Too many doctors?

The finger is now cured – although I need to take care of it – and I don’t have to go back to the clinic on Friday. I was very impressed by the care and advice on offer over this small, but potentially serious, problem.

In the UK I am often wary of seeking help for small infections like this – even though they are quite frequent with all the immunosuppressive medication I take.

I guess this wariness is because I don’t want to be hanging around in waiting rooms, I don’t want to waste doctors’ time and I know I can look after and treat most infections myself and want to avoid antibiotics as much as I can.

Here in France I was treated very quickly and everyone understood the potential risks. The doctor also seemed almost thankful that he would have something interesting to do at 8.15am on Sunday after a night in the emergency department…

I was also relieved that I wasn’t just sent off with antibiotics. Of course, had I needed them I would have taken them – but they are no good for my bowel. Instead the doctors were prepared to assess my finger each morning for as long as it took.

This level of treatment is – I think – a direct consequence of having “too many” doctors in France. There are 207, 277 doctors in France according to the World Health Organisation’s 2008 figures, that’s 34 for every 10,000 people in France.

In Britain, the same studies give 133, 641 doctors – 23 for every 10,000 people. Not a huge difference on paper, but very noticeable in terms of the quality of patient care.

This ‘efficiency’ (if you are a patient or healthcare professional) or ‘inefficiency’ (if you are a budget holder or politician) has meant that I was able to get seen and assessed by a gastroenterologist within 24 hours of seeing a GP in July – possibly the most important step for someone with Crohn’s disease.

It means I get my Remicade infusion every 8 weeks (to the day) and that I am assessed by a doctor before each treatment and, on the first visit, by the consultant running the service.

Each time I’ve seen a doctor I have had as long as I need to be examined and assessed and for the doctor to arrange follow-up with their colleagues over the phone.

The wait for an out-of-hours doctor was about the same as the best I’ve experienced in the UK, but the time and attention given to me was better – there was no feeling of being rushed.

And the 30 minute wait (on a Saturday afternoon) in the emergency clinic was very civilised. All in all a good experience and one that helps me manage my long term health condition with more confidence – and therefore more effectively.