Uk GP rant/ referral to dermatologist.
My eczema has currently been in a 5 month long flare I’ve tried everything to help calm/prevent it from getting worse but nothing seems to be working. I hadn’t gone to the doctors for about 3 years with my eczema as I’d always get bad luck and get a GP that either didn’t listen or dismissed me completely. But usually since they didn’t know what they was looking at they’d send me straight off to a skin specialist, no problem. However with me also having the same problems with the dermatologist I became extremely tried and burned out from constantly going through the system which was my reason for taking a break.
3 weeks ago I went back to the GP in hopes of trying again, as usual he didn’t listen to me and even spoke over me multiple times. He then prescribed me with an even stronger steroid cream to use daily and even one to use on my face even though my face has been the only body part left out from this flare. I tried to explain to him I only use a weak steroid cream when really necessary as my skin started getting side effects and thinning but he went on to tell me this only happened because I stopped using them. As well as giving me a moisturiser that’s supposed to be an alternative to the one I use but I’ve already used it before and I know it doesn’t work for my skin. All this just proving he hasn’t gone through my records at all. To hopefully get what I wanted I tried asking to be referred to a skin specialist as it had been a long time since I’d seen one but apparently he can’t refer me as they only take referrals through photos now? He wouldn’t tell me how to send photos to them as he believes they will just prescribe me with what he did or it’d be actual medication which he didn’t want me going on since they have side effects.
I don’t know if what he said about not being able to refer me is true as when I researched it, referrals from GP is still allowed? But it’s stressed me out as after dealing with eczema my entire life he acted as if I didn’t know what eczema was and proceeded to draw a diagram of a broken skin barrier, spoke over me multiple times and blamed me for not using steroids creams daily even though I’ve never been prescribed that, and then said I won’t need actual medication even though I’ve tried every cream they’ve probably got on records. Then to top it all off on my way out the doctor’s office he said in 3 weeks my eczema would be 70% gone. I’ve had bad doctors before I’ve been spoken to horribly before but this time really got under my skin as I really thought after 3 years and having my mental health team write multiple notes on my records regarding my eczema that it’d be different.
Is there any way around going through the system again without having to go private? I assume not but after all this and years of past experiences I’m so tired of going through bad GPs and would just like any advice anyone could give me. I’ve already complained about my experience and my prescribing nurse that works with me mentally sent a letter to my doctors regarding that appointment but I’ve not heard anything back. I’d really appreciate any advice at all as it’s getting unbearable and I’ve run out of options at this point… thank you.