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When we feel ill or run down we visit our local GP, or depending on the seriousness of our illness, A&E. When we are looked over by our doctor we trust that they will be able to give us an initial diagnosis depending upon our symptoms. Hopefully, in most cases it wont be too serious and a prescription will be able to cure it.

In some unfortunate cases this is exactly what doctors have done. Patients have then returned on numerous visits still complaining of illness. In some cases, a patient visited their A&E centre 11 times before they were given a correct diagnosis of their illness. Unfortunately, in this case the patient was suffering from cancer and by the time medics diagnosed it, it was too late to cure the disease.
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Whenever you are seen by a medical practitioner, you should always make sure that the practitioner is aware of any drugs that you may be taking which could effect the treatment you are given. If this is not done, it could have devastating effects.

In one case reported in May 2010 by the Medical Protection Society, a 30-year old seemingly fit and healthy looking male was actually being treated with an immunosuppressive for his rheumatoid arthritis. Unrelated to this, he attended the A&E department of his local hospital with symptoms of an itchy rash and a general lack of energy.

The junior doctor who saw the patient recognised the rash as chicken pox and noted that he had not suffered with this common disease in his childhood. The doctor informed the patient of his diagnosis and advised him to stay at home and take paracetamol and use calamine lotion to reduce the itch. At no point did he check what prescription medications the patient may be taking.
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