MPS

So I have been called to an inquest for a patient that I saw once before she was re admitted for an abdominal problem which turned to a fatal episode of sepsis. I've discussed it with the senior partner who has been to 'loads' of inquests. I've written a report to submit which had been in my pigeon hole for 3 weeks.

Inquest is in September and I feel partly curious partly very anxious about what will be expected of me.

Reading MPS Casenotes over lunch reminded me to put something down on the blog about it!

13/6/12 addition I had my first MPS contact regarding the letter I had drafted before I went away, basically re-writing the letter! I've done exactly what they advised so hopefully should be acceptable to submit soon.

2 come along at once!

Back from Hols and a wonderful week where I didn't think about work or anything medical for a week. Truly refreshing.

After thinking there was no good GP blogs out there a couple of months ago I found out about another to add to Margaret McCartney's site. Check out-

http://www.darmipc.net/blog.html

This is a site run by a GP called Wilfred Treasure, who I'm amazed I've never come across before. From my first dip onto the site I can already tell this is going to be just my thing! Also if you follow the link it takes you to an iPhone friendly mobile site- so I can look at this during boys swimming lessons/on the bus etc!

Teaching next week and week after so what I'm supposed to be doing is refreshing my knowledge of the Calgary-Cambridge guides. Doesn't seem as interesting as Dr Treasures blog!

More radio based education!

A long drive made much more pleasant on Friday by a sleeping child and good radio!

Woman's Hour was excellent with 2 GP relevant items. Domestic violence, which I wasn't expecting alot from, bit Learnt about Seachange, a charity that works with perpetrators and victims of DV and learnt about early warning signs for women to suspect they might be at risk in future- checking phone and emails apparently.

Then a wonderful item about Dr Russell a GP in Manchester who is finally hanging up her stethoscope aged 80! She was great, no politics or moans, just a vivid description of how in the 50+ years she had practiced medicine things have changed. An inspirational lady. The disappearance of measles and polio, using a home telephone instead of having to find a phone box. 2 things that struck me.

Grieving

I'm trying to come to terms with my father dying in July last year. 


I've written complaints to both the Hospital where he was admitted before he died and also to his GP practice. I have only just written to his GP practice and received the response nearly 2 weeks ago and it completely floored me.  I new this was a risk of making the complaints but i felt i had to ask questions, both for myself and for my father's memory. As a scientist and passionate intellectual I strongly believe he would have wanted his case looked at objectively and lessons learnt from it.   


I managed to read the letter which has completely wiped me out for nearly 2 weeks again tonight and didn't cry. I read it completely differently to how I read it initially. I'm still not happy with the GP practice's response so I'm going to write again and I've shared this letter as it's evolved from a rant to something more reflective and appropriate with a close GP friend.  


My beloved Inside Health has come to my aide today and neatly encapsulated why I wanted to lodge these complaints in an article by Professor Susan Bewley an Obstetrician from University College London who was discussing the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths. 


She said this-

“Good doctors (and midwives) pay attention to detail and even in death the details or the stories and journeys (women) have made are very important and I think that it is only respectful to look at that in detail so that we can learn for the benefit of the next (woman).  

Inside health back again

More podcasts! Hooray! This week looking at full blood counts, behind the scenes. Over the counter meds with a professor doing a big cochrane review. 1 PCM 1 ibuprofen and a strong coffee is best apparently!

Also read editorials of BJGP and briefly felt better about true health and social care bill.

Easter holiday fun

As I've said before I think any educational activity in school Hols should get double CPD points!

I've managed to read a publication by the ARC on upper limb conditions, which I'd highly recommend. It came with my copy of BJGP. It goes through common problems but highlights considerations of differential diagnosis, easy clinical tests to do and clinical signs to look for in patients presenting with upper limb problems.

There is an email link to get on line updates, which I think I'll add to my collection!

Meet and moan

So we managed out first GP group meet for ages and over curry talked shop.

Lots of frustrations with communication between hospital and primary care. Lots of worries about local plans to put groups of GPs into groups working together.

Then we had a debrief about an ENT update course Ally had been on and talked about ENT examination, cholesteatoma diagnosing acoustic neuroma and Bells Palsy.

None of this put us off our curries I'm pleased to say!

Today a 2 page piece in the BJGP about training at White House Surgery where I have been locuming this week, by my former trainer, Richard Watton.
A good read and explains why there are so many young people working each time I go there !