What is your experience of the medical field in Ireland

glitterIsland

I got sick last year. Thankfully my GP was on the ball quickly and she referred me to the hospital for endoscopies. I was on a waiting list for a few months but I was seen to. I am a public patient so I was surprised when I was seen. Up to that point I was reasonably pleased with the process.

What came afterwards left a poor taste in my mouth. I woke up from my procedures with a piece of paper on my lap. It was a discharge paper. Included on the paper was a list of findings, polyps, biopsies taken. The doctor didn't speak to me after the procedure. It was a nurse who handled it all and walked me to the tea and toast area.

I presumed someone would be in touch with me at some point maybe with a follow up appointment in the outpatients clinic or maybe my GP would phone me but this didn't happen. I got sick last week and I took the opportunity to ask my gp was there anything back from the hospital and the endoscopy report came back. She gave me only a briefing on the findings even though one of these findings can become serious if they are not managed. 'the biopsy results may take up to 2 weeks' was on the paper from the hospital. I asked my GP for the results of the polyp and biopsies but that's not back yet. I rang my GP today for the results and they are still not back.

I would be certain at this point that's it's probably not sinister but my issue is that there hasn't been on medical professional that will phone me or inform me of results and findings. It's all left up to me to chase up on this and nearly beg for the results.

All I got was a list of words and conditions on the discharge paper from the hospital and there wasn't one medical professional to talk to me since then.

It reminds me a lot about Vicky Phelan. How she wasn't told about her own health condition.

Is this what other people experience in Ireland too? Where they have to beg for results?

byhookorbycrook

How long ago were your scopes? Even in the private sector, you usually have to arrange (and pay for) a follow up appointment with a consultant and you still have to ring the GP/make an appointment yourself as well. In some cases, you ring the consultant's ( or gp's) nurse for the results, you don't get to talk to the consultant at all.

mariaalice

A nurse is a medical professional.

It might be a nurse practitioner or liaison nurse who speaks to you, in fact, nurses are doing more and more of the communication part of the doctor's jobs.

You need to keep in touch with the GP as that is who the report will be sent to.

I don't have alot of faith in it to be honest.My current GP who I affectionately refer as Dr.Google.Will literally google my symptoms in front of me.And the odd outburst from of Ah Jesus or Holy Feck,does not secure my faith in him.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711311#Comment_118711311

To be fair, you do tend to pick up fairly exotic and tropical diseases due to the combination of your aversion to condoms and your penchant for 60-year old Far-Eastern ladyboy hookers.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711387#Comment_118711387

Eh no it is based on my GP not knowing symptom's and conditions related to Graves Diseases and Hypothyroidism. Subjects even he admits to being unfamiliar with.

glitterIsland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118710638#Comment_118710638

I was never sick before so I don't know the workings of appointments and hospitals. Nobody told me.

I had a condition written down on a piece of discharge paper and there has been no follow up even from my own GP. I made an appointment with my GP last week and I was told extensive. It was all very brief. The biopsy results have vanished too. It's been 5 weeks.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711408#Comment_118711408

Surely he should be referring you if he's not familiar

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711408#Comment_118711408

Just spotted your post and mention of Graves Disease, which I actually have.

Unfortunately it's a very difficult disease to diagnose but unbeknown to me, my GP had come across it and symptoms before despite it being quite rare, it was her suspicions that led initially to an ultrasound and then refferal to an endocrinologist.

I have to say I may have been fortunate in my own Journey which I should mention is fully public.

My own challenges have actually been the additional complications, Very high blood pressure, Cholesterol levels, fatigue and insomnia, all now requiring medications.

I was diagnosed about 4 years ago, the Disease itself manageable to an extent its the additional complications I find hard and not everyone with Graves has additional complications.

Detailed Blood Tests are required and possibly an ultrasound so, not sure if you've had these but these really should be very straightforward to arrange.

There is a Thyroid Thread in the long term illness Forum.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2056215078/thyroid-misery

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118712191#Comment_118712191

Indeed but I have to admit Graves is not easily diagnosed but Blood & Thyroid function tests generally pick it up. Whilst my own GP just happened to have experienced the disease before it would seem there is very little understanding of the condition in Ireland, given its Rarity. After my Ultrasound and blood tests I was referred immediately to an endocrinologist and years on now, I have 3/6 monthly clinics (Telephone since Covid) and on medications. I'm completely public.

I'd honestly never even heard of it until my diagnosis, I'm also Male and oddly, very few men are Diagnosed.

It's Generally a life long illness requiring medications long term.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118712223#Comment_118712223

I've heard of it only because a famous athlete had it

kirk.

Do GPs use software these days for diagnosis

I recall when I had cracked ribs recently the GP seemed to be using a script on the pc to arrive at a diagnosis

I've no issue with that either if it's the case

Nermal

Let's put it this way: any time I interact with it, I'm definitely aware I'm not a paying customer.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118712243#Comment_118712243

Yes quite a few well known people have/Had it, Maggie Smith, George H Bush, Marty Feldmam probably the most notable, he had very obvious bulging Eyes, one of numerous potential complications (Rare) but most suffers don't have obvious symptoms.

fryup

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118712324#Comment_118712324

please elaborate

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118712324#Comment_118712324

Odd statement, what exactly do you mean by it 🤔

glitterIsland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118710959#Comment_118710959

Will my GP inform when they get the results either by call or text or email? My GP is usually good at emailing me blood test results. I getting sick of waiting weeks for biopsy results and chasing up on them.

Strumms

frontline are excellent

consultants and managers are basically a whole other level of incompetent gangster that you won’t trust a inch…

Required services in the Mater such as the hydrotherapy pool are closed to the public , it was explained to me that it was mothballed due to costs… they should mothball a few consultants including the one who made that decision…

this all while over 200 million of our money is spent on addiction services per year …over two billion a decade but we can’t have one hydrotherapy pool ? Car crash, stroke, assault victims and more besides really thank that decision…

frontline are beyond excellent

consultants and those in management positions exude an incompetent malignant toxicity rarely seen in life in my experience…

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118712358#Comment_118712358

I have the bulging eyes but not as bad as Marty Feldmam. But as a added bonus also have Pretibial Myxedema due to Graves.

Samsgirl

Health system in a heap.

My mother has a brain tumour and had to travel from Waterford hospital to CUH last week for a biopsy. At 9pm the night before she was due to go we were informed there was no ambulance to take her down for 7am.

I had to collect her by car at 5am and drive her down or she would have lost her appointment. She was due to return to Waterford the following day but no ambulance was available to take her

I wasn't allowed to take her as she had a GA for her biopsy and needed a paramedic on board for the trip.

Having been in and out of hospital regularly since August I could write a book about it all.

Saying that the nurses, student nurses, care assistants are brilliant. They are run off their feet on 12 hour shifts that often extend past 12 hours. Can't praise them enough.

mariaalice

The iron-clad belief that somehow if you have health insurance it's all amazing is so incorrect, beyond quicker access there is little to no difference I have had treatment for the same conditions in both the private and public systems so saw both systems in action for the same condition.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118714190#Comment_118714190

You're talking a fair bit of rubbish there re: consultants and also them closing pools

Also addiction services Vs pools , waffle

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118715998#Comment_118715998

I am talking rubbish eh…‘waffle’ a great insightful way to enable discussion…

im a Mater patient who has since been discharged from hospital had 0 help from our health services.

on enquiring about hydrotherapy I was told the above from several consultants…including one muppet who didn’t even know there was a hydrotherapy pool there, before it was closed down, his title… ‘physical rehabilitation consultant’..

not waffle, the money spent on addiction/rehabilitation is colossal, there seems no end to it…sorting out people becoming ill through illegal choices…very ‘in’. Fine…

yet…

Physical rehabilitation…we can’t even equip every hospital with Alter-G Treadmills yet…WHY ? they cost 70,000 each but patients can recover mobility quicker then conventional exercise aids….there is only a handful here and most are operated privately or in colleges….like all or most hydrotherapy facilities….

but addiction services.. blank cheque time as always…

that’s my experience of consultants, health management… and the system…

im not anti addiction services but it’s piss poor that so much time and money is spent and you have advocates like certain sports people and celebs rallying around the notion of increasing money, beds and resources…

drug problems… come on, we’ll sort you..

other physical problems… once you are an outpatient you are on your own…