"Avoid at all costs"

Having had a number of unresolved health issues over a couple of years I again presented myself for an appointment with my GP.

During the appointment his attitude could at best be described as indifferent as he reached for keyboard and said he would prescribe some medication.

I asked when I should start taking it and he somewhat patronisingly told me that the surgery was up to date, the the prescription would be sent electronically and that by the time I got to the pharmacy it would be ready to pick up.

I again asked when I should start to take the medication and he said straight away.

I then asked whether I should take the medication whilst I was in hospital.

He said that he had not realised I was going into hospital and asked me why I was going.

I told him that I was due to undergo surgery the following week.

He said he didn't know I was due to have surgery and asked why I was having an operation.

I advised that I was due to have surgery as the hospital believed I had bowel cancer.

"Oh, I didn't know" he replied.

I then told him that the surgeon had written to him and that I had also received copies of the letters that he had been sent by the Consultant.

He replied that he was too busy to read all of the correspondence that he received but that now he knew, he recommended that I shouldn't take the medication until after I had left the hospital.

Quite apart from the GP's indifference which I found astounding, surely the way in which correspondence is processed should be addressed.

Simply having admin staff dumping emails into patient files or scanning and loading them into files is not an acceptable process if the doctor doesn't read them.

If allowed to continue, it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or worse.