"Donal" wrote in message

My experience would suggest that most medical doctors lack the analytical
skills that are required to make an accurate diagnosis. They tend to jump
to premature conclusions based on their limited experience. They always
try
to match the patient's symptoms with something that they recognise. This
means that when a patient presents with a whole bunch of symptoms, the
doctor will ignore the unrecognised symptoms and make an incorrect
diagnosis. In my business, when we hear about symptoms that we don't
recognise, we ask more questions. If we don't *fully* the problem after
these questions, then we seek outside help. We are not afraid to admit
that
we don't know everything.

Medicine is an inexact science, and an art. Mistakes are made, and poor
judgement can be a problem. However I sympathize with your plight there in
Ireland, if your physicians fail to seek outside assistance in making
accurate diagnoses. Ours tend to use every resource available, including
consulting non-medical personnel who possess specific knowledge in narrow
fields of expertise. That said, most physicians, there or here, aren't
going to get too concerned about an obviously healthy man of my age with flu
symptoms. I'll recover, despite what the doctor does for me, and he/she
knows it. The mark of a competent clincian is to know when the symptoms
portend a serious illness and when they don't. To pull out the stops for a
case of influenza is pointless and a waste of time and resources. That
said, an influenza test kit goes for $90.

Medical doctors seem incapable of admitting that they don't recognise the
symptoms. They usually "try" something, and wait to see the results.
Unfortunately, they don't seem to consider the effects of their
incompetence. I know (knew??) four people who have died in the last year
as
a result of over-confident doctors.

Most regrettable. Your medical system needs help. Ours isn't perfect, but
I've never known anyone who has died from medical incompetence, despite what
those who'd make a living disparaging the medical community might contend.

Max