Day Eight

Day Eight.


We'll be calling this day's activity Freaky Friday

We will be paying homage to a systemic failure to realise that 5:58 pm on a Friday is not the best time to ask Primary Care for asssistance.
Task One.

Take the phone call from the SHO in Psychiatry who would like you to drop everything and dash over to the local Unit this very moment (of your afternoon surgery) to reassess one of your patients who they'd very much like to keep in hospital under section. The SHO will struggle to understand, but contestants must take time to point out the bleeding obvious.

1) Ten minutes notice to do anything is not actually reasonable in any walk of life, let alone that of a busy clinician.

2) The date on the original section paper will be evident and everyone, yes, everyone, could have predicted to the actual minute (during the past three months) when the section would expire, so why did you wait until the very last second...DO YOU HAVE AN EFFIN DIARY IN YOUR DEPARTMENT ?

3) You have section approved Drs who can do this, I'm too busy, so get real, sod off, and give me a couple of days notice next time......now take some medication and blend back in with the inmates.

Task Two.

Deal with the local drug addict, who thinks that arriving at 5:59 on a Friday, saying he's run out his usual pick n mix of street acquired and prescription items, and urgently needs some for the weekend ahead. Points are awarded at the discretion of the judges, but judicious use of swear words and inappropriate laughter are often considered acceptable in this particular scenario (In fact discussions with on-call SHO's in surgery are routinely the only other situation when this is considered acceptable, although the hilarious option of calling the Police, isn't)

Task Three.

Handle forcibly, but politely, the request from the duty social worker to go round to see an elderly couple who they are worried about. Points will be awarded for eliciting the essential information to allow you to poor scorn on their request.

1) Discover that Social Work teams have been visiting three times a week for a month, since the husband was discharged after a chest infection.

2) Gasp, as you're told that, perhaps, neither has eaten any of the nutritious meals on wheels food delivered for the past three days

3) Sound incredulous as he tells you that there is no heating in the house (and its minus four outside)

4) Snort as he explains it's the first time he's actually seen the couple, and the case was handed over to him yesterday by a nameless colleague....(although if you can come up with some suitable names, extra points are available)

5) Roll your eyes as he suggests that maybe they both need to be in hospital whilst suitable accomodation is found....

6) Look to the sky as he apologises for ringing at this time on the Friday before a Bank Holiday.....

Task Four

Go home and have a lot to drink