[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by 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..

But surely in the case of Peel House where they have at least half a dozen other doctors they could have sorted it out between themselves and not had to bring in outside assistance? If hospitals can do it then so should they.

It is very scary when people are being fobbed off and they have a serious problem. I've heard today of a fireman who died in hospital as they never got round to doing an operation and the staff have told his family they are sorry for any distress caused!!!!! Sorry for any distress?????? The man is dead!

Is it any wonder that patients and their families react with what is now being classed as verbal abuse when things like this happen? There is never any excuse for violence towards GP or hospital staff but I can understand how voices end up being raised and a few choice words being used.

I can empathise with the "tests" saga as I'm in the middle of something like that myself. The hospital seemed to think something needs doing and referred me to see my GP to discuss the test results but the GP I saw said it's not serious and they don't need to do anything. I asked why the hospital had said differently and was referred back to the hospital again. That was months ago. My appointment is next week so maybe I'll make progress then.

I know there are people who waste doctors' time with things they can treat themselves, but when they are told that a person is too ill to get to the surgery maybe they should err on the side of caution.

As for the woman and her bounty pack all I can say is that far too many people expect everything for nothing these days. They are really only advertising samples aren't threy?

Just to add to my little episode today I have been down to Peel House to collect a couple of prescriptions and the receptionist said "You haven't collected some previous ones" which I know was nonsense because when you need ongoing medication you just don't happen to forget to collect the prescriptions. She was handing me several stapled together, then looked and said "Oh it looks like this one has been to the chemst and come back to us." I looked at the next one and it was for an entirely different person! They were a batch which the chemist had returned (as they do) and had been stapled together with mine! From that lot I could have had someone else's name, address, date of birth and medication information. (In fact more than one.) Talk about identity theft.