Blood, Sweat & Tea, page 219 by Tom Reynolds
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ntertain the toddlers playing there. You write a letter to the hospital, but as you haven't written any vital signs on it, you can't have even taken her pulse in then first place.
Warning, if you answer (b), you then might have to put up with a slightly miffed FRU person explaining that you might have just been a bit silly...
There are a scarily large number of GPs who just cannot deal with anyone who might be seriously ill.
Still that's what the LAS are for, and also why we still rush on blue lights and sirens to patients who are being looked after at their GPs.
I could write an entire book about the silly things I've seen doctors do. But I'm of the opinion that I only ever see the results of poor workmanship. The good GPs must be better able to deal with patients without the need for regular ambulance attendance. The next post provided a balancing experience.
How it Should Be Done
It was as if my prayers had been answered, a GP who today managed to balance the poor skills of yesterdays' doctor.
I was sent to a 74-year-old male with difficulty in breathing and chest pain. My computer display told that me that the GP was going to remain with the patient.
I got there and was met by an apologetic GP who thought that the patient just had a chest infection, but while she was talking to him, the patient developed a possibly heart-related pain. She had tried treating him herself, but thought that the best thing was for him to have some further tests in hospital.
My assessment and treatment of the patient went without a hitch, and I agreed that although I also thought the pain was a consequence of his chest infection, it would be best for the patient to be assessed in the local A&E department.
As was the case yesterday the ambulance was 40 or more minutes in arriving, so I had a bit of a chat with the GP (who was rather pretty...) and the patient (not so pretty). As there was nothing else the doctor could do with this patient, I let her leave the