This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Poor care in GP office

Posted By vyviren43

"Poor care in GP office"

About: General practices in Lothian

(as the patient),

After having a dip in my mental health, and being told by work to get signed off to get better, I went to see my GP about a sicknote. After a few weeks this needed to be renewed and the GP I saw was very unsympathetic, saying that I would need to be working again at some point, that feeling low isn't an excuse not to work, and very rudely and abruptly telling me that I should be medicated when I had said I'd like some details for a counselling service, because I didn't feel bad enough to be taking antidepressants and they're not something I want to use. I felt humiliated, and like I wasn't being respected.

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Jeannette Morrison, Head of Patient Experience, NHS Lothian 2 years ago
Jeannette Morrison
Head of Patient Experience,
NHS Lothian

Submitted on 17/05/2021 at 13:56
Published on Care Opinion at 14:31

Dear vyviren43

Thank you very much for sharing your feedback with us following your experiences at your GP Practice. I was sorry to read that when you attended you felt the GP to be umsypathetic.

The majority of GPs are independent and you should direct this feedback to the Practice Manager, who I am sure would want to hear of your experiences and the impact this has had on you.

I do hope you have since been able to contact the counselling services.

With kind regards

Jeannette

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by vyviren43 (the patient)

I did at the time and felt brushed off. I was told I could change practice if I didn't want to speak to the GP in question again. I feel the practice does not perform well in a trauma informed way, nor did this particular GP appear to have any sympathy for my personal circumstances at the time, which I explained as fully as I could through tears. It made me very angry. GPs need to move with the times and have empathy for mental health (which is as biological as any other health issue), and respect the fact that some people don't want medication (for any number of reasons). It is a disgrace to disregard and disrespect a patient's self-knowledge and intelligence (I could reference a host of scientific evidence against antidepressant use) because their view is in favour of medication. I asked for a referal to therapy and this was refused because I had refused meds. These interactions don't fill people with confidence in approaching "professionals" for help, and it makes people anxious about attending their GP practice for very legitimate reasons. It was an experience which furthered my mental illness and continues to make it difficult to speak about with any GP. Mental health issues should not be met with hostility.

Thank you for your response.

Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k