MEDICAL MATTERS

[Sue]

Interesting Peter, thank you.
I have no side effects as far as I know and have been taking this for many many years. The one side effect that does concern me is that it can raise blood sugar ( as can many of me medications). The original reason for taking it was because of the side effects of another med. for arthritis. I no longer take this so have been thinking of stopping the omeprazole. In view of what you have said I may do that. Bob has recently been put on it because of acid reflux causing a morning cough , however it has worked on the cough.

[Tizer]

Sue, I'm glad to hear you haven't suffered side effects from the omeprazole and that Bob's cough has stopped.

[PanBiker]

Sally rang the surgery this morning to see if her MRI scan results were in. No such luck and she was recommended to ring the hospital to chase them up. She rang The Royal Blackburn this afternoon and spoke with the Radiology department who checked on the progress, not looked at yet, (this after 2 weeks in the in tray)! They said it could take up to 8 weeks for the results now! That is just double the worse case scenario they originally quoted. She is not happy as you can imagine.

[Wendyf]

That's awful Ian!

[Stanley]

That's what our NHS has come to and we all know who is to blame. Years of neglect and unfderfunding. I'm so sorry for Sally, please give her my best wishes.

[Big Kev]

That's disgraceful.

[Mags]

I went to see the surgeon last Thursday to see what could be done with regards to my knee.....the long and short of it is I am booked in for a full knee replacement on 12th September. He was suprised that I had managed without a cartlidge for 40 years, it was removed when I was 21 at Gisburn Park Hospital (I was booked in to burnley General but one of the theatres got flooded out). I was contacted by BGH and asked if I would mind going in the Gisburn.........of course not..........it was very pleasant.

I have starrted the pre-op preparation of physio and reformer pilates once a week, it is recommended so that it aids recovery.

[Stanley]

I suspect that this is the operation I should be having but my pain isn't as bad as Margaret's and I am ignoring it....

[plaques]

Talked to a friend who had been waiting over two years for his knee operation, covid and all that, He had a full knee replacement three weeks ago. Up and about with no bother albeit slowly. A big man in his eighties down at the pool having a swim. He reported that he had no problems with stairs etc.
Hope yours goes as well as his,

[Stanley]

That sounds encouraging Ken.

[PanBiker]

My dad had to wait about 7 years to have his knee done but that was because the surgeons weren't fully confident in the early 80's with the procedures at that time. He had both hips done before they sorted his knee.

Back up to date, Sally has got an appointment to see a doctor at the surgery. She is still coughing and her chest is hurting now as it's wearing her down. She has been on with this since early February! She is going to see if the doctor can gee up her MRI results. Not her own doctor a completely new name to us, maybe a locum or a registrar. Took an hour to get through on the phone by which time all appointment were taken. She opted for the cancellation or emergency slot and the surgery rang back this morning with an appointment for 2pm today. We live in hope of some progress.

[plaques]

Mrs P often says that the medical secretaries who write up the doctors notes are anything up to two weeks behind. Her friend would often take work home working well past 12 pm. One would think that the doctors would use voice recognition technology and do their own corrections but that's probably asking too much even if they have the equipment. I think that in todays world the game is misrepresenting the statistics. How many scans have been done? Box ticked. One less patient on the waiting list. Box ticked. All part of Sunak's pledges, now down graded to promises with no end date.

[PanBiker]

That's not the problem in Sally's case they have just not looked at the scans yet. It's supposed to be two weeks especially with Sally's history of cancer and radiotherapy at the same side as the shadow which could be induced scar tissue or something more sinister. She just needs to know so that she can deal with it. Lets hope Dr Jinny, (spelling as it sounds) can offer some assistance.

[PanBiker]

Update, Dr Jinny, which is her first name, she uses it because her surname is a bit complicated to spell and pronounce. She is Registrar which is how our doctor Hassan started at the practice. Don't know if she is going to be permanent or not. Anyway she gave Sally a good going over and wanted another blood test with more detailed screening than the last. She said it could be pleurisy or a host of other things. No appointments left at Barlick today so she asked if we could get to Skipton General within the hour. She booked her an appointment there and as Sally was leaving she was ringing Royal Blackburn to chase her MRI results. I took her straight on and she was in and out in less than 5 minutes.

On the way back Sally wanted to go to Hey Farm to get some plants etc. I was just parking up and we got a call from our friends Linda and Neil. Linda had an impending appointment at Skipton General but they found that they couldn't access their car on the central locking and were ringing for help! I dropped Sally off and turned round to run them to where I had just come from! Linda got sorted in about half an hour. Just got back and Sally has bought herself some plants to play potting up with.

[Stanley]

Sounds as though you have found a doctor who has still got time to listen and actually act on incoming information. I get the impression that this is very rare nowadays and if you point that you are classified as 'difficult'.

[plaques]

I think I'm in danger of becoming a difficult patient. Colne Health Centre has a named doctor where all correspondence, results etc are addressed. I think mine is Dr Griffin, the invisible man, I've requested a face to face with a totally different Doctor who hopefully can explain my condition. Actually I feel a lot better already.

[Stanley]

Asking for clarification like that will certainly lead you to be re-classified as 'difficult' Ken!

[Tripps]

I did a bit of ad hoc research last night. Compared the medical facilities available in Barlick and here.
I fond the populations are not a million miles apart eleven thousand plays seven thousand (for the two main largish villages) yet you have four doctors at the practice whilst we have ten.

I stand to be corrected - but I would guess your four are full time, whilst our ten (all female) are probably part time. So the training costs are the same for each - but each female effectively produces just half a practising doctor.

Discuss.

[PanBiker]

Our four doctors work three days each. As reported earlier there is also currently a registrar working at the surgery. Dr Jinny as she is known, Sally saw her this week. We also have four practice nurses. I have not had a face to face with my own doctor for a long time. But I have had I think three telephone appointments covered by two of the other doctors.

[Stanley]

Foe some reason I am suddenly deaf due to ear wax. I am doing the drops etc. but am reminded what a trial deafness must be to those who have to cope with it daily.... (Luckily I have no ear ache!)

[Stanley]

Still no earache but I am getting fed up of being deaf!

[PanBiker]

I had to book directly with Colne Health Centre when I had mine syringed last time. Not sure if they still do it.

[Stanley]

I have a syringe Ian and can flush the ear with warm water myself. Part of my armoury and follows up after Otex drops containing Hydrogen Peroxide have done their stuff. I am winning but very slow improvement in the left ear.

[Tripps]

Some say "Put nothing in your ear except your elbow"

*****************

Now- In general

People should be able spend their money how they wish, buit if they choose private medicine then I'd say -

The private sector should cover some of the cost of training the staff that they poach from the NHS

The private sector shoud have to cover all aspects of health care - not just the easy profitable bits. Why not private A&E

When their procedures go wrong they should be liable for the full costs of the NHS in correcting things. (Tell me about it )

I appreciate that private payers also pay into the National Insurance scheme and are entitled to its benefits, but when they use private medecine they should pay the actual cost, and not be effectively subsidised by the NHS.

Medical students on graduation should be tied to the NHS in some way - regarding weekly hours worked, and years to be served.

Good heavens - I'll be voting Labour soon. . . .

[PanBiker]

Some good news for Sally today. She received a message from our doctor Hassan regarding her contrasted scan. After a few weeks of worry over the "shadow" he reports that he is now in possession of the results which show nothing sinister but a residual infection in one lung. He has prescribed her some targeted antibiotics specifically for chest infections they are also used for pneumonia as required. She will start on those tomorrow and hopefully finally see some improvement.