us, there are hundreds out there feeling bad about themselves because they are being treated badly. Wondering why theyre still so ill when they're doing everything they're told and it just isn't working... Their own fault of course, after all, they did it to themselves, didn't they?

 

[pottersusan]

It will all be wonderful when the Tories launch their Diabetes Strategy next year 🙄... What me cynical?!

I'm looking forward to meeting my Tory MP next week - unless he has another meeting with the PM

 

[Bloden]

There is a lot of bad advice from health care professionals in general about diabetes. On one of my stays in hospital a nurse said I needed insulin to treat my hypo of 4.6. I put me foot down and said no and then demanded to see the nurse in charge and the diabetic specialists to put the nurse right, The nurse was told not to treat hypos with insulin and that she needed further training.

O...M...G, Caroline. That's very frightening!😱😱😱