I had a GP appointment yesterday to ask for a referral to a dietician. Literally, as soon as I said why I was there he changed the topic to self harm (i have support for this, a psych, therapist, supported housing etc etc) which i didn’t want to discuss. He went on to say that me presenting at a&e is ‘wasting the resources of an already overstretched NHS’ or something along those lines. I told him I have not been to a&e since April (which is a very long time for me considering the nurses knew me on a first name basis). 5 minutes later, despite me telling him the above, he resumed his lecture about me wasting time of the nurses and drs by self harming and going to a&e.
I just needed to get that out. It’s made me think, was i really wasting resources? It was a very distressing time of my life, I was trying, the only way i knew how, to survive. People binge drink and end up in hospital, people have poor diets (not just referring to obesity) and end up in hospital, people smoke.....i wonder if they all get lectures too about using the NHS....and surely, it was me taking responsibility by going and getting stitches or whatever treatment was needed...
I feel quite annoyed, this is not the first encounter i've had with him which has left me feeling rotten. It was suggested i change GP practice, i'm thinking about it...
What’s your views on this?
sticks and stones may break your bones but words can tear your heart out.
what a horrible man, I don't think you are wasting nhs time by getting help when you need it, I agree that you may be better finding a new dr. Mostly because he clearly doesn't listen to you and you need a dr you feel safe with, that you can trust to talk about what you need to, not one thats going to ignore you to lecture you on something you have told him you already have help with. He was out of line accusing you of wasting time which you weren't. *hugs*
'We may not have it all together, but together we have it all'
I think maybe changing GP's may be a good idea, especially as you said that it's not the first time you've been left feeling horrible.
But about the NHS resources, he is completely wrong! I've had plenty a conversation with the staff about it at my hospital because I used to feel like I didn't 'deserve' to be there. BUT, they all said that that's what a and e is there for. It deals with a vast range of health problems, both physical and mental health. At the end of the day, if you need a place of safety or treatment a and e is there to supply that.
Maybe it's his own PERSONAL view? But it's still a wrong view.
'Coincidence...it's what the Universe does for...fun.'
The Doctor
I'm not surprised you're angry, and your comments about the many, many people whose problems could be avoided with better lifestyle are quite right. I wonder if (and this is no excuse at all) he'd seen a few self harmers that day and was feeling frustrated, perhaps about feeling helpless (though that's being optimistic).
And you're doing really well at keeping yourself safe for a long time, and also by making sure you get treatment when you need it, which is really responsible of you.
Unfortunately there are some rubbish GPs out there, I think it might be worth changing GPs as there are many brilliant ones too.
P.S. Did he even provide the referral to a dietitian? Which I think is a great idea, by the way.
i tihnk you're well within your rights to complain to PALs about the way he was speaking to you. that is not on and he obviously doesn't understand self harm
Let the Force be with you
I'm not short, I'm space efficient
You should make a complaint about him; that is discrimination (which goes against your Human Rights) and it also breaks guidelines on self-harm.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
In the appointment i had on friday, he gave me a lecture on STI's/safe sex etc, lol, i told him i am NOT sexaully active, to which his response was that they have a family planning clinic or something/they give out the morning pill and get there if i need it/they provide condoms. he just eurgh, yeah.
I've decided i am writing a letter of complaint. Some people soley rely on their GP for support and don't have access to the CMHT, i am pretty certain, if he was the only one providing care for my mental health problems, i would not go to see him. If he speaks to others how he did with me, then i am sure he does to other.
Reappear, perhaps he did see quite a few clients with mental health problems or self harm, but his behaviour cannot be excused. Thanks, staying on the right path is difficult, but im fighting :)
I did get the referral sent, which is fantastic! :P
Will probably end up changing GPs because I was seeing the nurse for everything instead of seeing a GP and she is kind, and wasn't judegemental treating my wounds, despite being there often. But now i don't self harm, i think it will be okay to move.
Thanks guys, i wasn't entirely sure if i was over reacting, but i think i will draft a complaints letter tonight/tomorrow and then get some support on finding out the official route.
sticks and stones may break your bones but words can tear your heart out.
Make a complaint, and try and see a different GP within the same practice.
Do not move practices until you have asked the CMHT if that practice is in their catchment area. So long as it is, changing GP surgeries wont make any difference to your 'Secondary' services in Mental health.
I'm sorry you had such a prick, and I am glad you are standing up for yourself, what he said, was innapropriate to the appointment, but also incredibly unprofessional, anything, [reguardless of the how it happened] that needs A and E care should go, to A and E!
I would echo everyone and make a complaint and then change GP's.
I guess in a way self harm could be seen as wasting NHS resources as it's self inflicted but you were ill and weren't doing it for fun so I don't see it as a waste of NHS resources at all.
It's fab you have managed to go so long without ending up in A and E and your Dr should have concentrated on that rather than lecturing you.
xox
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
The GP seems to have approached this from the wrong angle - like he thinks that people make the decision to end up in A+E and then create an injury to get them there?
If you need to go to A+E then you need to go to A+E, it's a simple as that really.
The GP would probably criticize you if you didn't get treatment for a wound that needed treatment.
It's taken a long time to deal with my beliefs that I have wasted others time and resources through my self harm. But in the end I was ill and in alot of distress and did what I needed to get through it, I didn't choose this.
Hopefully you can find a new GP that can support the positive steps you've been making in not needing to go to A+E recently rather than criticizing you for your past.
Oh that GP was completely out of order. I would complain and change gp either in the practice if that is possible or change practice.
You are right you were taking responsibility for yourself with your self harm. The NHS is there to help and yes there may be some people out there who could abuse that but you as your said were genuinely using the self harm as a way of coping, not a "look at me".
Good luck with complaint and i hope you feel better very soon. It can take a while to feel better after a talking to like that, and it sucks but in time things will feel better. I've had a similar run in with a therapist in another situation, and it does feel absolutely crap.
x
P.s I put in a verbal complaint so if you would like any more advice from my experience, drop me a pm if you would like to
I'm sorry to hear you had this experience lovely, he was completely out of line and I hope you will be able to look to change GP's.
You weren't wasting resources. You needed the input. I truly don't think you would have chosen to lead a life where you needed A&E, nobody would, so for him to suggest you are taking up resources is so unfair. Especially as you have come so far and it is like dragging up the past and causing you stress in the present!
I'm afraid all the GPs in that practice are, well, not very supportive. I once went and had written on paper why i was there, handed it tothe GP and he refused to read it and told me i had to tell him why i was there (verbally). I was seeing the nurse literally, for everything, and at times she had to speak to the GP on my behalf to get things sorted. I'm not self harming and so, don't really need the nurse like i did before, it might be something positive changing.
I just hope that my letter doesn't fall on deaf years. It made me feel rubbish and not listened to, the way he spoke to me. And plus, you're right, the positives should have been focused on. And yes, it's not like I sat at home calculating how to end up in a&e, I just wanted relief from the pain/anger I was feeling and sadly, it got out of hand.
I think he needs some training in how to deal with clients that have mental health problems. I really do feel for anyone using that practice for support with self harm.
But, yeah, will definately be sending in a letter of complaint and changing practices!
sticks and stones may break your bones but words can tear your heart out.
I once went and had written on paper why i was there, handed it tothe GP and he refused to read it and told me i had to tell him why i was there (verbally).
Wow, if that had happened to me I would have been extremely agitated and upset too.
A GP once said "look into my eyes and tell the truth" to me, despite the fact that I have severe problems with eye contact.
I will help you write the complaint letter if you want.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
The NHS is there for & EVERYONE. There are no exceptions. Would they rather you didn't go & get treatment & waited for your wounds to get horribly infected?
If we are going to go down the route of not treating self-inflicted injuries then they should stop treating smokers, drinkers, over-eaters, people in fights. People who drive or ride bikes or motorcycles. Anyone with infected piercings/tattoos. People who go abroad & have cosmetic surgery & then return for aftercare. Extreme sports participants. Anyone who falls over because they shouldn't have been walking should they?!
You are no way wasting resources, A&E treat people who fall down drunk, who fall off unsecured ladders, who are short of breath from smoking or being overweight, who break their ankles skate boarding or ice skating, who inhale too much smoke from leaving a lit fag near their sofa and causing a fire, who have weight related diabetes, who break themselves playing aggressive sports, break bones parachuting... You get my point, just because your problem is mental health related doesn't mean it should fobbed off, A&E are there to help people non judgementally, and you deserve help and support. Lots of people land up in hospital for 'self inficted' issues that are lifestyle issues not illnesses.
Don't listen to this GP he sounds like an epic ass
I was in intensive care for a week and had a dr say to me:
Do not do this again. It is very expensive treatment (£3000) and the money and staff could go to elsewhere.
To which I replied
I didn't want to come to hospital. It was you who anaesitised me and forced treatment.
And he just ignored me.
Yeah I was pissed too especially as I didn't want treatment - I was trying to hit the drs to nit give me treatment. Maybe he was just having a pissed off day maybe but that's no excuse.
Saying that I have seen a fair few gps who are more sensitive, so might be worth changing.
xx