Dutch medical system

[phil dean]

good news alan, now do us all a favour and stay fit and healthy for a few months.

 

I've seen good and bad in the uk health service.

 

My wife turned up at A&E with what looked like bells palsy, she was 23 so they thought it may be a stroke, they rushed her through (we saw a doctor within 8 minutes of arrival), but decided it wasn't. They then decided it was a migraine......this is wher it went bad, they sent her home and told her to have paracetomol.

 

Next day, no headache, face still bad, went to GP (it gets good again) GP rings up consultant neorosurgeon whilst andrea is still there (GP surgery part of same trust, the buildings are actually owned by the hospital), sees surgeon that afternoon, andrea has tests etc at our local hospital (brain scans etc) within 7 days.

 

Problem diagnosed, treatment advised, fantastic. Problem goes andrea fine but has a list of certain things she can't take etc.

 

Goes bad again, move house, new doctor looks at the notes, decides the neorosurgeon is wrong and that andrea has MS. tells andrea who is shocked, I privatly arrange for her to see neorosurgeon up here (different one) who confirms original diagnosis by first neorosurgeon correct.

 

Complain about 2nd GP to PCT, but basically there are too few GP's and the naff ones get through.

 

I work for various PCT's (GP bosssies) and the general response to what I say is annoyance, but it did happen!