Monday 31 January 2011

Trouble ahead...

Well, no rantings about the reforms to the NHS here at the moment, being a passive observer from the other side of the border, but an article in the Daily Wail which was pointed out to me by Dr. Grumpy from the US really has me running scared!!!

The World Is About To Run Out Of Chocolate !!!

ARRRRRRRRRRGH!!!

..........oh, hang on, its a scare story in the DM innit? Or is it?

I can commend Dr. Grumpy for the regular daily output of whimsical patient tales and education on interesting facts that get stuck in one's head in place of the dosages for starting gabapentin or the kids' dental appointment times.

Note to self. Learn how to use this Blog thing so I have links in the R hand border. I mean I have 2 followers now!

Friday 28 January 2011

Well tyred

Mmmmmmm my new slicks just arrived, delivered to the surgery so they sat outside my door after turfing out my last punter. Shiny black and smelling of pure petrolhead excitement.
Can't wait to use them in Spain in half term.

I CAN wait to do my first trackday of the year in Anglesey tomorrow! (Brrrrr!!!)

Own goal!



In a previous life, before deciding to become a GP, I decided that to make people better you had to talk with them for hours on end about their childhood whilst they reclined on a leather couch. Thus I started my medical career as a trainee psychiatrist. It didn't take long to realise the hell of psychiatry, dealing with the mad (whom I felt sorry for) the sad (who made me depressed) and the bad - the latter alas did my head in so much I realised it wasn't for me, though I did persist through to sitting the MRCPsych Part1. I took 6 months out to do a job as a GP registrar and realised this was my true calling so never returned to psychiatry.
Because of this I am now registered under Section 12(2) of the mental health act to be a specialist GP who can make an assessment independent of the local mental health team, as to whether someone suffering with  a mental ailment can be detained against their will. (It's a lot more complicated but I'll keep it simple!)

So I was called out last night at the end of surgery to see a chap by the local emergency social worker. Theoretically  this work covers the whole of North Wales but was surprised to hear this chap was just on the edge of my GP patch.
We traipsed out to the middle of the Welsh countryside. I joined another GP from the next county and 2 social workers.

He was a chap in his early 30s who was a heavy cannabis user and had not left the house for months. He had been released from prison prior to that for attacking a policeman.
Basically the was not "sectionable" in that he had a mild personality disorder (because he told us!) and blamed all of his behaviour on this fact. He seemed reluctant to accept responsibility for his own behaviour. Basically a bit of a twat.

He didn't like going to his doctors as they were on the other side of the county and he "always got aggressive with doctors". Great. An aggressive twat.

I suggested he saw one of my local colleagues whose surgery was within a mile or so of this chap's house so he could more easily access local services.

"I don't like coloured doctors. I'm not racist but my mum was once attacked by a black and white minstrel" (or some such story). An aggressive racist twat, and one who was not willing to leave the house and would be bound to want regular home visits.

I couldn't believe what I said next...
"So the next nearest practice would be.... ummm.... me! (DOH!)"
His eyes lit up "Really? Aghhhh cool! You're that doctor that rides bikes and everything aren't you? Can I have Sativex (cannabis spray) to help me chill out?"

The other GP just gave me one of those looks as if to say "Ha ha! You stupid bitch!"

I immediately felt my heart dipping in and out of my left shoe as if to get some practice in.

Own goal I think.

Thursday 27 January 2011

Cholesterol


Arrrgh! If I see one more article on Yahoo News proclaiming the health benefits of lowering one's cholesterol I think I shall explode!!

Life-saving tests everyone should have
Cholesterol
High cholesterol is a leading direct cause of heart disease and related fatalities in the UK.
It can be caused by genetic predisposition, poor diet and exercise, obesity or a number of other factors.
The good news is you can get tested every few years to keep track of your levels and take steps to treat them if they get dangerously high.
By paying attention to your cholesterol, you could well prevent a heart attack or stroke.


How much money will be wasted I ask myself, from the cumulitive effect of this article and the misleading ads for wonfder-cereals that claim "1 in 2 people have high cholesterol". How many unessecary blood tests, patients' time, phlebotomists' time, nurses' time and GP's time will it cause to be wasted and at what cost?


Nurse, pass the valium please... oh and some statins.

Wednesday 12 January 2011

Taking The Plunge



Well, after years of reading others' blogs as I ate my lunch over the keyboard at my desk, I have finally taken the plunge into the blogosphere.

How long will it last? Will I have anything interesting to say? Answers to these questions to follow over coming posts.

It's certainly going to be difficult to add much to the many fine medical blogs around at the minute but I hope anyone who is bored enough to read this will find some interesting bon mots about working at the coalface of NHS Wales (no white papaer here !) and possibly a few bike related postings from my other life as a bike trackday instructor.

Let's see how it goes....