Wednesday 14 December 2011

Can two wrongs make a right?

After eight months of frustration with medical professions I thought I have become immune to their acts and behaviour, but last week my immunity was attacked by a serious act of incompetence.

I got a letter last week from the GP informing me that the Medical Research council has advised them that I have Vitamin D deficiency and that I should go to the surgery to get the needed medication. It all seems very efficient had I actually done a blood test or if I had participated in any medical research but this was all news to me, so immediately I rang the GP, obviously the receptionist would not put me through to the doctor and wanted to know the reason of my call, so I narrated the whole story only for her to tell me she knows nothing about the matter and would get the doctor to call me back! To be fair the doctor did call back, but had no idea about the letter and when she checked my medical records, nothing was noted about vitamin D probably due to the fact I have not had any blood test for the past year. In her desperate attempt to make sense of this letter, she suggest that the doctor who wrote it may have assumed I have vitamin D deficiency because apparently according to my GP I am housebound and therefore not subjected to sunlight !!!!! Another new information that I was oblivious about, not only I am low on vitamin D but housebound too! Do they not see me when I come to the surgery, I know the reception desk is too high and often have to wait for another patient to point out to the receptionist that I am there but eventually see me! I am not invisible!

It is clear that doctors don't just lack medical knowledge but know little about their patients very basic daily life and these are community doctors, and knowing their patients well is an essential requirement. On the other hand can two wrongs make a right? can a wrong diagnosis and wrong assumption of me being housebound prove right at the end and I do have low vitamin D count? after all in the eyes of the GP I am 'housebound' I am not 'seen physically' by them at the surgery which is reassuring as now I know why my eight months elbow wound has not healed! How can it be cured when I have not left my house!

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