Refused by GP: URGENT response needed!

[Alastrum]

This is on behalf of my elderly mother-in-law, who is diabetic and finds it difficult to walk. She lives with her elderly brother, who has mental health issues and is incapable of looking after himself. Both require a regular supply of various drugs for their respective conditions.

 

Last week my mother-in-law left her usual GP's practice (taking her brother with her), as she was fed up with the poor service he has given both her and her brother: he consistently fails to obtain results of blood tests, or loses them, forcing her to retake them, which involves an uncomfortable and difficult trip to the nearest hospital. As her brother cannot be left alone, he has to accompany her. This has happened so many times, she has finally lost patience (no pun intended!).

 

However, when she tried to register with another local GP, she was told that the local boundaries have changed, and that they cannot take her because they no longer take people with her postcode. This is despite the fact that her daughter-in-law who lives at the same address is registered with this GP! She then tried the only other local GP, who refused to take her due to the fact that her son, when he was a wild youth over 10 years ago, once tried to fake an illness and obtain some drugs by deception (This was a one-off occurrence: he's now a responsible adult with his own business).

 

In desperation, my mother-in-law was forced to go back to her original GP and ask to be re-registered, but he has refused to take her back. She is now in the desperate condition of not having any GP at all, and both her and her brother need their medication urgently.

 

Where does she stand? How can the NHS allow two vulnerable people to fall through the net like this? Is it allowed, or is there some law that can force a GP to take her and her brother onto their register?

 

Please, has anyone got any advice?

 

Many thanks.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Contact the Patient Advice & Liaison Service at the relevant Primary Care Trust. They will be able to address firstly the problems with the first GP (which need to be brought to light), and secondly the issue of registering with a new GP.

[Alastrum]

Yes, we tried that: they told us that once a GP has decided not to "take" you, for whatever reason, that's it, there's nothing they can do... doesn't seem like much of a "service" to me... the only thing they were able to suggest was try some other GP's several miles away and hope one of them would take them on. But as I said, mobility is a problem.

[Sali]

You need to speak to your local health authority - they will allocate you a GP.

[Rooster-UK]

This may be of some use......

 

How do I register with a GP?

 

Have a look at that site..... there is a lot of info available.

 

Regards, Rooster.

[The Chez]

How many surgeries are local to where they live? I would ring round all of them till you find one that will take your mum in law & her brother. Contact your area PCT too, they should be able to allocate you with a GP who can then no refuse to take them. I don't know why GP's play god with patients like this, these are sick and vaunrable people who have health needs that require regular GP visits, and I think it's appauling how they've been treated.

 

I've just left a bad GP and moved to a super new surgery that offer so many fantastic services like phelobotomy (blood tests) so you don't have to travel to the hospital. I found out that they are moving to join forces with a local community hospital to offer yet more services such as x rays & minor surgeries. I was lucky to find them, my last surgery were morons.

 

But yeah, contact your area's PCT as a first point of contact and get the yellow pages out & call every surgery in the area. If she needs drugs in the mean time urgently then you'll have to take her to A&E and explain that you have no GP and this is what has happened, you should be fastracked being as she has no GP. Take with you any bottles or prescription slips she has to make it easier for the doctors there to help.

[MRSWESTHAM]

Hi ya

 

I am a Receptionist at a doctors surgery ( a nice one!) If you contact you loal Primary Care Trust - They HAVE to allocate youa doctor within 48 hours.

 

If you cannot see a doctor and you need to (out of hours / no doc etc) you can contact NHS Direct and they will advise you and if you need to be seen they will tell you where to attend.

 

Its normally a place like SEADOC, SPEEDOC they are octors who cover out of surgery hours

Hope that helps

[DrTeeth]

Yes, we tried that: they told us that once a GP has decided not to "take" you, for whatever reason, that's it, there's nothing they can do... doesn't seem like much of a "service" to me... the only thing they were able to suggest was try some other GP's several miles away and hope one of them would take them on. But as I said, mobility is a problem.

 

You need to contact the PCT and take your gloves off. If being nice does not do the trick you could contact the local papers, your MP and Watchdog.

 

Drs and Dentists are not obliged to accept anybody as NHS patients so do be polite but firm.

 

Good luck in your quest.

 

Cheers

 

DrT

[MRSWESTHAM]

Sorry but Dr Teeth you are incorrect. You need to call your local Primary Care Trust and by law they have to allocate you to a surgery in your local area EVEN if the surgery "list" is closed

 

A GP CAN refuse you only if there are specific reasons such as you have been violent in the ast towards a memeber of his/her staff.

 

I can get this in writing if you need just PM me x

[DrTeeth]

I am most definitely not incorrect. There are ways around every rule. been there, done that, got the badge.

 

Anyway, let's assume that you ARE correct. It is MUCH easier for a dentist to make sure a particular patient does not want to see them than with a GP.

[MRSWESTHAM]

Well done for been there, done that , got the badge. It must be nice to be a know it all.

 

I have offered the poster to get it in writing, its up to to them. The post isnt as to whether its easy to see a dentist so your comments are once again, unhelpful and irrelevant.

[Sali]

Humphreil

I wholeheartedly agree. However, how to make it happen? We have a government that throws money at the NHS, wasted, in my opinion on layers of management and administration, to the detriment of the front line staff. And then, we have a government in waiting, who will not enter into a debate on changing the NHS incase it loses them the next election.

[zippygbr]

Yes, we tried that: they told us that once a GP has decided not to "take" you, for whatever reason, that's it, there's nothing they can do... doesn't seem like much of a "service" to me... the only thing they were able to suggest was try some other GP's several miles away and hope one of them would take them on. But as I said, mobility is a problem.

 

yes , the primary care trust has a responsibility to offer you gp services, however if a practice is a traditional GMS practice that particular business has no obligation to take you onto their list.

Edited November 15, 2009 by zippygbr