Dr.s are dealing with people who are suffering. IT seems like a vast amount of "well paid" Docs forget this fact. I just roll the dice and hope meds work.
I have to say I'd agree with that. We had a GP at our local health centre who used to relish in lecturing people.
I found out from someone who's children I taught that he had treated their father for heartburn instead of referring him for heart problems.
Another GP gave me antibiotics for a scab on my scalp that wasn't healing (a result of an injury during a seizure burning myself on an oven). It needed 4 months extensive plastic surgery after A&E looked at it when it still didn't heal.
In the UK we can't call NHS neuro's after hours, though I guess if you turned up in A&E the on call neuro would be called if you were deemed urgent enough.
I couldn't get hold of my last neuro for ages and the drug I was on a titration for was making my photosensitivity increasingly worse. My exams were also imminent. I left the man numerous calls and emails detailing the issue. I think even his secretary felt a bit sorry for me.
I gave up on him in the end and titrated myself back onto my old drug from an old prescription to sort out the photosensitivity for my exams.
When I went home my temporary GP in my home town noticed the anomaly and I explained why, all he asked was where I got the drugs from and wrote me a prescription for more of the same.
He's actually one of the good ones.
10 years... yup...TEN.... of nasal sprays, inhalers (one stopped my E drugs from working with cumulative use), breathe easy nose strips, drops for ear wax, drops for ear infections, being told I had allergies to this that and the next thing from pollen, grasses to dust to whatever they could think of each time something was eliminated, being told I was imagining it (!), being told it was 'glue ear', chronic ear infections from teaching swimming (I swam competitively and had my head under the water more often then and never once had an ear infection), being told I needed my ears syringed and hearing tests (at least I know my hearing is top notch). Eventually, I was told I have patulous eustachian tube dysfunction and they put grommets in to fix it. The grommets didn't work. One specialist didn't read the notes and assumed it only went as far back as the 2 stone I lost on Topamax. Seemingly it has a prevalence of cases of anorexia nervosa. Medical solution - I was advised (seriously!) to enjoy the sounds of my own body! Saw a paper about treatment with botulinum toxin, no one has mentioned this - but as the above says, they don't like us 'playing doctor'.
One creep who I shall never forgive admitted my husband into male surgical after the local GP said 'probably appendix or strangulated hernia' I wish to god he had stuck a post it note on my husband's forehead.
This twat decided it was a bowel blockage down to my husband's 'poor western diet' and starved him for 3 days. OK his diet isn't quite as good during uni term time but we have been vegetarian for 17 years now. And I'm quite proud of the fact that I don't feed my husband crap or eat it myself. Topamax caused me problems with food but I still made sure he ate.
The best one with regards to not reading notes was a neuro who congratulated me on not having epilepsy after a normal EEG.
Apologies for the long post, I'm sure we could all go on with OUR complaints. The doctors and neurologists seem minor in comparison given they are doing what it is they are paid to do.
Regards abuse to staff, I once got into an argument with a doctors receptionist, I was trying to contact my neurologist and sort out my drugs. She was rude and abusive to me if it wasn't simply her word against mine regards the call content I would have complained.
I once went to a surgery and I swear this is how it worked - you went in, there was a woman behind the reception, you rang the bell, eventually she trotted over and without opening the window she just demanded 'name', you said your name, she ticked you off (no idea what happened if you weren't on the list!) and she pointed to the back of the surgery to the waiting room; the first time I came I hadn't a clue where to go. In the back, you just waited for a doctor to call your name because you hadn't a clue who you were registered with. I was really glad when I got a place with a more local practice.