GPs and Diabetes

[cookiez]

This is probably been mentioned here before, and sorry if it has. I'll just blame it on being a newbie 😛

I have recently changed my doctors practice because the level of care I was recieving at my previous was bad. They had left me with high sugar levels for up to 2 years before I demanded to be refered to the diabetic clinc at my local hospital. My GP told me I was an overweight and lazy girl who needed to go to the gym.

When the clinc at the hospital finally told me I was diabetic and got me on my meds, my GPs complained and said they didn't think I needed to be on them, but they guessed the clinc knew better. I complained to the surgery head of practice but it fell on deaf ears.

I was stupid enough to not take it further until beginning of this year. My GP told me she was going to reduce my dose of Metformin from 3 to 2 a day. I was really happy at first but after a few days I soon realised that shouldn't my GP have spoken to the hospital clinic as they put me on them. So I rang my clinic and they made me an appointment to go in and see them.

I did, I told them what had been going on and then mentioned the metformin business. The look I got from the doctor was enough to tell me I needed to move surgeries; she was cross and asked me to start taking 3 doses again straight away! That afternoon I went to another doctors surgery and signed up.

Gah wall of text! Sorry. But... I just wondered what experiences everyone else has had with their GPs. I know not all GPs are bad and some are really good at what they do.

🙂​

​

 

[Northerner]

My GP is very good, but all my diabetes care goes through the clinic, not her. There have been far too many tales on here though of people, particularly Type 2s, who get poor or inadequate care. Sometimes it is because the doctor's knowledge is not up to date, or it may be that they carry misconceptions that are never challenged - one doctor said that someone over 40 could not be Type 1, they must be Type 2 😱

I'm glad you stood your ground and questioned what your doctor was telling you to do. The unfortunate thing is that they are probably giving poor advice to many others still Hope things are much better for you at your new docs! 🙂

 

[trophywench]

mmmm - some people report because they work really hard to keep their BG's level and their A1c's down, their doc says they can't be diabetic.

Others strike it lucky. It really is a postcode lottery.

Please take the time to go to the Diabetes UK website and participate in their survey - they are at this very moment trying to find out where the gaps are - you don't have to be a member of DUK as long as you are diabetic and you can certainly point em in one direction, can't you?

 

[Northerner]

Please take the time to go to the Diabetes UK website and participate in their survey - they are at this very moment trying to find out where the gaps are - you don't have to be a member of DUK as long as you are diabetic and you can certainly point em in one direction, can't you?

Link to survey here:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/Our_Views/Diabetes-Watch/

🙂

 

[Caroline]

I was going to ask if your doctor was the same as mine, but I noticed you live in Surrey, so I guess they are related.

It took me ages to get diagnosed and the dotor had told me loose weight get more exercise etc... Then there was a healthcare event at work and I went along with nothing to loose. They told me what I had known for sometime and they gave me a letter to take to my GP. He finally relented and did the necessary tests.

Although I am on an assortment of pills if it were not for the usefull information n this forum and the support I get here, I'd be all alone with it.

 

[Salinda]

I also live in Surrey but I have to say that the treatment I have received has been five star. Right from the beginning when I went to the GP with something unrelated and the GP said "While you're here......." to the speed that my retinopathy test was organised and follow up GP and nurse appointments arranged. Cookiez I hope you start receiving good treatment now.

 

[AJLang]

As far as I can recall at my current surgery the GP, who is very good in many ways, doesn't deal with any of the diabetes issues. They are all referred to the surgery's diabetes specialist nurse. But I do also have two diabetic consultants - in two different hospitals

 

[cookiez]

Northerner: I had heard my previous doctor state to my Mum, who was fuming as nothing was being done in the beginning, that Type 2 was for people who was older in life, therefore I was just overweight. Makes you wonder sometimes!

Trophy: I did participate in the survey [I saw it via FB]. I hope lots of people do it as well, its a chance to get voices heard 🙂

Caroline: I'm glad they finally listened, even if it was due to an outside source then your own GP at first. There is a lot of support here and I've only been signed up for a day, loving it 🙂

Salinda: Thank you! I go to see my new GP next Wednesday for my meds review and blood test... vampires the lot of them!

AJ: The doctor who reduced my metformin was the surgerys diabetic specalist GP. That is why I thought it was great that she was reducing things, at first.​

 

[Mark T]

...
Northerner: I had heard my previous doctor state to my Mum, who was fuming as nothing was being done in the beginning, that Type 2 was for people who was older in life, therefore I was just overweight. Makes you wonder sometimes!...

You could, on the basis of statistics, make that point. However diabetes affects people of all ages.

If that Doctor instantly dismissed Type 2 they could of considered Type 1, Type 1.5 LADA and the various monogenetic forms instead. That doctor was showing the same blind assumption that Type 1 is only in children - which a few people on here can disprove!

 

[trophywench]

I would like to know what specialist training these GPs have in order to be endowed with the title?

At my old surgery, when the 'specialist GP' business came in, the nominated one had actually been a houseman in Diabetes at a hospital and then decided he'd rather be a GP, so when he joined the surgery, he was employed as opposed to AN Other, for that very purpose. The reverse is true where I am now - the chap was a partner GP from when the practice opened, there were 4 of em and they each went for a 'specialism'. No idea whatsoever what any of their 'qualifications' for it are, except I did note that the minor ops chap has about a million (well at least 4 LOL) certificates on the wall with the legend 'RCS' at the top. And I can confirm that he is a very neat stitcher! LOL

Locally I do know the training the surgery nurse who is the 'diabetes nurse' got, yes - she's an absolutely top notch expert because she has had extensive and comprehensive training, comprising a whole afternoon on a course at Warwick Uni.

To cut a long story short, I've caught her lack of knowledge out on a number of occasions and she has also fibbed to me! Because I talk a lot (LOL) I usually manage to work the incidents into the chat conversationally when subsequently seeing the 'specialist' GP. The last one was amusing. I got my pump, Dr was highly delighted for me (bless) and spent 10 minutes earnestly explaining that I wouldn't be able to sort out pumping probs at the surgery because they weren't the experts (ROFL) so I must direct my queries to the hospital (I was glad he pointed that out .... Guffaw) and added that I was the very first pump patient the surgery had. I managed not to explode then said Oh that's weird, I thought you'd got quite a few already, because X said to me last year ... blah blah. Oh, how I wish I'd had my phone in my hand to take a picture of his face ......

 

[mcdonagh47]

I would like to know what specialist training these GPs have in order to be endowed with the title?
.

Check out thiswebsite .
https://www.diabetologists.org.uk/Shared_Documents/position_papers/ABCD_GPSI.pdf

Basically they have to be trained by a Consultant for a year.
"Gps with a Special Interest in ...whatever" are an innovation because of the shortage of Specialists in various disciplines ( e.g worldwide shortage of Endocrinologists to deal with diabetes ). The GPwSI s get training to do basic MOTs on patients to relieve the strain on Hospital Clinics and to keep services in the locality. About 13 conditions have been identified including Diabetes, where GPwSIs have been rolled out.

 

[ms6282]

I'm very happy with the support provided by my GP practice. No complaints at all. When my blood sugars shot up 18 months ago I rang them and one of the GPs rang me back to discuss my concerns and initiated a change to my meds. When it was clear that meds weren't working they referred me to the specialist team at the local hospital.

Last week, during my annual MOT I asked whether I could have some extra strips as I was running short most months (had to do a lot of testing as I've recently been put on insulin) and there was no problem - the nurse prescribed the extras straight away.

So I guess it's like most things, there are good and bad GP practices.

 

[Andrew]

Hopeless medical support

Hi

My diagnosis was fast enough ? Dr went nuts ? I saw the Dr every 3 days for about a month, however since then, I get keep taking the pills, no you are not having a BG meter you do not need it (scrounged a spare off of a friend) DESMOND Session next to useless, Optician Dr and Nurse no help over changing vision, this site is the most helpful and friendly asset I have found, still feel pretty illiterate about the whole diabetes thing, but getting a bit happier

 

[trophywench]

So you weren't told immediately on Diagnosis that your eyesight wouldn't settle down until your BG did? And whatever you did, not to buy any new glasses for at least 6 months?

Took mine 2 months before I could even focus long enough to go back to work ! (couldn't read, knit, sew, watch telly ...was I bored or what?)

 

[Ellie Jones]

Andrew

I am surprised, know your way very well I used to live at Chilton Polden, and my friend who lives in your villiage has had nothing but excellent diabetic care, always had test strips and when doc couldn't control her T2 she was sent over to the hospital clinic as a possible Byetta candidate which she now uses with great success...

 

[Andrew]

I do not know what to say

Hi

I really do not know what to say - if we are using the same Dr?s practice (and given local geography ) I assume that we are, we obviously have very different experiences. I have felt totally lost a lot of the time, and as for the DESMOND session as far as I am concerned that was a joke! The person running it on their own could not answer questions just told us to read the book!!!!

Andrew

I am surprised, know your way very well I used to live at Chilton Polden, and my friend who lives in your villiage has had nothing but excellent diabetic care, always had test strips and when doc couldn't control her T2 she was sent over to the hospital clinic as a possible Byetta candidate which she now uses with great success...

 

[AnnW]

I have seen my doc once since Dx, he told me I had to talk to the nurse rather than go to him. He then took my test strips off my prescription as I was testing too much ( in my first month of Dx twice a day!) the Desmond course was useless, one girl who was only there with her mother answered all the questions and it turned into a 'what a wonderful daughter you have' sort of day. None of the questions we said we wanted answering were answered.
My dietician and podiatrist are wonderful. My nurse is qnot, I ask a question and it ends up with her talking about what she is going to buy for her meal that evening.
So.... No strips, inadequate nurse and no doctor... Good innit? ( as everyone seems to say round here . )

 

[MargB]

I love my GP and she admits I now know more about diabetes than she does and when I see her we can discuss things. Problem is the main partner of the practice wants everyone to see the nurse first and she is a tick box fanatic. Will ask a question but won't listen to the answer but will tick the box to say she has asked the question!

If I move, the practice I could go to is one where I would never, ever see the same doctor twice, they are all part time whilst studying or lecturing for most of the time.

eeny meeny miney moe. Stick with great GP/rubbish nurse or switch to anonymous impersonal practice.

Thankfully, I found this forum the day of my diagnosis. Thanks guys.

 

[squeeze321]

I have no problems with the salaried GPs at my local practice but I have had problems with locum GPs giving bad advice on how to control my blood sugars ahahha. I had one GP tell me not to take a correction dose any higher than 10 units. I read that you should never exceed 4 units of novorapid for a correction dose and when I stick to this my blood sugars come down but don't go too low so the moral of the story is

'Diabetics are the experts when it comes to insulin doses'

 

[Susieb]

I'm not sure any GP could be as bad as mine. Without the long boring details I went to him in May with a very hot and swollen foot, I had 3 more appts up to July where he kept looking at saying it was hot weather and then when my foot actually changed shape he said it was the most 'classic fallen arch' he had ever seen. What he had actually missed (and he is the diabetic specialist at our surgery) was a condition called Charcot Joint which now leaves me in a plaster cast for at least 6 months, an operation at the end of it and then special surgical shoes for the rest of my life. Apparently had he been on the ball he would have known the symptoms for a Charcot, caught them really early which would then not have gone ahead to the mishapen foot where the bones slide and break. I made this worse by walking on it broken for about 8 weeks although I had been to see him 4 times prior to that. It was eventually picked up by the podiatrist he had sent me to for inserts for my 'fallen arch'. Further than that I have written 3 letters of complaint to the surgery and the PCT and have not even had the decency of a reply.