Too complex, too costly, too late: A GP’s battle for a patient no hospital would admit
I suspect most GPs know the training, funding and peer support available for patients with eating disorders is totally inadequate.
I recently opened my smartphone to an AusDoc article about the isolation felt by a GP who was caring for a terminally ill patient with anorexia nervosa who had rebelled against treatment.
She had died from organ failure weighing just 34kg and there had been an inquest where the coroner had paid tribute to the doctor and his dedication.
He had been in an invidious position, he said, because she “felt she had exhausted all her possibilities” and there was no obvious public health service he could contact for help.
I suspect we all know the training, funding and peer support available for this patient subgroup is totally inadequate given the cruel and tragic trajectory their lives can take.
