[lettie]

GPs should provide alternative cover when they have personal functions to attend, weddings funerals etc. We have to provide that kind of cover within the hospital so I don't see why they cannot provide the same cover in the community. There are plenty of GPs out there who are more than willing to do locum work to cover such events. The surgery would have to pay them of course..

If you are rude to the doctors, nurses or staff within hospitals it will go down on your records. This will not stop them from treating you unless you have been violent and then the hospital has every right to terminate your care and send you elsewhere ie, to another health district. This is to make you think twice about violence by making you have to travel to receive care. If you have been violent to a member of staff they may also prosecute. General complaints are followed up so long as you complain in the right way, reasonably, without shouting or swearing and it also helps to put your complaint in writing. Complainig about your care does not affect future care that you may receive, in fact many of the hospital nurses and doctors will be totally unaware that you have complained as this does not go on record and is followed up separately by management. Only the specific staff involved in your complaint will be aware that there is a gripe in about them. I don't know how this works within GP surgeries and can only speak for where I work.

People will complain about anything within the NHS. Some of the complaints are so petty and funny that it beggars belief. I will give you a couple of examples.

When a woman has a baby she is presented with a Bounty Pack. This pack is supplied by a private company and nothing to do with the hospital. The company has an agreement with the hospital that they can work on the premesis and the company often supply photographs. The contents of the pack include lots of advertising bumf for baby stuff, money off vouchers and free samples of various baby products. A couple of years ago we received a written complaint from a lady who said that there wasn't enough free stuff in the pack for her to be able to use on her baby for any length of time!!!!!!!

Now my reply to this would have been "you have had 9 months to prepare and buy stuff for your baby, stop expecting a free ride." It's a damn good job I'm not a manager.

Another example is.....Several years ago a lady came to see one of our medical specialists. Her GP had referred her because she was grossly obese, pregnant and he thought that she had a thyroid problem and had told her that her thyroid wasn't working properly although never started her on any medication. After lots of thyroid function tests, consultations with the dietician, other blood tests and the keeping of a food diary the lady came back for her results. Our specialist told her "you are overweight because you eat too much, there is nothing wrong with your thyroid." The lady complained because she was offended. This specialist is the nicest doctor you could ever meet, but he is honest. Sometimes people complain because they are told what they don't want to hear, ie your condition is your own fault...