Lymes disease petition

[Kitch]

sign up for UK clinical guidelines for treatment of Lymes disease and other tick bourne diseases. i.e. require doctors to have a clue .....at

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Lyme-guidelines/

[Copepod]

I'd hope that most GPs would know to check the Health Protection website and search for LYME Disease (not LymeS disease) eg http://www.hpa.org.uk/servlet/Satellite ... ease&go=Go
and ticks eg http://www.hpa.org.uk/servlet/Satellite ... icks&go=Go

[Oldman]

It would assist in deciding whether to support this petition if someone could explain why this proposed action is necessary and what has prompted it being made a petition.

[Scott]

This is what "clinical guidelines" are, apparently.

[stsam]

They obviously need help in knowing how to recognize and treat Lyme disease. I had to persuade my doctor to treat my rash as a symptom of Lyme disease and to send me for a blood test. He wasnt the least bit apologetic (and I gained no satisfaction) when it turned out that I had indeed been infected.

Not all Lyme rashes have a 'bulls-eye' appearance, which is why he diagnosed it originally as a mild infection.

[frog]

Those are English guidelines though. The petition is a nonsense because it wants "UK wide" guidelines, which is impossible as health is a devolved issue. If the petitioners really wanted guidelines on Lyme disease management in all the countries of the UK they would be better putting in requests to the bodies who deal with guidelines in the UK countries (SIGN in Scotland, NICE in England ? in Wales and N Ireland) where there is more chance of it being taken seriously and acted on.
That isn't to say the people asking for the guidelines would be happy with those recommended as it sounds as though they have an axe to grind , much like the special interest goups of relatives of people who have had cardiac arrests at marathons who want compulsary defibrillators every half a mile or so.
It's not clear what their problem is with the guidelines at the moment and which particular guidelines they are unhappy with.
I agree some docs aren't good at recognising it, but that's an awareness thing that a guideline wouldn't necessarily help with.
I suspect if this was put as a suggestion to the guideline agencies with the reasons for having a guideline and perceived problems with current treatment they would take it seriously, because although rare it is clinically significant (ie can cause chronic illness sometimes if not recognised and treated appropriately)