To visit or not to visit?

The problem with home visits is that they happen at lunch time. They are therefore inherently BAD. If I get called to do a visit, I don't get a lunch break, it's as simple as that. I know that there are one or two doctors out there who claim to love doing visits, but I'm just not sure that I believe them. True, in comparison to your average consultation they do have their advantages. It can sometimes be very helpful to see a patient in their home setting, giving you an idea of what their living conditions are like and how well they are managing. In addition the patients are usually extremely nice to you because they are so grateful that you have come. Occasionally you even get a cup of tea or coffee. Despite this however, for the simple reason that I do really like my lunch breaks, each time I see the words 'home visit' pop up on my computer screen, my heart sinks.

The problem with this attitude (apart from coming across as rather greedy and uncaring...) is trying to remain objective when deciding whether a particular patient warrants a visit or not. When you are coming from a starting point of; 'I wonder if I can get out of this?', it can be pretty testing.

Up until now my solution has been to stay on the cautious side, visiting more often than not, particularly if the patient is unknown to me. It's safer, but often frustrating, and particularly so this week.

Mrs Hazel is a perfectly nice, elderly, middle class lady, living in a smart flat, with plenty of family and friends nearby. She had recently been discharged from hospital with a urine infection and a particularly pushy friend was demanding that I visit. Initially I was a little surprised at the request, since I had seen her in the practice only days before and presumed that she was still mobile enough to attend the surgery. However, after nearly falling out with her friend, I gave in and trudged over, stomach grumbling. Mrs Hazel was absolutely fine. One slightly swollen ankle, nothing more. As I grumped my way towards the door, her friend pulled me aside to ask me the question that had been troubling her;

"We are going out for dinner tonight and also have tickets to the theatre. Do you think that we should cancel the theatre since Mrs Hazel has been so unwell?"

Unbelievable. So she can manage to make it out for dinner but not the short stroll to the surgery? I had missed my lunch for a 'theatre' assessment?

I really don't like home visits....