Firstly, don't worry too much. It's painful to come to decision that
patients criticise you about. But we are, whether we like it or not, often
seen as omnipotent, or parent figures. We know that general practice is not
black and white, but often shades of grey.
Practical suggestions:
1. Makes good notes, e.g. "AB disc" every time you give long winded
discussion of why you again haven't given antibiotics
2. Discuss several scenarios e.g. If coil left in vs. taken out, and
consequences. Again, make good notes.
3. Give the get out clause "SOS" at end of every consultation. Very few
patients abuse it, but it does mean that if they are worried, they can come
back again. If they don't come back and it goes pear shaped then you can
say I told them to come back if child got worse.
Finally, I seem to get the most complaints made against me in the practice,
yet of the 7 partners I have the second largest list, despite the fact that
all lists are open. You can't please all of the public all the time, but if
there was a real problem my list would be falling, not growing.
Dr G Mark Trowell
Highbridge Medical Centre
Pepperall Road
Highbridge
Somerset
TA9 3YA
Hakunamatata
(01278) 783220
(01278) 795486 (Fax)
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of owen dempsey
Sent: 25 June 1998 21:59
To: GP UK
Subject: humble pie
had a tough week so thought i'd seek solace
first i saw a nine day old baby with a mild dose of chicken pox; no
obvious contact; didn't think too much about it and was very reassuring;
3 days later said baby admitted urgently quite poorly and given iv
aciclovir; g'ma remarked to a partner the next day that the 'hospital
doctor' had said that the baby should have been admitted when first seen
by yours truly. a dr-pt relationship sliding down a slippery slope as
you can see; what to do?
secondly lady becomes pregnant with coil in situ, wants to keep baby,
question is what to do with the coil; i ask partners who suggest that
there is 'some evidence' to suggest its safer to leave it where it is; i
go along with this line, patient equivocal and obstetrician advises its
removal; patient trust in gp damaged, i did a retrospective medline
search this pm and couldn't find what looks like a decent study
so there you go
feeling touchy ;-) so only helpful comments (goes against the grain i
know..........)
owen dempsey
General Practitioner
Huddersfield,
work:01484-654504
home: 01484-654794
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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