Why measure? Is it waste or non-compliance?

Two topics in one blog post? Well, they are kind of related and I'm in a cost and time saving mood...

Why measure?

Recently I've (unfortunately) been going to the hospital and my new GP practice a lot more than normal. Sometimes I've had hospital visits twice in one week and although the observation I'm about to make has struck me as odd before, these regular visits have made me question what is going on even more.

Every time I've had an out-patient visit something happens and yet, nothing happens.

What happens? I get weighed and my height is measured.

Now I'm being a bit harsh when I say nothing happens because in reality the results get recorded on the system but, after that, nothing happens.

If I were to visit the hospital today, my weight and height would be recorded. If I visited tomorrow, I would (once again) be weighed and my height measured.
No one stops and thinks "Oh, this was recorded yesterday, no need to do it today". It seems to "just be the procedure". It seems a waste of time and effort.

What's worse is that no one seems to look at these measurements or, if they do, they see no reason to discuss them with me - yet they should. My weight has increased by over 50% in the last year and my BMI wasn't in the green zone to start with!

So why is this procedure blindly followed every time I visit hospital or visit my GP practice?
If the data isn't used, why collect it in the first place?
If I refuse to be weighed or have my height measured I suspect I'd be deemed a non-compliant patient, which nicely leads on to part two of this blog post...

Is it waste or non-compliance?

I have a new GP!

I have no idea who they are. I don't know their name as it could be any one of the GPs at the practice I've registered at, but I'm sure the system knows who I've been nominally assigned to.
If it's anything like the last two practices I've been registered with, I suspect I will never see them. Instead I'm always seen by the practice nurse, because I'm "special"... I have type one diabetes... which is fine my me - being seen by the practice nurse, not so much the diabetes bit!

When I initially registered I was told that they no longer do "new patient assessments" - fantastic. I always found them to be annoying time wasting activities imposed on me so I'd be allowed to order a repeat prescription. I asked how my repeats would be setup and (unfortunately), whilst casting their eye over my last repeat prescription, they back tracked a bit and said "well the GP might want to see you before setting all this up".

I realised, the following week, that I hadn't asked about sharps bins. Unlike my previous two addresses, were the council both took away and replaced sharps bins, my current council only takes sharps bins away.
I went back to ask how I could get a replacement sharps bin. Apparently I need a sharps bin to be added to my prescription (which to this day still hasn't been done). The council will come and collect my bins on the 8th so it might be an interesting challenge to store my medical waste soon!
Anyway, whilst this was being discussed I was told that I needed to be booked in to see the practice nurse to discuss my diabetes and get my repeats setup etc... sounds like a new patient assessment to me! As a "compliant" patient I set up the appointment, after all, if I didn't get my repeat of insulin I'd be putting myself at risk of dying - no small incentive.

Unfortunately the practice nurse was ill on the day I was meant to see her and the GP practice rang to rearrange for the following week.

The day arrived. I go with my urine sample, all of my notes and a list of issues and questions I'd like to discuss - I always go prepared.

Some of the numerous forms I filled in to register at my current GP practice.
Including key questions: Do I smoke? Do I drink? Do I exercise?

I get weighed; they measure my height; they do my blood pressure; ask if I drink?; do I smoke?
...and a couple of surprise statements/questions: You have type two diabetes. What other conditions do you have?

At registration I'd provided a printout from my previous GP listing everything about me. I'd also filled in numerous forms to register with practice too (one of which asked if I smoked, how much I drank and the amount of exercise I do). I also knew that (because they'd taken so long registering me) my previous GP had managed to send through everything they had about me. Heck I even knew (via the EMIS patient portal) that my repeats had been setup and so this meeting was a complete waste of my time - I didn't need to be here to get my repeats setup as I'd previously been told! So why was I being asked all this stuff - again?

The NHS love to record when and how much I drink & smoke.
Just like weight and height - it's an obsession.

Even when I was admitted to hospital on the verge of coma I was asked! Yes, I know, there is good reason for this... but I must always disappoint them when they get the same response:

"only for celebrations and no, never"

How boring! ...but every time it's as though they're asking these questions for the first time. No one has ever said "We've recorded on the system that you don't smoke, is that still the case?". Why bother recording the information if it's never going to be looked at again?

Then the question (spoken as a fact), that always annoys me, was made:

"You have type two diabetes."

I interject, "No I don't. I was mis-diagnosed with type two diabetes. I actually have type one."

"Oh. What other conditions do you have?"

I mention Raynauds.

"How do you spell that?"

The system shows three different options for Raynauds and I point out they all describe the same condition. She selects one and then asks me a question about it that makes no sense what-so-ever. She decides not to explain, presumably because she doesn't know what the question means either.

I sit there wondering why I'm being asked all this when they have all of my medical notes already. Maybe they're doing this to check the information is right? Well if I didn't have type one diabetes I wouldn't be here, so it can't be that... besides, she's typing this stuff into the system whilst I'm here. Why hasn't it all been imported electronically already?

...and then it is back to discussing my diabetes...

"Have you had a retinal screening this year?"
"Yes, 8th of May" (I know this because I blogged about it: Eyes Wide Open)
"Was it ok?"
"Yup, no problems."
"Ok, we'll get you added to the system to have one later then."

Then came the shocker.

"We need to set you up with a couple more appointments. One to have a fasting blood test and the other to see the diabetes nurse at the practice."

What started as not requiring any appointments has turned into three!

So I'm booked in next week for blood tests (let's hope I don't go hypo before that one!) and the following month to see the diabetes nurse to discuss whatever it is she wants to discuss - assuming I go. At some point someone needs to re-test my potassium levels... I seem to be the only one concerned about this, hopefully I can convince them to do that next week otherwise I'll cancel the appointment with the nurse because I don't see any value to it.

As the practice nurse starts to send me on my way I say I have a few concerns and questions I'd like to ask. It turns out she can't help with any of them, only the diabetes nurse can deal with these when I see her next month. I guess I'll just plod on by myself then.

So I leave in the knowledge that my time has been wasted, but I'm sure they found it useful as they've managed to collect some QOF points along the way.

Eye Screening Invitation

Then to my surprise I receive an invitation in the post to book a retinal screening! It's not even been 3 months since my last one and they know it!

It would seem the cost of providing this service is about £25, but the cost and inconvenience to me is a lot more. Every location available is a car journey away, but once they've put the drops in my eyes I won't be able to drive for up to 6 hours. That means I either have to ask my wife to take time off work (as well as myself) in order to take me or a rather expensive taxi ride each way.

So I have a choice. Either:

• Waste NHS time and money as well as my own (and mess my employer about by taking time off work) and have another retinal screening, despite the fact my screening in May didn't even have signs of background retinopathy, or
• refuse to go on the basis that it is less than three months since my last one and then I have a GP practice thinking I am an awkward, non-compliant patient.

I guess I'm going to be a non-compliant patient, but why do I feel bad about saving the NHS time and money? Why do I feel like I'm being used rather than getting care?

Unfortuntely I have very little choice over who I can register with, I just hope they don't hold me to ransom like my previous GP when it comes to ordering a repeat prescription.