Playing the cancer card
Patti J
Member, Dragonfly Posts: 589 
Usually I am reluctant to emphasise my condition. However, today I was compelled to let my G.P.'s receptionist know my condition after being informed that I would need to wait for another 3 people in front of me, after already waiting half an hour.
I left the surgery and came back because I knew I had to have my injection or risk pain and fractures.
I had made my appointment before Christmas.
All I wanted was my monthly injection.
My G.P. was very apologetic.
All good now but...
I left the surgery and came back because I knew I had to have my injection or risk pain and fractures.
I had made my appointment before Christmas.
All I wanted was my monthly injection.
My G.P. was very apologetic.
All good now but...
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Comments
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It's about your own sanity! We can appreciate sometimes things happen and they get behind but a better way of management is being informed when you arrive that they are running behind, whatever approximate time is, you can then head off and return or ask if you can jump the queue and see what they say!
When we book in for our appointment there's a screen to book in and it tells you whether you are next or second in line ...
My GP has always encouraged me to let the staff know if I am in trouble and he will see me! Hopefully this hiccup was a one off and your next appointment is on time!3 -
Thanks @iserbrown. I will wait if I need to but not when it is a monthly appointment.
When I was waiting to see my breast surgeon for my first cancer query appointment, many years ago, I waited for three and a half hours. I figured if I needed to see him badly enough, I would wait as long as I had to.0 -
Do they have a nurse on staff who could do the injection? The nurse's at my GP are rarely behind time (and they bulk bill every time) and if the GP really wants to see me, they'll call her while I'm in with them.1
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There is a nurse but she has only ever given me one injection. I prefer to see my regular G.P. I have even volunteered to inject myself.
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It doesn't hurt to complain. At outpatients one day I waited over two hours to be seen. The time before that was an hour and a half and the time before that was an hour. I put a formal complaint in.
The other day I went in and waited no more than 15 minutes. The waiting room was only 1/3 full and those that were there were taken in a reasonable turnover rate. More doctors rooms were open with doctors in them this time too. My complaint must have been heeded and a bit more of a budget was advanced to an overworked department. More staff = less patient waiting.1 -
Hi, just thought I would add my 2 cents worth,
as I live in a rural/country town I am fortunate to have access to community nurses, so they come to my home every 6 weeks and give me my denosunab/.xgeva injection, just a thought for those who live out in the country areas, worth a try?
I also see my GP every month for scripts as wel,l waiting from anywhere between nil and 45 minutes what do you do?
The reception stafff know I have anxiety issues so if I feel a little off I tell them and they let me go and sit somewhere quietly till I am the next patient My GP is aware that I have my injections this way and I had to have a medical report signed off by him to give to the community nurse.
wendy55.
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I ring them 15 minutes before my appointment and ask what the waiting time looks like. One of the things I like about my GP is that if she thinks she needs to spend more time with someone, she does. That's great if it's you getting much needed attention but it does mean she is not always on time.
She handles lots of high risk patients, it's almost impossible to get on her list and certain patients automatically get a long consultation booking which I assume gives her a bit of space to catch up.
So, I ring and ask then if she's running behind I go and have a coffee or a wander around or sit in the car and read-the paper. I've trained them to call me just before they need me (that took some doing) which takes the stress out of waiting-- which I suck at.6 -
Interesting read about the cancer card - never feel guilty if you have to use it!
https://www.curetoday.com/community/bonnie-annis/2017/04/the-cancer-card-rules-for-use
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