What is your GP like?

[tinpants]

As an NHS employee I am always amazed when people moan about the system then make statements such as " I've got a cold, therefore I NEED an appointment." No you don't. You need to go home and rest, spend the day watching old films on the telly whilst sipping Lemsip or suchlike.
Thats NOT directed at you, KrZ, but sadly there are people that call us out at all hours of the day and night just because they have a cold. Great. What do you expect me to do? Give you antibiotics? They won't work 'cos its a virus. You have to let it run its course.

In regard to the point that RDOD makes about GP's being paid too much I would argue that they DIRECTLY do more towards the general wellbeing of people in this country than most other people. They do make life or death decisions almost every day, unlike computer programmers (not picking on them but its all I could think of!) If there is anything they aren't happy with (in a clinical sense) they call for an ambulance and we do the rest.
BTW, if you think your GP is crap then change your GP; not necessarily for another practice, but for another GP in the same practice.

but sadly there are people that call us out at all hours of the day and night just because they have a cold. Great. What do you expect me to do? Give you antibiotics? They won't work 'cos its a virus. You have to let it run its course.

Wrong, flu can kill depends on the virus itself. the great influenza pandemic between 1918-1919 killed 50 million people world wide.

[northwind]

Yes, but influenza isn't a cold. Most of the time, when someone says they've got the flu, they just mean a bad cold too. And truly virulent epidemics like the spanish flu are incredibly rare, and were even then- the death rate from even uncommonly dangerous strains is tiny, I think the spanish flu was about 3%. TB was also a contributor. It was also made much deadlier by the war- lots of movement of people, for instance. The disease got places where resistance was low. Also, remember that it was a mutated bird flu, not one of the regular populations of human flus, and is effectively extinct.

I'm an "at risk", as a diabetic with low immune response- but the risk of me dying of flu or secondary infections is statistically close to irrelevant.

Can a cold kill you?

Yes! Babies and the very elderly can develop chest infections such as bronchiolitis caused by the RSV virus that can be fatal. You are also at risk take any medication that depresses your immune system.

[Biker Biggles]

The NHS as set up a few donkey's years ago relied on a bit of common sense and restraint among the patients.If everyone who got a cold or other minor illness consulted their GP or called an ambulance the whole thing would fold by this time tomorrow.Increasing expectations and cultural change are leading to things heading in that sort of direction(not quite there yet )and that is why there is so much head scratching in the political classes as to what the future holds for the NHS.

As for GPs being hugely overpaid at £100,000,I would ask who does deserve that sort of money then?
Senior execs of public bodies?Hmmm
Middle ranking execs of private firms?Hmmm
Advertising and sales people?Hmmm
IT specialists?
We all agree it should not be the footballers.

my uncle is a GP-

he is worth every penny- he works very very hard... 7 days.. always on call.

sometimes he cant even get to ride his horses at the end of his garden or sit in his jacuzzi and recently on a christmas and new year cruise to the maldives he had to look after holiday makers twice !! and only got one botle of champagne for it .! ..

[northwind]

Originally Posted by KrZ

Yes! Babies and the very elderly can develop chest infections such as bronchiolitis caused by the RSV virus that can be fatal. You are also at risk take any medication that depresses your immune system.

You took that straight from a website, you cheeky scamp!

And in fact, that's secondary infections killing you. They reckon most kids will suffer from RSV by the time they're 5. It's very uncommon for it to be a life threat in a healthy baby.

hehe, yeah.. got that off cardiff uni website

I am a little worried here that everyone seem to just pick on the bit about getting a cold, how about 35000 people die each year in UK as a result of doctor's prescription.

funnily enough I got an NHS "GP Patient Survey" form through the post today. I think I shall be making some mention of the time my GP told me to "f^ck off out of of my surgery" when i dared query what he had prescribed me