GP's, NHS & sportsmen - a rant

[dominion]

Or are they?
I am not sure what a GP's 'official' role is....

It's to tell people there's a 3 week wait for an appointment so that they can then pass the buck to A & E at the hospital swithout even seeing them if my experiences last week are to go by...

[Carlos the Jackal]

So if you've got a foot problem go and pay and see a foot specialist.

Why would we as runners expect our GP to sort it out? G stands for "General".

NO...if you have a foot problem then go and see the doctor, that's what our national insurance is paid for.

what next? ...when we are having an heart attack we have to show our private insurance policy before we get seen as in the united states of America?

remember these doctors and specialist have been trained with OUR money, graduated into a fabulously paid job at OUR expense, and now these specialist don't want to treat us because they can earn more money treating people who have gone private so they can jump their turn in the waiting list.

ALL doctors and specialist must work exclusively in the NHS for at least 25 years until their debts are paid back to the people who have invested so much of their hard earned taxes, and then and only then should these self interested professionals be allowed to do a very limited private work.

yours
spring heeled jack

[Chris]

Listen, I'm not making a political point. If you have an injury that relates to running and you want to make it a matter of principle go to your GP and waste time. If you want it fixing find a decent physio.

I

NO...if you have a foot problem then go and see the doctor, that's what our national insurance is paid for.

what next? ...when we are having an heart attack we have to show our private insurance policy before we get seen as in the united states of America?

remember these doctors and specialist have been trained with OUR money, graduated into a fabulously paid job at OUR expense, and now these specialist don't want to treat us because they can earn more money treating people who have gone private so they can jump their turn in the waiting list.

ALL doctors and specialist must work exclusively in the NHS for at least 25 years until their debts are paid back to the people who have invested so much of their hard earned taxes, and then and only then should these self interested professionals be allowed to do a very limited private work.

yours
spring heeled jack

[justlovestretching...]

Wow, this has got people fired up... everyone has an opinion on the NHS... which is one of the reasons it has problems in the first place... i.e. because it is used as a political football.

GP's are by definition General Practitioners so I agree with Chris, you will mostly be disapointed if you expect them to solve all your problems. They are unfortunately the gatekeepers to the rest of the NHS though. In my experience, if you do a bit of research yourself and therefore know what it is you want, they will refer you because it gets you out of their office.

The good news is that soon you will be able to self refer to physiotherapy on the NHS. There has been a successful pilot project in Scotland and work is underway to role it out nationwide. Still doesn't mean that you'll get a physio with expertise in sports medicine but it will be a positive step.

JLS

[Carlos the Jackal]

Listen, I'm not making a political point. If you have an injury that relates to running and you want to make it a matter of principle go to your GP and waste time. If you want it fixing find a decent physio.

I

this matter of principle i have done. i don't think people here are saying that hamstrings and achilles strains should be treated on the nhs and most would go to the physio any way but injuries such as backs, hips, knee and hernias all of which can be caused by running should be expected to be treated with sympathy, speed, care and attention that OUR taxes pay for.

[paulo]

"remember these doctors and specialist have been trained with OUR money, graduated into a fabulously paid job at OUR expense, and now these specialist don't want to treat us because they can earn more money treating people who have gone private so they can jump their turn in the waiting list.

ALL doctors and specialist must work exclusively in the NHS for at least 25 years until their debts are paid back to the people who have invested so much of their hard earned taxes, and then and only then should these self interested professionals be allowed to do a very limited private work."



er.... hasn't everybody been trained with our money to one extent or another? Should lawyers, CEOs of large companies, plumbers, physicists all have to work for the state for 25 years??

Less than 30% of NHS consultants do ANY private work. The government screwed up the new consultant contract because they thought it would force people to do more NHS work - in fact it transpired that the average consultant did in excess of 50 hours per week for the NHS and all the sums were wrong causing a huge extra pay bill for the treasury - d'oh.


I would count non-serious repetitive use training injuries as somewhere in the sports equipment / nutrition / luxury item field that we might reasonably be expected to pay for or wait for - and I HATE private medicine

cheers P

[Dew Claw Lassalle]

After reading most of the post's, I feel I must stick up for my GP, as he has always tried to help me in any way he could, (even when I don't listen to him and go back a few weeks later even worse!!!) I should point out he is a runner though.......... and has just joined Horwich maybe you lot should "shop around" for a better GP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bestathlete]

So if you've got a foot problem go and pay and see a foot specialist.

Why would we as runners expect our GP to sort it out? G stands for "General".

No, if you've got a foot problem you go and ask your GP about it. Even if you are sure the ailment you have is due to running you should still see your GP first if only to ask to be referred to a specialist/physio/podiatrist etc.
You may be unable to put up with the problem until you get to the top of the waiting list and decide to pay privately instead, but to go down the private route before trying anything else is like sending your kids to a public school without even looking at the state schools available locally (which may happen to be superb performers). Very nice if you can easily afford it, but for the huge majority of citizens not an option.

[Chris]

No, if you've got a foot problem you go and ask your GP about it. Even if you are sure the ailment you have is due to running you should still see your GP first if only to ask to be referred to a specialist/physio/podiatrist etc.
You may be unable to put up with the problem until you get to the top of the waiting list and decide to pay privately instead, but to go down the private route before trying anything else is like sending your kids to a public school without even looking at the state schools available locally (which may happen to be superb performers). Very nice if you can easily afford it, but for the huge majority of citizens not an option.

Well it doesn't really compare to sending your kids to private school rather than a state school.

We're only talking about maybe 20 quid a session and not several thousand quid. If you can afford running shoes and fancy gear you can afford a physio.

Doctors go to physios if they have running injuries don't they?

[molehill]

Certainly some opinions here, just need YT to add his bit to the debate .

I had a back problem (NOT running induced problem, but it was affecting my running considerably). My GP told me I could still walk so wasn't that bad, there was nothing he could do for me (no examination) and would not refer me to a specialist, as there were more important cases and too long a waiting list.

So I put up with it for another 12 months, believing I would just have to wait till I was totally crocked.

In desperation 3 weeks ago I booked an appointment with the osteo (the one that also treats the NHS referrals), and 1/2 hour later my back is better than for years. . Hardly surprising I was p****d off with the GP.

If I was in charge of the NHS , I would give all fit, healthy, sporting types preferrential treatment for everything. And the rest could bloody well wait at the back of the cue. Sod 'em. Sorted.