Inquiry into Gulf War illnesses -
London, July - September 2004
6. The medical profession
http://www.refusingtokill.net/disability/inquiryMedicalprofession.htm
[My husband] would not discuss it with me and his GP would not discuss things
with me. At the time when [my husband] became increasingly violent he was
trying to get some help for him, and I contacted his own GP and the only answer
I ever got was "I cannot discuss it with you. Patient confidentiality".
Louisa Graham, a veteran's widow, 19
July 2004.
When I asked Dr Gabriel how many patients he had had through with kidney
defects, he said, "We do not keep statistics" and I had quite an argument with
him because I suggested that his job was to keep statistics. He then threw back
the Data Protection Act at me and said "I cannot keep statistics because I am
not allowed to". Adrian
Willson, RAF, 19 July 2004.
Like the majority of doctors, I knew next to nothing about this at that time. I
think that is something to be noted; that most doctors in this country know
very, very little, if anything, about Gulf War Syndrome, and I think that is a
major problem… One of my distinct impressions is, both having seen my general
practitioner and my neurologist, is that they are very busy people. They do not
want yet another illness to foul their day.
Dr Nigel Humphrey Graveston, Chair of
the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association, 33 Field Hospital RAMC at
Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia. Consultant anaesthetist in the army, 19 July 2004.
We did go to the Gulf War veterans’ illnesses at St Thomas’s. They were very
polite and very concerned about Trevor’s state of health at the time – this was
in 1999 – but when we walked in and we sat in the first office with the sister
in charge, she said, “you do understand this has got nothing to do with the Gulf
War?” That was her first statement; that was before he had seen the doctor.
Mrs Calvert, wife of a
metereologist in the RAF, now affected by dementia, 19 July 2004.
After a visit to my GP I was referred
to a dermatological consultant with regard to my rash. I had read in the
newspaper about other Gulf War veterans coming down with similar symptoms, so
I decided to show the consultant the newspaper cutting and ask his opinion. The
response I received was that of complete dismissal and contempt for the report,
a situation that I have had to deal with on many occasions since that day. The
rash was diagnosed as Pityriasis versicolor and I suffer that to this day.
After witnessing the reaction of the consultant, it was some time before
I visited my GP with my troubles again, and, when I finally did so, I made no
mention of Gulf War syndrome…
The way in way patient details are communicated using utmost brevity between
practitioners in no way allows for a complete picture to be drawn. This has
been the case regarding my series of illnesses. Each consultant will identify
conditions with which they can associate. However, mention Gulf War Syndrome,
and the effect is almost palpable. Their eyes appear to glaze over and their
tone of voice changes and a dismissive approach is taken… After visiting my
doctor and explaining how I was feeling I was asked: “Do you think you might be
suffering from depression?” I answered that I thought I was and he did
nothing. Realising the gravity of my situation, my wife and my father had to
intercede on my behalf and contacted my GP. I am now signed off work sick with
depression. Michael Roy
Lingard, RAF, 21 July 2004.
I have worked with doctors for 24 years
so I know what most of them are like ‑ good, bad and indifferent ‑ but when you
go to your GP and she says “I do not know what to do with you, Mr Davey”. She
should not have done that in the first place. If she did not know what to do
with me, she should have kept it to herself and passed me on to another person
who might be able to help. You go to a neurologist because there is a chance
you might have MS and he goes, “Mr Davey, do not make too much of your
symptoms”. Gerard Davey, RAF,
21 July 2004.
One of the things that I found very distressing,
both in the farmers, the 800 farmers who are on our database of Organophosphate
Information Network, and the 5,000 suffers from Gulf War Illness, is that they
went from doctor to doctor, sometimes ending up with a psychiatrist who did not
understand what had happened to them, did not understand the toxicology and
began to conclude that this was mental stress more than anything... It was very
interesting that the British Medical Association wrote a report in 1992 called
Pesticides, Chemicals and Health, in which they did a survey of medical
schools in Britain asking what toxicological training they gave to their young
doctors, and the answers were, some of them did none, the majority between one
and 12 hours – 12 was quite exceptional – which in a modern society, where we
are subjected to chemicals all the time did not seem to the BMA, or indeed to
me, to be enough…
This is from the University of East Anglia Medical School: “Clearly
organophosphates are an important source of problem at present, but one can
concede that good sense will prevail and the organophosphates will disappear
from use in due course. The information the students have on OPs will therefore
become redundant”. That has not happened yet. He goes on to say: “We
therefore attempt to teach the students principles of recognising when there is
a problem which they do not understand, and tracking down reliable information
on it rapidly and efficiently. I am therefore comforted by the thought that
doctors contact your organisation for up-to-date information. I would regard
this as a minimum best practice.” That is very flattering to us in one sense,
but I still find it rather alarming that everyone from birth to the grave is
subjected to high levels of chemical exposure in our society, and so one
understand there is not time to educate doctors in everything, but certainly
there should have been more education of doctors who were going to be looking at
people exposed. Elizabeth
Sigmund, since 1967 and for some years secretary of the Working Party on
Chemical and Biological Weapons 28, July 2004.