QVC beauty money saving dupes.

[ClaireKelly]

It's been quite a few years since I last worked in the NHS but I'm reliably informed that our surgery will regularly have half days where the staff will be treated to a splendid buffet provided by drug reps under the guise of "training" on new drugs.

I'm also told that GPs (and it certainly applied to our consultants) still get weekends away or the odd holiday paid for by drug companies promoting a new drug.

The next time you have an appointment look for the telltale promo items such as pads and pens.

That’s very interesting, as they stopped all that a good few years ago when I was a senior nurse. Suddenly you couldn’t accept more than a box of chocolates from patients, and the reps couldn’t give out the post it notes and pens. That over ten years ago, so maybe it’s crept back in…

 

[Muttley]

I was boiling with fury a few weeks ago.

One of my prescriptions didn't turn up. I rang the chemist, but it didn't come from the GP. I rang the GP and was told that I wouldn't be given any until I had a review.

Yes, it's one of those drugs that you cannot simply stop overnight. You have to be tapered slowly over months. I was furious because I'd been to the GP a few days earlier and she hadn't mentioned a review was due. I managed to get a phone appointment a few days later AFTER my chemist intervened and my prescription was issued.

Then, a few weeks ago another item didn't turn up. This time when I rang I was told it was because I hadn't had my annual BP check. Odd because EVERY TIME I attend I ask them to check my BP. When the receptionist checked, there it was a few weeks earlier all in good order.

It gets worse!! The GP who'd failed to tell me I was due a review saw both Mr. AE and myself at the same appointment. She spent quite a while going over stuff with Mr. AE but then rushed me despite the receptionist telling us we were both booked for a double as hardly anyone had rung (Friday near Christmas). She asked Mr. AE if he wanted a cholesterol check and then saw he'd had one done in August and it was good. He said he ate well and exercised (scored points as she'd turned up in exercise gear). I asked if I could have mine done. You will NEVER believe what she told me...

Go on, guess...

"Yours must be good because your partner's is." I honestly thought I'd dreamt it and had to ask Mr. AE if I'd heard correctly.

Weirdly, my brother dropped a letter off a few days later stating that all family members should be checked quarterly for cholesterol as they've found he has a gene that gives him very high cholesterol and is now off statins and having a jab to see if it can control it. I'll make an appointment next week after I've drummed up the fortitude to go through the crap of getting one.

What is it with me and medical professionals? I get told by a female doctor that women only want HRT to make themselves appear more attractive to young men. younger bloke? Then this doctor told me menopause only lasts 4 years at most and I didn't need HRT as I was already 2 years in. 5 years later and after several stop/starts due to HRT shortages I'm still having symptoms. Next I got a physio who told me to start running. I use electrical stimulation and crutches to walk! I'm starting to dread seeing medical professionals who take their own fitness seriously enough to consider it a cure-all for everyone else's ailments.

I could bore you all for hours with tales of cock-up after cock-up but I've run out of energy plus I get depressed as it's not really funny when you come down to it.

You're experience has been terrible, many of my experiences with the NHS should be so simple but aren't.

Regarding the female doctor's opinion on HRT, if that had been me I would have 'politely' asked her how she knows this? How does she know the motivation for every woman's desire to go on HRT? And I'm sure lesbians aren't trying to attract younger men. And what gives her the right to sit in judgement on patients? My parents thought that doctors were people never to be challenged but I don't share this view. I'm not afraid to report people if necessary.

Regarding the running suggestion I'll just tell you this. I have rheumatoid arthritis and pain in hands and feet are not uncommon. I often get quite bad pain in my left foot which affects my walking and makes me walk less which is not good for my health. Hospital consultant wasn't that interested so I went to my GP. I was told that being overweight would make it worse (no interest in finding the cause of the pain). He suggested to ease the pain in my foot which is stopping me walking I should walk more! However I recently had a lymphatic drainage massage as my system was sluggish and it made a massive difference (wasn't expecting that).

 

[SisterBliss]

I was boiling with fury a few weeks ago.

One of my prescriptions didn't turn up. I rang the chemist, but it didn't come from the GP. I rang the GP and was told that I wouldn't be given any until I had a review.

Yes, it's one of those drugs that you cannot simply stop overnight. You have to be tapered slowly over months. I was furious because I'd been to the GP a few days earlier and she hadn't mentioned a review was due. I managed to get a phone appointment a few days later AFTER my chemist intervened and my prescription was issued.

Then, a few weeks ago another item didn't turn up. This time when I rang I was told it was because I hadn't had my annual BP check. Odd because EVERY TIME I attend I ask them to check my BP. When the receptionist checked, there it was a few weeks earlier all in good order.

It gets worse!! The GP who'd failed to tell me I was due a review saw both Mr. AE and myself at the same appointment. She spent quite a while going over stuff with Mr. AE but then rushed me despite the receptionist telling us we were both booked for a double as hardly anyone had rung (Friday near Christmas). She asked Mr. AE if he wanted a cholesterol check and then saw he'd had one done in August and it was good. He said he ate well and exercised (scored points as she'd turned up in exercise gear). I asked if I could have mine done. You will NEVER believe what she told me...

Go on, guess...

"Yours must be good because your partner's is." I honestly thought I'd dreamt it and had to ask Mr. AE if I'd heard correctly.

Weirdly, my brother dropped a letter off a few days later stating that all family members should be checked quarterly for cholesterol as they've found he has a gene that gives him very high cholesterol and is now off statins and having a jab to see if it can control it. I'll make an appointment next week after I've drummed up the fortitude to go through the crap of getting one.

What is it with me and medical professionals? I get told by a female doctor that women only want HRT to make themselves appear more attractive to young men. younger bloke? Then this doctor told me menopause only lasts 4 years at most and I didn't need HRT as I was already 2 years in. 5 years later and after several stop/starts due to HRT shortages I'm still having symptoms. Next I got a physio who told me to start running. I use electrical stimulation and crutches to walk! I'm starting to dread seeing medical professionals who take their own fitness seriously enough to consider it a cure-all for everyone else's ailments.

I could bore you all for hours with tales of cock-up after cock-up but I've run out of energy plus I get depressed as it's not really funny when you come down to it.

omfg!!!!

 

[mina]

Several years ago I went to the doctor complaining I was short of breath. His answer: "Well, you are old." He did nothing, prescribed nothing, tested nothing. I was so stunned I was speechless! I was later diagnosed with late onset asthma and I now have an inhaler for relief. He was in his sixties when he died a couple of years after that. But his answer still rings in my ears and still leaves me shaking my head in disbelief at the crass incompetence, laziness and stupidity. And I'm sure I'm not the only one to have been spoken to like that.

 

[Koala]

My daughter had loads of investigations when she was around 3 years old , hospital and GP’s couldn't put a finger on it.
It was only when we moved to a different town and our GP finally came up with the diagnosis that no other medic did.
Absolute hero he was, I mean how do you figure out migraines in a young child when they don’t even present with a headache ?

 

[Patsy]

I was boiling with fury a few weeks ago.

One of my prescriptions didn't turn up. I rang the chemist, but it didn't come from the GP. I rang the GP and was told that I wouldn't be given any until I had a review.

Yes, it's one of those drugs that you cannot simply stop overnight. You have to be tapered slowly over months. I was furious because I'd been to the GP a few days earlier and she hadn't mentioned a review was due. I managed to get a phone appointment a few days later AFTER my chemist intervened and my prescription was issued.

Then, a few weeks ago another item didn't turn up. This time when I rang I was told it was because I hadn't had my annual BP check. Odd because EVERY TIME I attend I ask them to check my BP. When the receptionist checked, there it was a few weeks earlier all in good order.

It gets worse!! The GP who'd failed to tell me I was due a review saw both Mr. AE and myself at the same appointment. She spent quite a while going over stuff with Mr. AE but then rushed me despite the receptionist telling us we were both booked for a double as hardly anyone had rung (Friday near Christmas). She asked Mr. AE if he wanted a cholesterol check and then saw he'd had one done in August and it was good. He said he ate well and exercised (scored points as she'd turned up in exercise gear). I asked if I could have mine done. You will NEVER believe what she told me...

Go on, guess...

"Yours must be good because your partner's is." I honestly thought I'd dreamt it and had to ask Mr. AE if I'd heard correctly.

Weirdly, my brother dropped a letter off a few days later stating that all family members should be checked quarterly for cholesterol as they've found he has a gene that gives him very high cholesterol and is now off statins and having a jab to see if it can control it. I'll make an appointment next week after I've drummed up the fortitude to go through the crap of getting one.

What is it with me and medical professionals? I get told by a female doctor that women only want HRT to make themselves appear more attractive to young men. younger bloke? Then this doctor told me menopause only lasts 4 years at most and I didn't need HRT as I was already 2 years in. 5 years later and after several stop/starts due to HRT shortages I'm still having symptoms. Next I got a physio who told me to start running. I use electrical stimulation and crutches to walk! I'm starting to dread seeing medical professionals who take their own fitness seriously enough to consider it a cure-all for everyone else's ailments.

I could bore you all for hours with tales of cock-up after cock-up but I've run out of energy plus I get depressed as it's not really funny when you come down to it.

 

[Patsy]

Will do. I think it was mainly due to stress,a neighbour died ,another one is moving and lately everything seems to stress me out.
GP did ask me if my diet had changed,no, and if I was stressed. I told him no more than usual.
He was thinking it might be glaucoma but the eye test ruled that out

Well I had my telephone appointment with the GP re migraines.
Apart from one slight distortion in my left eye I've been migraine free since 15th December. I've started with stations again and will see how I get on.
I'm keeping a diary to see if/when they start again.
GP did say it may have been an anomaly but if they start again I will have to come off them.

 

[Koala]

IMO the NHS needs a three tier system for healthcare at the point of delivery
1 Acute care ( basically what A and E should be there for )
2 Health care that isn’t urgent but could end up in 1 if neglected
3 Anything a pharmacy can treat.

GP’s should cover most of no 2 but it’s obviously struggling.

The NHS needs a cross party negotiation which will never happen until it stops being used as a political football.

We need to make visiting the pharmacy the first port of call too but that’s going to need reeducation.

When I trained as a nurse many years ago I had a chat with a GP who knew I was a trainee and he basically said so many in his waiting room didn’t even need to be there.
That was over 30 years ago.

 

[Muttley]

IMO the NHS needs a three tier system for healthcare at the point of delivery
1 Acute care ( basically what A and E should be there for )
2 Health care that isn’t urgent but could end up in 1 if neglected
3 Anything a pharmacy can treat.

GP’s should cover most of no 2 but it’s obviously struggling.

The NHS needs a cross party negotiation which will never happen until it stops being used as a political football.

We need to make visiting the pharmacy the first port of call too but that’s going to need reeducation.

When I trained as a nurse many years ago I had a chat with a GP who knew I was a trainee and he basically said so many in his waiting room didn’t even need to be there.
That was over 30 years ago.

I read the other day that pharmacies are going to be allowed to do more, and treat minor things that you needed to see a GP about. My local pharmacy is brilliant, they're my first port of call for anything medical and there's always someone you can speak to. Sometimes a quick chat is all you need but trying to speak to a GP is so difficult. I get my flu jab there, Covid jabs and you can get your blood pressure checked which I do every few months.

I think because the NHS is considered free, some people don't respect it and don't turn up for appointments. And I think there should be a bigger emphasis on illness prevention and education.

 

[boffy]

Going direct to the pharmacist sounds like a good idea and it is for minor ailments but its the backdoor privatisation of the NHS if we are not careful.

 

[SisterBliss]

Well I had my telephone appointment with the GP re migraines.
Apart from one slight distortion in my left eye I've been migraine free since 15th December. I've started with stations again and will see how I get on.
I'm keeping a diary to see if/when they start again.
GP did say it may have been an anomaly but if they start again I will have to come off them.

Thanks Patsy. Do keep us posted.

 

[Patsy]

I read the other day that pharmacies are going to be allowed to do more, and treat minor things that you needed to see a GP about. My local pharmacy is brilliant, they're my first port of call for anything medical and there's always someone you can speak to. Sometimes a quick chat is all you need but trying to speak to a GP is so difficult. I get my flu jab there, Covid jabs and you can get your blood pressure checked which I do every few months.

I think because the NHS is considered free, some people don't respect it and don't turn up for appointments. And I think there should be a bigger emphasis on illness prevention and education.

We watch the 24 hours in A&E and as well as drunks and those high on drugs the number of people turning up to A&E for relatively minor things is astonishing.
One couple were annoyed that they waited 2 hours to be told nothing was wrong with the girlfriend. She had dropped an ironing board on her foot and she wasn't even limping.

 

[alisonwt]

We watch the 24 hours in A&E and as well as drunks and those high on drugs the number of people turning up to A&E for relatively minor things is astonishing.
One couple were annoyed that they waited 2 hours to be told nothing was wrong with the girlfriend. She had dropped an ironing board on her foot and she wasn't even limping.

This is the major problem. The amount of people who could just sort themselves out, or at worst get something from the pharmacist, clogging up A&E. I wouldn't dream of going unless I was absolutely desperate, but then for some reason I can't fatham they let everyone wait to be seen. Why can't they just send people home after triage when it is obvious they are just being a nuisance. Fear of missing something I assume, but some are just obvious.

 

[mina]

I've found 111 to be really helpful. On occasion we've had one of the following: an ambulance team sent leading to hospital admission, (once it was just one driver in a car, they were so short-staffed, and I was taken to hospital that way), referred to a pre-booked appointment at A&E, told to go to my GP next day, or had a doctor phoning who sent a prescription. At least I'm not clogging up an already full A&E department when I don't need to be there. I know 111 gets dissed a lot, but it's always worked for me.

 

[alisonwt]

I've found 111 to be really helpful. On occasion we've had one of the following: an ambulance team sent leading to hospital admission, (once it was just one driver in a car, they were so short-staffed, and I was taken to hospital that way), referred to a pre-booked appointment at A&E, told to go to my GP next day, or had a doctor phoning who sent a prescription. At least I'm not clogging up an already full A&E department when I don't need to be there. I know 111 gets dissed a lot, but it's always worked for me.

Yes, family members have used this and usually get an appointment at local urgent care centre for minor injuries. We have no complaints with 111, usually quite quick but unfortunately friends have had to use this as it was impossible to get GP appointments so after suffering with condition for a week or so have had to resort to 111 and then seen the same day, sometimes to have then been referred immediately for treatment which should have been started a lot sooner if they had been able to access GP.

 

[candycane]

Some doctors are appalling. A few years ago my cardiologist retired and I got a new consultant who implied there was nothing wrong with me and I was just trying to avoid working and scrounge benefits (I actually had a job). Even worse, he implied I had caused my own non existent illness by being a drunk and a drug addict (I'm not) because I lived in an area where these ailments were rife. I never went back, I'll take my chances. When I moved house and asked my new GP if I needed to continue with all my medication as I apparently wasn't ill, she nearly fell off her chair with disbelief at what I had been told. Not all doctors know what they are talking about, including consultants.

CC

 

[ERICS MUM]

This is the major problem. The amount of people who could just sort themselves out, or at worst get something from the pharmacist, clogging up A&E. I wouldn't dream of going unless I was absolutely desperate, but then for some reason I can't fatham they let everyone wait to be seen. Why can't they just send people home after triage when it is obvious they are just being a nuisance. Fear of missing something I assume, but some are just obvious.

When we were kids in the 1960’s Mum had a large first aid kit containing TCP, Savlon, tweezers (for splinters) plasters of various sizes, bandages ditto, safety pins to fix the ends of bandages, baby aspirin, cough syrup, Meggezones catarrh pastilles. She dealt with all our and Dad’s scratches, bruises, cuts etc. Sometimes she even helped neighbours’ kids.

Between the 3 of us kids over a period of 18 years, we needed 3 trips to ‘Casualty’.

 

[Koala]

Some doctors are appalling. A few years ago my cardiologist retired and I got a new consultant who implied there was nothing wrong with me and I was just trying to avoid working and scrounge benefits (I actually had a job). Even worse, he implied I had caused my own non existent illness by being a drunk and a drug addict (I'm not) because I lived in an area where these ailments were rife. I never went back, I'll take my chances. When I moved house and asked my new GP if I needed to continue with all my medication as I apparently wasn't ill, she nearly fell off her chair with disbelief at what I had been told. Not all doctors know what they are talking about, including consultants.

CC

I always remember the phrase , what’s the difference between god and a consultant?
God doesn’t think he’s a consultant.

 

[candycane]

I always remember the phrase , what’s the difference between god and a consultant?
God doesn’t think he’s a consultant.

Koala, never a truer word spoken.

CC

 

[madaunty]

When we were kids in the 1960’s Mum had a large first aid kit containing TCP, Savlon, tweezers (for splinters) plasters of various sizes, bandages ditto, safety pins to fix the ends of bandages, baby aspirin, cough syrup, Meggezones catarrh pastilles. She dealt with all our and Dad’s scratches, bruises, cuts etc. Sometimes she even helped neighbours’ kids.

Between the 3 of us kids over a period of 18 years, we needed 3 trips to ‘Casualty’.

I am one of 4 girls growing up in the 60's / 70's My mother only had to make use of casualty once and I admit it was partly (ahem...entirely) my fault.
I decided to turn a discarded back door into a makeshift seesaw, and sat one of my younger sisters on the end with the pane of glass. You can probably work the rest out....
A couple of stitches were required.