Gladys

[Gladys]

Is anyone watching telly tonight- I rarely do but find strangely that I am.Well it's in the background anyway. Now I understand why I don't. There's nothing very stimulating on. The BBC's Bonekickers looked like an interesting item but I fear it's more special effects than easy to follow but there again I haven't really given it a chance. Dr Who is overpowering just as it was when I was a child. I was drawn to watching it behind a pillow especially when the Cybermen were in town. Now that ages me. Does anyone remember them? Are they still about?

[Gladys]

I am wondering if anyone has encountered this. My man called into our GP surgery today to collect a prescription for me. The receptionist leapt into officious mode and waved a piece of paper under his nose. She detailed him to give this paper to me and instructed him return it asap. He looked at it and responded as I have done.Angrily telling her this was Nanny state behaviour. It was a survey or mini questionnaire about smoking with a code number on it and my date of birth in the corner- a very poor attempt at preservibg my annonymity.I see this as an intrusion of privacy. Needless to say it has gone straight into the bin. Whether I smoke or not, is no one's business and I'm certainly not contributing to statistics without knowing who is using them and what for. I would have thought better of The Practice but now I'm not so sure. You wait until I see my Dr which hopefully isn't soon.

[Shizara]

I am strongly resisting my soapbox... - I agree with you by the way.

NB: If I get started with the medical side of things you might still be reading several paragraphs later...

[Gladys]

Thanks Shizara, Whilst this is hardly an entertainment topic, I was so 'blue' with fuming about it I clicked here.Nevermind. I still feel hackles on the back of my neck thinking about it. Blooming smoke police and Nanny state etc.

[cathidaw]

I too would have a lot to say to my doctor's practice if my date of birth was there for anyone to see,or anywhere else for that matter.
I believe that when one reaches a 'certain age' people are all slotted into an imaginary goverment cubicle--steriotyped and almost disregarded.
It will change- and is changing but will take long time..
Ihope you told them gladys

[Gladys]

Dear Cathidaw, I'm conncoting a skew at this very moment to the whole thing. I plan to put a reply through the surgery letterbox annonymous of course saying exactly what I think.I don't believ I or anyone else being given this has been given the chance to make 'informed consent'. It will go something like this:-'If this is an academic properly researched survey, why have you not advised me of what it is for, what my contribution will do for you and more importantly for me and why have you made such a poor attempt at disguising my contribution with your code which must be my name,address against my DOB, it obviously, is not annonymous and does not give free choice?' I'll go on to say, I think this maybe a very badly designed Nursing Degree thingy'!!!!
I ought to let you know i know my Dr very well. Our kids were at school together, they stayed round etc. He has lately got Divorced from his 1st wife and sort of removed himself- I haven't been to the surgery for 5 years, I don't intend to either in the next 5years but he will get this letter.

[Shizara]

It seems to me that first, surgeries work from a government script / checklist full of categories that are one size fits all, they ask questions that appear relevant to fulfulling that checklist and providing statistics for quangos to play with. As for choice? They left me with the impression that change of diet and loss of weight would make no difference to blood pressure or cholestrol at the top end of the low range and that the only way forward was drugs. That being the case, why is it, that with the change of diet and loss of weight I can now do 36 stairs and carrying a heavy work bag without puffing at the top? Some of us don't even want to be in the surgery and react accordingly, yet, come away and down the blood pressure goes. They appear to not like you having a choice with regards to plans of action for your own health only to take responsibility for swallowing drugs that are prescribed and over prescribing of antibiotics, just for starters, is likely one of the reasons why superbugs are such an issue.

Whether we like it or not, the Nanny / Big Brother state is here in the guise of our protection.

I am not saying that the medical profession doesn't save lives, I am sure it does, every single day, but what I am saying is stop putting us in categorised boxes. We are not robots, we are all individuals and as such some like to be nannyed and some would like the choice to think for themselves not have the assumption that one size in all things fits all. It doesn't in exactly the same way that size 8 clothing will not fit someone who is size 14.

.... I will get off my soapbox now having not resisted the temptation to climb up there...

[Gladys]

Shizara, You carry on with your soapbox- I'm still on mine!!!

[cathidaw]

two rules when visiting the doctor;

1...Don't tell the doctor what is wrong with you, even if you know..
Mine asks "who's the doctor you or me?"(does that mean they have to guess?)--sounds like fun.

2... Never mention the internet-they dont like it if you are as informed as they are.

By the way I have white coat syndrome.....

[Gladys]

Cathidaw, White coat syndrome does 'em good. It's a test to thier interpersonal skills and doctoring- you carry on. My Doctor rang me a few weeks ago about a form I needed him to fill in. He said he thought he'd better ask me what to put on it because otherwise he'd never see me to which I replied, 'I hope not' !!!