I despise my doctors surgery

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SilentAssassin1642

SilentAssassin1642

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I;m trying to change my address with my doctors only to be told the following:

my new place is out of their "catchment area" and because I'm moving I HAVE to move surgery. I'm actually in tears over this. Why should this matter?? My doctor is awesome and I don't really fancy having to go through another doctor to get another lot of prescriptions sorted. I'm half tempted to just not bother changing my address with them

I'm really upset, the receptionist on the road was exceptionally rude.

I thought there was some charter thing that meant if I chose to be treated somewhere then I have every right to?
 
And Not Only That But Ive Just Seen On My Latest Repeat That They Have Taken My Test Strips Off. I Am Fuming
 
I know it's frustrating and this explanation won't help (and doesn't really make sense), but the reasoning is that a GP is responsible for health care of their patients 24 hours a day, including home visits. This is where is ceases to make sense, as nearly all GPs use out of hours co-ops to care for their patients, and it also ignores the fact that patients may live in one place, but work in other places.
However, perhaps, as your "old" surgery is being difficult about your test strip prescription, perhaps a new one can't be any worse, and might be better?
 
I'm just so upset by it all. I phoned back re test strips and apparently it was taken off until they could be sure i was "ok with the new strips"

Bunch of losers.
 
Found this on the Patients Association Site:

If you move away from your practice you do not necessarily have to change if your old practice is still convenient for you. However, if your GP decides that treatment or home visits are not possible you will need to change to a nearer practice.

I have heard that some people have stayed at their old GP if they say they will not call the GP out on house calls. When I moved I wanted to stay with my GP as I had been with them for 10 years, and the dr I spoke to said have you got a friends address that you could use that lived in the area. I did change my GP surgery and found an even better GP. it is the luck of the draw really.
 
I'm scouting out new GP surgeries at the moment. There's one just down the road, I might just register there tbh...and only go to them if the need arises. All I'll do is get a prescription sorted out and that'll be that I think...unless something goes drastically wrong. We'll see.
 
Have you tried speaking to your GP rather than the receptionist? When I moved I was then outside the catchment area for my GP, but when I mentioned this to her at an appointment, she said to tell the receptionist that she said it was ok, and I haven't had any problems. 🙂
 
I have had to move GP's many times over the last decade as my job moves about a bit. I have always found that once you get past the receptionist, the GP's for me, have been great. I even have my main GP's email address!!!
The test strip issue and usage always arises when I ask for a repeat number. However if you argue the point that the cost of the strips far outweighs any visits to casualty via an ambulance, and other complications associated with poor control, they soon back down, and the status quo experienced before returns.
 
I'll bring my chainsaw next time I come to Southampton. Ignore the b awful secretaries and book an appointment with the GP as they'll know best. Secretaries should be seen and not heard when it comes to things like that.
 
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Like curdster, I've moved many times, and some give items out like sweets and others treat them like they're giving you their own heirlooms. But they all like to delegate responsibility for day to day care to the patient, which works quite well.

Rob
 
My brother (also diabetic) has recently had this problem when moving house. The receptionist said he had to change gp practice and he was upset but spoke to gp who said he was happy for him to stay on with him. He was then told that he had to have an address in the locality due to out of hours visits if necessary so has used my mum's address in order to keep his gp. Not really ideal though as if he has a severe hypo at home like he has before the gp won't be allowed to visit and it won't be possible for him to get to mum's.
 
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