Introduction
Charges
New Pages and Books 
Medical News
How to be assertive with the doctor

Thank you again for using www.med4u.co.uk. UK’s leading site for Internet consultations. I hope you are all well and that you will continue to support us as we grow and that we will always be of service to you. This is our first monthly newsletter, with info' about the site, special offers, behind the scenes medical news and short articles. 

Medicine is one of the most absorbing professions in the world. Doctors always talk to each other at parties because we find our work fascinating (and not because we socially inept!) We want you to share our interest, to have fun learning about the best way to stay healthy and find out what to do when something goes wrong.

Internet medicine is new and exciting. It will change the way medicine is practiced worldwide. It will depend on how you, the consumer, want it develop. At the moment the Internet provides you information. med4u takes it further by helping you interpret that information – finally will you have a complete medical examination and treatment through your computer? Will it be as good? 

We would love to do this for free, but in order for med4u to survive we have to charge .Consultations are  £10 – discounted from £20. There is also an annual membership charge of £150 that provides you with as many consultations as you need over a year. 

If you spend too much time at your desk then follow this link DESK HEALTH 

Are there topics that you would like included please let me know on newsletter@med4u.co.uk and I will do my best to get some information for you. 

BOOK OF THE MONTH

British National Formulary. Just about every doctor in the UK uses this book to find out impartial drug information. It contains all the essential information about every drug available on prescription. It uses minimal medicalese language, it is clear concise and reasonably easy to follow. It describes the dose, side effects and drug interactions of each drug.
 At £15.99, click here go to Amazon books, and be as up to date as any doctor in the country.

                                  MEDICAL NEWS

What do you think of the government spending billions on the NHS – will it sort the NHS problems out? Post your answers            HERE

£1 billion to modernise general practice sounds great but Medical leaders are lukewarm. 

Professor Mike Pringle (GPs) was concerned the government expected enormous improvements from General Practice but promised very little to increase the numbers of GPs  

Dr Peter Smith (Nat Ass Primary Care) ‘It probably offers the last and best chance to the state-funded, universal, comprehensive NHS’

Sir Donald Irvine, head of the GMC – the medical regulatory body was concerned about looking at the fine print changes to health regulations – so there are no major changes in the large print.

Is there any meat in the plan? Ideas include a new Patients Charter; a comprehensive antismoking policy (or ban cigarettes?); greater regulation of general practitioners – to avoid another Shipman (one bad doctor decides national policy?); by 2004 an additional 450 trainee GPs; by 2005 another 2,000 GPs(?); and waiting times for outpatients to fall to three months.

I remember a time when the NHS was patient centred, I also remember how the service was cut back and it became difficult even to get equipment in A&E to put up an intravenous drip. It will take more than money to put the soul back into a major nationalised service. It needs inspirational leadership, to set standards and targets that people will want to follow.

For me, the biggest disappointment is how little there is for health education. The best way to improve people's health is to keep them well informed.

Finally, I am also concerned that by 2005 everyone will have computerised medical records and all GPs will be connected to NHSnet. If you want to keep your records private, then stay with med4u and arrange private health insurance, now. Phone my broker Mr Richard Armstrong, Director London Asset Management, 020 7355 5002
email: Richard@LondonAsset.co.uk

How to be assertive with a Doctor

If everything is available on the NHS, where's the problem? 

Rule 1    Know what you want

 Unless you know you want, you cannot get it.  Have a clear idea of your problem. med4u.co.uk will help you get to know what you need. 

Rule 2    Describe the problem clearly and keep to the point.

Even if you know the answer, let the doctor work it out. It helps us feel useful and clever! Start by describing your symptoms such as 'for the last six months I have felt cold, lethargic, tired, a bit depressed, put on weight, and my hair has become dry'. If the doctor does not catch on, try 'my mother is hypothyroid...so is my aunt...so is my father...so is my brother...and so on'. Only when all else fails try 'I think I may have a low thyroid' 'I would like a blood test'

Rule 3   Use ordinary language

Doctors think only they speak medicalese. Beware of using words the doctor does not understand. Never be smarter than your doctor as we pride ourselves on our intellects.

Rule 4   Be polite, be prepared to negotiate and be persistent

Doctors can have fixed ideas and may not like change. Avoid the doctor saying 'No you cannot have a scan/blood test/prescription for x'. Prefer saying 'I can see why you are reluctant to do/give/prescribe x. Perhaps if I am no better/my symptoms continue/my arm drops off we could try a y.' Use win-win negotiating techniques, such as ‘I promise I wont bother you again if I can have an xxxx’.

Rule 5   One thing at a time

A GP’s heart sinks when s/he sees a list of 20 problems. Sort them out in advance, write them down but one per consultation or book a double appointment.

Rule 6    Most doctors want an easy life

Don’t ask the impossible and don't expect miracles. Most doctors are human beings

Rule 7    Never say 'and while I'm here doctor' or 'one last thing'

Or wait until you are about to leave before explaining the real reason for your appointment. 7 minutes is barely long enough to buy a newspaper. Yet this is the length of your NHS appointment. Have a www.med4u.co.uk consultation first. (these take about half an hour). Go in knowing what you want. 

If something else comes up - book another appointment.

Getting good treatment is an active process. You need to know the facts, know what you need, know where it is available and how you can get it. And be nice to the doctor!