Planning For Visit To Gp On Friday...

[Katherine]

I see my GP on Friday.

Of course I need to tell her about my absolutely horrendous PMT.

And how I'm doing now.

One thing I want to ask, is how all this has been noted on my medical records. I.e since I went to them in November with the panic attacks and depression, got the meds then etc.

All she's mentioned, when I first saw this doc (saw another until Christmas), was "Stress, anxiety and depression."

But every time after I leave she is typing away on her computer and I just want to be aware of a basic idea of how its all seen.

But I am very unsure about how to approach asking. I don't have really any experience of asking stuff like that. And I know you all have more experience of things like this.

Any tips on how to word it, what I could say?

thanks,

karie

[Lauren]

I think you just have to bite the bullet and ask for exactly what you want to know.

If you are still not satisfied ask your receptionist about getting a copy of your records.

xxx

[Wisdom]

or ask the receptionist if you can make an appointment to read your medical records. Alot of dr. offices will allow that rather than making copies. Some actually charge for copies........ if your there reading then if you have questions someone would be available.

btw, what is PMT?

Wiz

[Katherine]

PMT is Premenstrual Tension......

I still dunno how to say it, like, um "What does it say about me in my records?"

"How is all this described in my records?"

...feel like I'm being nosey and asking for confidential information....

Not sure that I'd want to read all my records yet...at least until I am started back at therapy....

Thanks for your replies....

karie

[JTBadBug]

Hi Karie,

I don't think I would want to know, I am sure it would upset me no matter what they put. If they said I was a time wasting attention seeker then I would not cope with it and if they had a proper diagnosis I would want to argue why they had not discussed it with me. I just know me, and nothing would be right.

I suppose one way of asking would be to say that you were a little worried about what your medical notes contained in regards to was there anything that would affect your future employment, or maybe you could mention you were purchasing some holiday insurance and wondered if there was anything in your notes that would be cause for concern.

Anyway, I do hope you get on well.

Take care and have a good day.

Jane :)

[Swan]

Yes they are confidential - confidential to you, your confidence, your privacy, your health.

You have a statutory right to see them under the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act.

Furthermore, it's time that us scared, mousy, timid mental patients started taking back a bit of power and insisting that we deserve to be treated in person and in our records with dignity and respect. Too many doctors forget that, even as they think that they are being humane and treating everybody the same.

I have requested copies of all of my medical records because I want to resolve the apparent discrepancies between what I thought about the relationship with my consultant and what everyone else did. It seems to me at the moment that the best way to do that is to see all of his notes and correspondence.

Never forget. Knowledge is power. We have little enough power, gaining knowledge, particularly about our own medical conditions is the best way of gaining some.

[piglet]

I asked once what was said by a consultant and was appalled by the reply so I changed my GP to one thats been excellent he always sends me a copy of the consultants letter even getting the secretary to pencil in what some of the clinical words means Originally I had real problems with him being an authoritive male but now we haved worked hard and have a good working relationship.

I think it helps it also made the social worker and cpn think

piglet

[Betsy]

maybe i am mistaken but i thought psychiatric notes were the one thing that you couldn't access. they considered it might be determental to progress. once again i could be wrong on this.

bets

[piglet]

Bets

I think your right if it is agreed there would be an effect on the individuals concerned well being / progress

piglet

[Katherine]

thanks for all your advice, folks Jane, Swan, Piglet, Bets..

Bets,

I don't see a psychiatrist, *just* my GP.

I am concerned how I am portrayed as a 'whole person'.

A BIT OF BACKGROUND---

And I'm not sure if my records from previous GPs when I've lived in Kent and East London have been transferred (was scanning the NHS website today and see that this is the plan, to 'centralise'.

You see, back in 1994, I was very ILL, clinically depressed i.e. thought I had lymph node cancer, was terrified of dying, stayed in bed, would hardly eat...Physically all I had was a sore throat and urine infection, but I did see my GP at the time-who said that cancer phobia is usually a sign that something else was wrong, and that I could come and talk any time.

There was something else wrong---I was terribly alone, had NO life outside work (was living onsite on my teaching job in the school house in a village in NW Kent near Gravesend), was majorly stressed by work demands-and was generally in the wrong career...

But I never went back to the GP because the surgery was so close to the school where I was teaching, and I was terrified of being *found out*.

After that I didn't go into a GPs again until I registered at my Bethnal Green GPs when I moved there in 2000.

Not to say that I wasn't under intense emotional pain during that time----far from it.

I started therapy in 2001. All my therapy related 'illness' etc has been kept separate until I had to do SOMETHING in 2003 (the year I moved to NW London)and got given sleeping pills. The GP I saw then gave me Zopiclone short term and diagnosed me as going through a 'therapy crisis'.

Then I saw a doc last Nov, about depression, anxiety and panic attacks. It was a locum and I was totally freaked at the time. He just gave me Efexor, no questions asked.

My therapist and I had agreed that I needed medical-medication help to deal with the depression, and that's all I told the GP.

My GP--who I now see regularly---knows the basics---my suicidal feelings, occasional self harm--and what the triggers are, my social anxiety and fears on the tube and when I've 'flipped out'. And how I find therapy breaks VERY difficult.

She has digested all this.

But my therapist and I accept that I have a part of me that has a tendency to Borderline-ness, and also possible PTSD.

Plus I have always been anxious all my life.

yet I don't know whether my GP *knows* this, and I am just a bit scared. I want the record of me to be clear and straight and to match.

My therapist did write a letter to my GP before the Christmas break outlining my need for support.

But I don't know what she wrote exactly.

Though she has said that there was some cocern about 'what I might do to myself'.

I simply want to be let in on the whole picture.

And quite rightly so.

Thanks for reading this far.

karie

[Swan]

And quite rightly so indeed.

In summary, the law is that you are entitled to see and obtain copies of ALL of your medical notes subject to a charge for photocopying which is usually waived if you are on benefits.

You must ask for these copies in writing.

The doctor has a discretion to refuse if there is genuine concern that access to your notes will cause you harm, but the circumstances in which this objection is appropriate are extremely rare (almost the only example is terminal illness - and even then the doctor would have to make a very good case for refusal)

Where there is any doubt about whether or not access would do you harm the question must be resolved in favour of access.

I cannot remember whether there is a time limit on how long records must be kept.

I think that you can find more information on the general NHS website. But don't worry too much about plans to centralise, the NHS computer debacle has been one of the most disastrous, expensive and wasteful experiments in public/private partnerships and is unlikely to happen any time soon.

[Katherine]

thanks ((((Swan))))) for all the info.

k.

[Katherine]

You see I also have to write a letter to a mental health organisation that I was doing some casual support work for (mainly sleepovers) at one of their supported homes.

I took time off since before Christmas and said I'd confirm and review my position at Easter----now....

So I have to tell them that I want to leave permanantly.

(scared of doing that...)

So I guess I am thinking that medical backup would help. Its not that I'm incapable of doing the work. Its just rather triggering, and I NEED to look after myself, as my therapist keeps telling me.

Feel ashamed though..I got into the work, which was such a victory for me---I scored very highly at the interview, apparantly---and then....

I suppose I just ask my GP --- "How have you diagnosed me in my records? Its important to me to know the official medical view."

????

I am wondering how what is very clearly my vulnerability to periods of intense Depression and Anxiety (all throughout my life) is viewed by the medical profession.

I DO have the clear, compassionate and caring view gathered by my therapist and I as to the causes and how the effects can be seen diagnostically if one chooses to see it that way, but there is also the medical side, and medical records can be important.

Please, any feedback or support is welcome......

thanks...

Karie

[Katherine]

:(

*feeling a bit sad and ignored*

maybe I'm being "too" demanding?

Or am I invisible?

Karie

[JTBadBug]

Hi Karie,

I have not ignored you but I really don't know what to say.

If it is important to you then ask the question you need the answer to, but, can I just ask you even if you don't tell us here, do you know how you want everything written on your records? I say this because I know I would struggle if I read my records, I would find a problem what ever way they were written. If you do not know how you want it to be then you might be like myself, of course if you do know, then that is a totally different ball game.

I am sure this will not be of much use to you, but, do take care,

Jane :)

[Katherine]

hey Jane, Thanks for noticing me....I don't think I am just being *attention seeking*, I really would like some help with this and was feeling a bit unheard. This is more important to me than people realise.

On my records I want to be understood, my pain to be seen as legitimate, and I guess, above all I DON'T WANT TO BE REJECTED.

I really need to 'talk' about all this, its good to be able to write it here, but its hard when I feel I'm talking into blank air.

Karie

[Tracey]

(((((((((Karie))))))))))))

please dont feel rejected & no you definately not an attention seeker

just someone who needs to be heard

please feel free to scream and shout

sorry for not replying earlier but havent been able to find the words to type

here for you hun

Traceyxxx

[calyps]

Karie,

listen to Swan- she talk sense, yeah!

I wrote to my psychiatric hosp about 6 months ago asking for a copy of my records- no luck yet but my social worker is chasing it up.

Babes, I think you're just gonna have to go in there and state what you want- keep your eye on what it is and don't be swayed- these notes are about you, you have a right to know what is in them. I asked my GP if I could read my notes once and he seemed reluctant, but he did say that I could make an appointment to sit at the surgery and read them (something I never did). Maybe you could phone your GP's receptionist and ask them how you might go about seeing your notes before you see your GP? Something that's causing you all this angst needs to be dealt with sweetie, I am here for you,

Anwen

[Katherine]

thanks Tracey and Anwen....

I'm still trying to get my head and heart around this, and when the right timing is etc,..bearing in mind that I usually get terrified of things that turn out perfectly ok.....

K.