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Thanks Karen, I did show my GP the letter from the hospital with the date I had to see the Urologist (March 9th) and this was in January, so I would have thought this was adequate time for him to bring the Urologist up to speed. I know you said it can take months after the appointment concerned, but you'd think they'd pull their finger out especially seeing as patients like me only get to see the Urologist once every year.
Thanks China, I can understand a hospital dentist having access to patients files but mine is just a regular dentist. Don't get me wrong, I can understand the necessity of him being informed where my epilepsy's concerned in case I should have a seizure while in his chair (or worse still, while he's got a drill in my mouth!) Thankfully, so far that's never happened (touch wood!) but I was a little surprised when he mentioned my kidney problems.
Also I understand what you're saying about certain things having no relevance to the consultants but when I first started getting UTIs in 2009 and was eventually referred to a Urologist, one of the first things he did was to give me a rectal examination to check my prostate. This, by the way, was following a blood test involving a PSA carried out at my doctor's surgery and where my level was found to be slightly raised. Blokes over 50, such as myself, are always being encouraged to regularly have their prostate checked. With this in mind, now whenever I have a blood test in relation to by diabetic review I always request a PSA and like I mentioned in my OP, I had one done a couple of weeks ago which, just like in 2009, showed my PSA level to be slightly raised. The nurse that does my diabetic review told me I'd need to make an appointment to see my GP for a rectal examination and that was when I told her I was due to see the Urologist the following week and the chances are he'd carry out a rectal examination. I also felt having a PSA done a couple of weeks prior to my appointment with the Urologist might be of some help to him.
Unfortunately things didn't go quite according to plan. Like I said, instead of seeing my usual Urologist I saw a young lady consultant who intended to do a rectal examination but to be honest I was too embarrassed to let her (she was young enough to be my Granddaughter!). OK, I know she's probably done it hundreds of times but I just wouldn't be comfortable with it and told her I'd prefer it to be done by a male doctor. I was hoping she'd go and get my regular consultant but she said he was too busy. Although I'm a little peeved she didn't actually go and ask him. Long story short, I'm now having to wait six weeks before I can see my regular Urologist for a rectal examination. Two weeks prior to that appointment however, they've told me I'm to make an appointment at my own doctor's to have a PSA blood test done.
The thing I don't understand is why it takes so long for a GP and hospital to communicate with one another, especially in this technological age where information is literally at our fingertips and we have the ability to send an email to the other side of the world in a matter of seconds. Yet my GP can't send a fax to a hospital ten miles away! And just going back to my diabetic clinic nurse's assurance that the information she had regarding my PSA results would be accessible to my Urologist but evidently this wasn't the case. What's to say the same thing won't happen again when I have another PSA blood test done at my GP's surgery in four weeks time?
By the way, on the day of my Urology appointment I was sent to the X-ray dept to have my mid-to-lower abdomen x-rayed (as they do every year), which showed "tiny specks" in my kidneys but the consultant didn't feel they were cause for concern. She would, however, arrange for me to have an ultrasound scan, which I'm waiting for a letter from the hospital in relation to.
Thanks again Karen and China, I appreciate your input very much :)