Heather wrote:
> Just to clarify - in the UK a GP is a general practitioner, sometimes
> called a family doctor.  S/he is a fully qualified doctor who has done
> extra training in general practice (can't be sure how long - a year, I
> think) after the usual year or more as an SHO - senior house officer,
which
> is in fact a junior doctor in hospital.
> They are then required to do some in service throughout their career.
> They are self-employed, paid by the health service.
> Everyone (except some of the homeless and rootless) in the UK is
registered
> with  a GP, and your GP is your gateway to other specialists. Your GP
> normally has to refer you to another doctor if you need specialist input.
> Most families will all have the same GP.
> They are in touch with mothers with bf babies, but it is widely agreed
that
> GPs have not been reached very well by the recent (last 20 years) emphasis
> on how to best support bf. They vary a great deal.

It's interesting to know ho things like that are in other countries, it
could take away some misunderstandings among us in Lactnet.
I'm not long enough in Belgium to know for sure here, but in The Netherlands
it is much the same as in the UK. It is impossible to go to any medical
specialist without a family dr's written referral. To receive reimbursment
from para-medical hcp's like dieticians, orthopedic shoemakers,
kinesitiologists (does that make sense in English?), etc, one also needs a
written dr's referral. (There's no reimbursment for LC's :-(. )
All doctors do need specialisation after basic medical school and all take
at least 2-3 years as far as I know, including family dr's.

Gonneke van Veldhuizen, IBCLC

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