A tale of two lists for just one GMS patient

The experiences and views of a patient, usually a virtual patient, who has recently visited a GP is occasionally the subject of this column. This month our patient has asked me to include his diary entry for a memorable visit to his doctor’s new premises…...

…....Last week I decided to see my GP as I had been saving up a few worries and complaints and felt it was time to bring him in a good list. Also my new medical card had only just come in and I hadn’t had a diabetes check up for ages. So I rang the surgery to find that he had moved, not very far, but he had moved to a new building nearer to my flat, which was great news. I made an appointment for Monday morning and said I would be fasting for my blood test. 

I only had only three pints the night before and fasted from midnight and came in to see the doctor at 9am. The new building is fantastic, really modern with lovely big windows and lots of room for patients to wait. When I went in the main entrance there were people waiting for other things. An old lady with a walking frame and huge bandages was going to the nurse’s wound clinic and a woman with a double buggy told me she was going up to the children’s speech and language lady upstairs…I think it was for the child’s speech but her own language was a bit choice when the older kid starting pulling the younger one’s hair!

There was an inside waiting room for the doctor but after checking in at reception, I decided to sit out in the lovely big area which is shared with the HSE. It is nice and bright with good seats. The man beside me was a bit all over the place and had a cut on his forehead; he seemed drunk and had a young lady with him, looking after him… he said he was in a hostel down the road where he was allowed to drink. When he got up to walk he was very unsteady and he shouted loud but cheery comments now and then. He had a Coke bottle sticking out of his pocket but I don’t think it was Coke in it. He was soon called in to see the practice nurse and stumbled in happily.

I then went into the doctor’s own waiting room which was lovely with good pictures on the walls and plenty of room and a lovely little area for kids to play. The old lady beside me was very short of breath; she had just got back from Benidorm but had been in hospital there with a bad chest and had been given “buckets of tablets and loads of injections and oxygen”. She waved a walking stick: “Me doctor should fix me up but if he sends me to A&E, I’ll give him a clatter with me cane”.

I was soon called in to see Dr Paddy who said he was glad to see me and asked why it had been so long since my last check up. I explained about my medical card and that my blood sugar readings seemed good but that I had a list with me. He replied that he had a list as well, starting with him taking blood and yearly urine test now and sending me to the nurse on Wednesday for a yearly full diabetes check up and he would see me again then also. He said he’d arrange my eye test and would have good look at my feet as well. He seemed happy when I told him that I was taking my diabetes tablets and looking after my diet. He asked if I was still looking after the horses which of course I am.

He was about to stand up and open the door when I took out my list which he seemed none too pleased about, but he asked me to read it out and we “would at least have a look at it today”.

1. I have been having terrible headaches 
2. I cannot sleep and have borrowed Theresa’s sleeping tablets on some nights
3. It is the time of year for the clothing allowance form
4. The diet allowance form, the yellow one needs to be filled
5. My long-term certificate needs to be signed
6. We need a letter for housing as the flat is very damp and Theresa’s chest is getting worse and little Tyson (the grandchild) has terrible asthma
7. I cannot perform well in the bed area and Theresa is upset… are there tablets for that?
8. Can I get a letter for my daughter Tracey (Tyson’s mum) who is due in court tomorrow, to say she is doing well on the methadone.

Dr Paddy took a swig of a cold cup of coffee on his desk and gave a big sigh and a smile and said we will have a talk about the headaches and the ‘performance’ after the diabetes check up and Jacinta will arrange for the forms to be filled in if I give them to her. “By the way,” he said, “That is Theresa’s writing on the list isn’t it?”

I thanked him and said: “I’m very glad for you for your new building and the extra rooms and the view of the park, it’s great for the patients”. The waiting room was full on the way out but nothing much seemed wrong with any of them!