How does it work?

[saddie]

My husband was diagnosed with pneumonia last Monday by doctor D having been diagnosed as having intercostal neuralgia by doctor B the previous week (no problem as it can take some time to diagnose properly) The doctor left a message for a nurse to come and give him a shot of antibiotics and an emergency appointment for a scan. No nurse and the scan was positive. Monday night he was so bad that I went down to the cabinet to use the emergency phone about 6 am Tuesday. Phone dead so I phoned SAMU. I expected flashing lights etc as pneumonia can be fatal. What I got was "where do you live?" "Perpezac le Noir"   "phone this no" Dr D's no. He arrived promptly and arranged an admission to hospital with an ambulance - only a taxi-.

Skip to leaving hospital. We had a prescription for antibio and a note for the nurse. I phoned a number from the yellow pages and arranged for someone to come next morning. Someone arrived next morning - fine. However, half an hour later the nurse I had phoned arrived! Apparently the first nurse had spoken to doctor D and had been told MOH was out of hospital etc. Strangely the nurse I phoned had the same surname as doctor B! I feel that I am in the middle of a turf war between the medics. The commune is < 1000 people how can they justify two infermiere stations and fancy not leaving a message that you were on holiday - which the first nurse apparently was. I am wondering how much the patient comes first or is it the cash.

Anyone any similar experiences?

[Poppy]

The French health service is my pet hate. Have you read the thread titled medical nightmare. My husband was very ill and given only half an hour to live by the time they decided to operate. Before they would put him in the ambulance I had to prove we had adequate health cover for the cost of transport and hospitalisation this involved a delay of over an hour as we weren't at home when he took ill.

[LesLauriers]

[quote user="Poppy"]The French health service is my pet hate. Have you read the thread titled medical nightmare. My husband was very ill and given only half an hour to live by the time they decided to operate. Before they would put him in the ambulance I had to prove we had adequate health cover for the cost of transport and hospitalisation this involved a delay of over an hour as we weren't at home when he took ill.[/quote]

Always carry your Carte Vitale with you and you won't have a problem.

[Poppy]

Good advice but unfortunately it was in the days before we were valid for a Carte Vitale. Way back in the old days when you had to have private insurance if you weren't French and working. Delay wasnt just obtaining documents we also had to get OK from insurance company. Anyway bottom line was they wouldnt put him in the ambulance until we could pay.