"Disappointing medical assessment and treatment"

I had a medical condition develop recently. It progressively got worse over however very slowly and minimally. On the fourth night it was noted to be getting worse very quickly with every hour it was looking worse. With a fair idea what I believed this was I presented to the Emergency Department late at night concerned this could be very serious if it continued to worsen hour by hour overnight. I was also in a considerable amount of pain at this point.

I presented to the Emergency Department was triaged very quickly and was happy with the reception I got from the staff. I was then called into the Emergency Department by the doctor, again after not a very long wait time.

The doctor took me and my partner into a consult room, did not close the door for privacy and chose not to take a seat at the desk in the room. Instead proceeded to conduct the assessment while standing over my partner and I. I initially reported to the doctor I had photos if they would like to see. The doctor then only used these photos for their assessment. The doctor did not physically assess me or view the site. They left the room to ask another doctor their thoughts, this other doctor also never came into the room and performed an assessment. My initial doctor returned and gave me a diagnosis, the doctor did report they had never seen firsthand the diagnosis however believed it was that. I questioned the doctor and asked “Are you sure it is not” what I thought it was. They said it was not. The doctor then proceeded to give me a print out and also verbal information of how to help symptoms I never reported having and did not have. The information the doctor gave me also did not seem at all relevant to my symptoms and presentation therefore I did not read it in the room. The Doctor then asked if I’d googled it all before presenting as I was not reading it (this was not the case). Whilst the doctor was organising this information and a medical certificate I heard the other doctor in the ED ask at least twice if I had left yet. I was perhaps in the consult room for no longer than 10 minutes.

This experience did not instil a lot of confidence in my assessment or treatment. Therefore I presented to the G.P the following day for assessment (Swan Hill Primary Health Medical Clinic).

Again the G.P did not perform a physical assessment and was just happy to review photos. I informed them of my Emergency Department presentation but was still worried it was what I thought originally which is something that requires treatment. The doctor proceeded to open google and start searching different options. They found an article that was comparing two similar medications (I believe they did not read it) and then wrote on a piece of paper both of them and that I could purchase either of them from the pharmacy. I asked if I needed a script, as I was confident for what it was I would but the doctor reported I did not. I attend the pharmacy and of course they report it is prescription only. I am so worried a doctor used google to prescribe a medication they weren’t even aware was prescription only.

I used this medication however with nil improvement if anything getting worse and spreading. So in desperate attempts I booked another doctor consult at another place. I was greeted by a doctor who listened, viewed the progression in the photos and requested to physically see the site. He agreed he also thought it was what I believed I had all along, immediately prescribed multiple medications, and completed swabs. This doctor was also very surprised with my original diagnosis from E.D.

It was what I originally thought! I am very disappointed that I needed to seek 3 doctors and experience what can be a very serious condition get worse for 1 week before getting the appropriate treatment which worked very quickly to improve my extremely painful symptoms.

Perhaps if either of the first two doctors had performed a visual assessment, listened to my symptoms and presentation and performed appropriate investigations this could have been avoided.