HEALTH FORUM

> We appear to be having increasing difficulty in getting G.Ps to
> attend the elderly people in my care. This is proving to be a
> problem when someone is close to death. Everyone including
> the G.Ps accept the person may be at the end of their life.
> The G.Ps say because there is no acute illness there is no
> reason / obligation to come on home visit just to cast an eye
> on people. Or tell us if the client is that bad and we are
> worried to dial 999 this I feel is also inappropriate as the
> Local hospital usually check the client then transfer them to
> another Hospital 30 miles away!

> Your residents have as much right to an NHS GP as anyone else does.
>
> If a doctor has a useful function to perform, eg symptom relief, then a
> patient is entitled to appropriate care.
>
> While I sympathise with the situation that arises should the patient die,
> the GPs job is not post mortem prevention (sorry to put it so baldly,
> but you know what I mean!)
>
> I suggest:
>
> 1. Always say to the doctor are you refusing to visit this patient and
> take a name and other details (especially times). You might consider
> recording such phone calls, and saying to the Doctor This call is being
> recorded to help us to improve and develop our service BEFORE you get
into
> the details!.
>
> 2. Pass a report of the matter to the family, and to the coroner - both
have
> a right to know, and a need to know.
>
> 3. If you get situation where there is clear evidence (and plenty of
> witnesses) that a patient has suffered due to a doctors refusal to visit,
> then you should send a report to the local authorities - and consider
> reporting to the GMC.
>
> Like it or not, your duty is to the patient, not the relatives; should
they
> be distressed by these events, which Im sure happens, your best action is
> to give them all the details you can, including who to complain to (have
an
> advice sheet photocopied); give them your apologies that YOU could do no
> more, and your willingness to be a witness. I agree that the system is
> putting relatives in a difficult position - but that is not your concern,
> beyod being honest and curteous. It is not for you to be an apologist for
> the NHS!
>
> The only way to stop the decline of the NHS - and individual lack of
> professionalism - is to use the law; voting Labour no longer works.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Andrew

> A lot dont because of cost some do a regular ward round
> to sort out non urgent stuff weekly or fortnightly.

> Hello there,
> I am a registered nurse working in the private sector.
> We appear to be having increasing difficulty in getting G.Ps to attend
> the
> elderly people in my care. This is proving to be a problem when someone is
> close to death. Everyone including the G.Ps accept the person may be at
> the
> end of their life. The problem is although the death is expected the
> families may still be put through the trauma of a Post Mortem, due to the
> client NOT being seen by a G.P. for a number of weeks. ( 4 to 6 wks ) I
> have
> personally spoken to a Coroner on such an event, he says that P.Ms have
> to
> go on IF the client has not been seen by a G.P.
> SNIPPED<
> Please does anyone have any advice for me and my team here.
>
> Regards...... Graham

>A lot dont because of cost