Table 2.
Conditions disclosed
| Participant number | Conditions disclosed (terminology used by participants) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Diabetes |
| 2 | Depression, anxiety, psychosis, asthma |
| 3 | Asthma, depression, anxiety, chronic back pain |
| 4 | Asthma, recurrent chest infections, CVA, recurrent alcohol-related seizures, depression |
| 5 | Depression, anxiety, chronic lower back pain |
| 6 | Aortic and tricuspid regurgitation (secondary to endocarditis), chronic DVT |
| 7 | Osteoarthritis, diabetes, hypertension, ‘stress’ |
| 8 | Depression, ‘chest problems’ |
| 9 | Chronic back pain, emphysema, rheumatoid arthritis, depression |
| 10 | Depression, ‘fits’, ‘heart problems’ |
| 11 | Hepatitis C, psychosis, paranoia |
| 12 | Depression, chronic DVT, chronic lower back pain |
| 13 | Bipolar disorder, alcohol dependency |
| 14 | Depression, paranoia, asthma |
| 15 | Asthma, recurrent bronchitis |
| 16 | Depression, anxiety |
| Data extracts | |
| Data extract 1 | [when blood sugars are high] I just wait for it to come down a bit. If I eat something then it will go up and if I wait a bit, I take it again, see how much it’s gone down. (P7) |
| Data extract 2 | When my breathing gets bad, I open the windows to get more air, erm and not do too much physical stuff. (P3) |
| Data extract 3 | Well, it probably does, don’t it? Brings on panic attacks and everything. Because you make your nerves bad, you go out there and you don’t know who you’re gonna meet. You don’t know whether you’re gonna be killed or anything. (P4) |
| Data extract 4 | If I get a punter and he’s in a wagon and it’s them steps… I’ve gotta take it easy getting into the wagon and getting out, I’ve gotta come down backwards. It’s easy to get out of the car, I just have to roll forwards. I just have to rock and get hold of something and sometimes when I do a punter they come round and help me out. Like if I get out of a taxi, I’ve gotta give him the crutches and then I grab hold of the handles so I can get up. (P7) |
| Data extract 5 | I don’t worry about my health any more. I used to but not now… Cos there’s no use worrying. (P1) |
| Data extract 6 | I’m unhealthy. I just take each day as it comes. (P3) |
| Data extract 7 | Lack of time, money, lack of support, lack of a place to live even. If you’re sleeping here, there and everywhere, they’re not thinking about going to see the doctor… (P14) |
| Data extract 8 | They’ve [GP surgery] changed their number and it’s a weird number and you can spend up to a fiver on your phone, when it goes to a main thing and then there. Basically now if I’ve got no credit on my phone, I just have to grin and bear whatever’s going on. (P3) |
| Data extract 9 | I took myself to hospital, but actually that was like when I got a stay. Other times I’ve took meself to hospital when I’ve not been feeling well and they told me to just leave. (P5) |
| Data extract 10 | I had pneumonia for four weeks. Just thought it was a bug. Couldn’t get off the settee. I was sweating and – I just got the ambulance. (P6) |
| Data extract 11 | I went to the hospital… probably about three or four times this year… Overdoses and just one where I couldn’t think, I just couldn’t, I don’t know what was going on in me head everything was just all over the shop. (P8: [describing recent overdoses]) |
| Data extract 12 | I’ve had a few [GPs], moved from one place to another. For a few years I didn’t even bother going to see the GP. (P11) |
| Data extract 13 | I went in to see the doctor and I had this full list, anti-depressants, drinking alcohol and whatever else, and I end up losing me temper in there. He just wanted to deal with one thing at a time. Told me to come back for the others. I lost me temper in there and I got a letter in the post saying I was no longer registered there. (P8) |
| Data extract 14 | I wanted a female doctor because they listen and I feel I’m getting my needs met whereas with this particular doctor who I, sits back like that (puts arms behind her head) in his chair and erm it’s sort of like everything’s like a no and you’re being interrogated as to why you want this, why you want that and if he thinks you don’t need it, you won’t get it. (P3) |
| Data extract 15 | It depends what it’s for. I had laser treatment [on her cervix] and that was a man and I didn’t like that at all. That’s why I never went back and I made sure I got a woman this time. Things like that I prefer a woman. But to actually talk to, I prefer a man. They’re more clinical men so they get to the root of things more easily I think. (P14) |
| Data extract 16 | Well, some can be nice and some can be funny with ya. Cos you’re an alcoholic they think, oh don’t bother with her, you know what I mean. Think you’re a waste of time don’t they? (P4) |
| Data extract 17 | Sometimes when you go in places and you say what do you do for an occupation and I sit there and think, should I tell em I’m a working girl or should I not? I weight up whether I should or not, whereas I should just be able to go in and say yeah I am, so what’s that gotta do with anything? (P2) |
| Data extract 18 | Int: Why would you not tell them [your GP about your work]? |
| P14: Couldn’t take the judgmental looks and you always get that. Even if they say no no I’m not judgmental, you always get the judgmental looks. (P14) | |
| Data extract 19 | [names support worker] Takes me to appointments, phones places up and sorts out everything that needs sorting out… I’ve known her a long time and when I was working on the street she used to bring me brews and everything, so she’s more of a mate than a worker so I can relate to her and I feel I can talk to her. (P13) |
| Data extract 20 | One of the people that work in here [MASH] took me [to A + E] and she had to go in and basically say ‘Look, I work at MASH and she’s not right, she needs help.’ You know it took her to go in, not me…and she managed to get me in straight away and I was seen. (P2) |
| Data extract 21 | It’s nice to know that you’ve got someone there that does listen to ya, not just in one ear and out the other, do ya know what I mean. (P15) |