Every flu season, since I became a doctor, I’ve had a version of this conversation:
Me: “Oh, Mrs. Bloggs, I wish you’d seen me sooner with this.”
Mrs. Bloggs: “Oh, dear, I saw in the papers that you are all so busy. I didn’t want to to be a burden.”
Over the years, it has gotten worse – not better.
It is literally a doctor’s job to know when a patient needs a doctor.
And when it’s not serious, it is our privilege to reassure, to educate.
It is a patient’s right to seek healthcare when they are sick.
It is a parent’s duty to be an advocate for their child’s health.
It is simply awful to ask patients to self-triage. I do believe in empowering patients. However, there is a line where it becomes patient-shaming. And it is potentially dangerous as the wrong people – too often the most vulnerable – listen to the message to stay away.
What are these “options?” Does the HSE really believe that patients choose to go to an ED as a first choice that the patient has already explored?
Almost no wants to go to an ED.
Most patients have already started with the chemist.
Many patients have already tried – and likely unsuccesfully – attempted to see their GP or out of hours GP. #doctorshortage
Many patients have tried their public minor injury units and private urgent cares to find their illness is outside their limited scopes.
Some will try online dial-a-doc services (with mixed results.)
Way, way too many patients will crowd source medical opinion on social media apps: “What do you think this is?” or “What do you think I should do?”
There is no simple solution to fixing healthcare. We desperately need more doctors. We need more nurses. We need reform of healthcare delivery models. We need more preventative health measures.
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