Incompetent GP's Warned to Stop Ignoring Cancer Symptoms

By: N_Walayat

The Governments top cancer expert warned that GP's are failing to diagnose cancer symptoms in an interview with the Observer.

"Patients are dying of cancer because GP's are failing to identify their symptoms, the government's top cancer expert has warned. Professor Mike Richards said botched diagnoses were now 'a significant concern'. 'Ultimately it can mean that the cancer has progressed to a stage where it can't be cured,' he said. Failed diagnoses also meant that, when cancers were eventually spotted, particularly aggressive treatments, such as chemotherapy or surgery, had to be used. 'That could be a mastectomy rather than perhaps a breast conserving operation,' http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/....

A recent Market Oracle poll reveals that more than 15% of patients considered their GP's to be incompetent in diagnoses and treatment, with many patients finding themselves subject to literally worthless shoulder shrug diagnoses. The direct consequences of GP incompetence is most clearly evident in failure to diagnose cancer early enough for treatment to prove effective.

Recently the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, pointed out the wide disparity in life expectancy in his own city of Sheffield, where people living in an affluent ward can be expected to live as much as 17 years longer than someone living in a deprived ward such as Darnall. However the Lib Dem leader stopped in going as far as highlighting that the disparity in quality of GP services between deprived and affluent wards played a significant factor in the difference in life expectancy.

Whilst some 15% of GP's are considered by patients to be incompetent, however this masks the fact supported by life expectancy statistics that suggests that incompetent GP's tend to cluster together within deprived wards where the level of incompetence can be greater than 50%, hence the difference that a few miles can make between life and death diagnoses.

As an example a Sheffield woman from a deprived ward was repeatedly misdiagnosed and dismissed as having nothing more than environment flu, however by the time the patient had made it to the hospital on her own steam, it was too late as the cancer had matastisised and there was little that could be done.

The only solution available to patients is to register themselves with GP's in more affluent wards, however GP's in affluent wards are restricting patients from outside of the area and referring patients back to the same incompetent GP's that reside within deprived wards.

The only real answer is a truly independent online evaluation service of all GP surgeries, so that patients are able to register themselves with competent GP's who have the skills and inclination to perform a competent diagnoses, so as the the 17 year gap in life expectancy between deprived and affluent wards can be reduced.

The only skills that incompetent GP's tend to foster is the ability in diffusing complaints by working the system against the patient. Therefore rendering the bureaucratic NHS complaints procedure worthless, designed purely to produce paper work and wear patients down through bureaucracy. Additionally complaining patients may find themselves blacklisted by GP's determined to mask their incompetence, whilst obviously in the case of misdiagnosed cancer patients time works against the patient therefore allowing the incompetent GP's to continue with worthless diagnoses with impunity.

An recent opinion poll amongst 156,000 NHS staff found that patient care is not a top priority for the NHS. This is further evidence, if it were needed that the mantra of free at the point of delivery health care service is increasingly seen as free but worthless at the point of delivery health service.

In Summary Patients Living in Deprived Wards Should -

a. Attempt to re-register with a GP in an affluent ward of their city.

b. Keep re-registering with GP's within deprived wards until they find a competent GP, baring in mind that the level of competency may be less than 50%.

c. Have no choice but to seek private competent GP diagnoses services.

The Market Oracle in the interest of public safety is investigating the possibilities of the creation of an independent online GP surgery evaluation service for all UK patients to contribute towards, so as enable patients to register themselves with GP's that are able to perform competent diagnoses.

By Nadeem Walayat

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Nadeem Walayat has over 20 years experience of trading, analysing and forecasting the financial markets, including one of few who both anticipated and Beat the 1987 Crash. Nadeem is the Editor of The Market Oracle, a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. We present in-depth analysis from over 120 experienced analysts on a range of views of the probable direction of the financial markets. Thus enabling our readers to arrive at an informed opinion on future market direction. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk

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