GPs not taking severe asthma seriously?
Okay, I have Brittle Asthma Type II and I live in the UK so have the NHS for healthcare purposes.
Anyway, Brittle Asthma is quite unpredictable and extremely hard to manage, it can be fine one minute but one it is bad in time it often leads to a hospital visit.
Anyway, for the past 2 years my GP has been extremely awful in treatment, they ration my salbutamol saying I should only require one a month (which in the past even the hospital has said on the run up to an asthma attack I need at least one that I can empty in one burst, something they attempt at the hospital to stabiliser my asthma) but my GP refuses this. Plus during bad periods I can need more than one a month as I run out after a week or two.
Brittle asthma can be bad for long periods (Type I from what i know is bad all the time), with me being Type II I have good periods a lot but I can still have long bad periods which unless I'm having an attack, I don't need to be in hospital for but need adequate treatment.
Plus my GP has missed things on several occasions, like once my asthma was bad, during February, 3 years in a row. First time he says it is just badly managed, second time same thing, 3rd time I request to be referred to the hospitals specialised unit which he looked offended by. Guy at the hospital pulled some blood tests I'd been having over the past 2 years and noticed I had inflamed lungs.
Oh and just to add to the badly managed asthma point, my GP claims (despite being diagnosed) that I don't...
...have Brittle Asthma and that it is just badly managed mild asthma. Which if he'd take the time to look at my medical record he'd know it isn't.
I've since switched to my university GP and I'm hoping for better treatment.
My point is I have been looking into this recently though and have been spotting similar complaints from other severe asthmatics; rationing of medication, a woman who wasn't take seriously and died (newspaper story), etc and I want to know why GPs are doing this?
I mean surely it saves more money by giving us the adequate medication and treatment via the GP, rather than letting it get so bad we need a hospital bed. I mean some of my worst asthma attacks can last a week of me needing hospital treatment.