New doctors surgery

[PhoebeC]

Hi all,

So for some reason we thought moving county on 23rd of December was a good idea ha! From Cheshire to Derbyshire.

Anyway I made sure I had enough medication/supplies for a whole month, just because you never know how long these things take. And I am so glad I did.

As well as needing more diabetes supplies. My medical exemption expires 1st Feb, and the nexiplon (implant in arm) contraceptive expires 13th Feb, eye and diabetes check both 3 months overdue, so long list of things needed to be done.

Managed to get into the doctors on 30th December, forms and ID back for us all on 31st, was told 10 days for set up.

I am also in a new job 🙄 so can’t spend all day on my phone. Anyway managed to get through to them last week, and she said I needed to show my passport again to be set up on the online system, but I could order anything I needed in person too.

Went in today ordered what I needed, will be ready to collect Monday
Set up online for appointments and prescription requests
Booked implant appointment 20th, and I know after it expires but they said it has run over time, and to be honest we can do without anyway
Booked diabetes blood test 14th which is now combined with foot check (was separate in Warrington)
Booked Diabetes appointment with doctor 28th
Asked about sharps bins, in Warrington I could take them to the local clinic which was on my journey home as I needed to - apparently the council will pick them up from my house once I have more than 5. When I get to 4 I can call reception and they will complete the paper work, apparently they don’t fill out the paperwork often so they couldn’t find it on the pc 😱

So all seems to be set up, we will see how I get on with results and so on. Will update you in March, I know I’ve not been doing very well, so going to use this as the bottom line and improve from there.

 

[Northerner]

All sounding good Phoebe, I am impressed by your adulting 🙂 I was a bit concerned when I moved from Southampton to Harrogate, but the new surgery and the hospital have been great 🙂 One or two teething errors on the prescriptions where they were prescribing far fewer items and sticking to a rigid renewal, rather than 'as and when' at my last practice, but I talked everything through with them and now all is good. The hospital have been particularly good, as I have macular oedema and they have been very good with appointments - less waiting around too 🙂 Also they picked up on my glaucoma, which hadn't even raised an eyebrow on Southampton 😱

Main drawback has been leaving behind my wonderful dentist!

Hope you have good experiences when your various tests come around 🙂

 

[PhoebeC]

I’ve not even thought about the dentist yet! 😛

 

[Jha19]

I'm not looking forward to having to move my medical care around anymore. For my twenties and into my thirties I just remained registered at gp surgery where my parents lived as I never needed to see a gp. But now not only I've got to change gp, but I'm under care of two different hospitals (the eye hospital is under a different trust to my diabetic team)...

 

[Northerner]

For my twenties and into my thirties I just remained registered at gp surgery where my parents lived as I never needed to see a gp

When I broke my arm in 1996 and had to go to my GP for after care and prescriptions I realised that I was still registered at Student Health, even though I had left University 15 years earlier, but never needed to see a GP! 😱

 

[Ralph-YK]

Booked diabetes blood test 14th which is now combined with foot check (was separate in Warrington)

Oh, I had a foot check a couple of weeks ago. Done by a Health Care Assistant, for the first time. Took bloods at the same time, instead of using the walk in bloods taking.
Letter said there would be some other stuff, which there wasn't.

 

[trophywench]

Err, what 'other stuff' Ralph?

 

[PhoebeC]

Yes what other stuff?

 

[Ralph-YK]

Food & exercise advice/chat (Which, as a diabetic, I've never had. And not enough as a heart patient) (health living?). I can't remember what else.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Well done for getting all that sorted Phoebe! Quite a few extra things that non-Ds could put right on the back burner!

 

[PhoebeC]

Picked up my first prescription last week. They have doubled my needles which is great but some more testing strips would have been useful too as I will still need to get a request as often for them.

Typical I have got a cold on the weekend with my blood tests on Friday! Levels doing wonderful things just in time, I know it’s across the 3 months but still this last week would have been nice to be steady!

Will update on the results when I have them

 

[Northerner]

They have doubled my needles which is great but some more testing strips would have been useful too as I will still need to get a request as often for them.

I had a chat with my new GP about my needs as initially they put some awkward restrictions on most items, reducing strips and needles and only letting me re-order every couple of months. I explained that the only item on my list that was predictable was the blood pressure pills - one pill a day, with 56 prescribed - the rest I used quite variably e.g. sometimes I need a lot more insulin or test strips than at other times. They increased the amounts and set the re-order limit to once a month, which I'll hardly ever use, but it means that I can get things when I need them 🙂 Worth discussing 🙂

 

[PhoebeC]

I was really impressed as it’s so helpful for the needles, I don’t always get my other stuff but always needles and testing stripes

 

[PhoebeC]

Been for my bloods and foot check. Feet are fine, and blood pressure too. Two weeks now for my results.

My app is saying 63.0% HbA1c which based on how I think I’ve been doing seems optimistic, but all I can do now is wait. And make sure I see the GP fully prepared for what I want out of it and my care going forward.

Nurse didn’t know anything about eye tests, she said “if it’s needed” like yes we all know it’s needed I want to know the how?

 

[trophywench]

The retinopathy photos, if it is those to which you are referring when you say 'eye checks' are undertaken by an NHS service entirely separate from GP surgeries and hospital diabetes clinics. Whoever diagnoses you (be that a GP surgery or a hospital A&E dept or another hospital dept, needs to get the diagnosed person registered with the Retinopathy Service, just as the GP surgery needs to get them registered with the Prescription Charge Exemption service when anyone goes on any drug for which the patient is exempt, cos it isn't only diabetes drugs, drugs for certain other conditions are also exempt.

Google yours - eg Retinopathy Service for Coventry (my locality) is situated at Rugby with a Rugby (01788) phone number. This makes perfect sense as Rugby St Cross hospital is part of University Hospital Cov & Warks Trust and they operate at various locations relatively close to /easy to find from various residential locations round and about.

Give your local one a bell and see if you've been registered or who you should ask about it if not. They deal with their own appointments.

 

[PhoebeC]

The retinopathy photos, if it is those to which you are referring when you say 'eye checks' are undertaken by an NHS service entirely separate from GP surgeries and hospital diabetes clinics. Whoever diagnoses you (be that a GP surgery or a hospital A&E dept or another hospital dept, needs to get the diagnosed person registered with the Retinopathy Service, just as the GP surgery needs to get them registered with the Prescription Charge Exemption service when anyone goes on any drug for which the patient is exempt, cos it isn't only diabetes drugs, drugs for certain other conditions are also exempt.

Google yours - eg Retinopathy Service for Coventry (my locality) is situated at Rugby with a Rugby (01788) phone number. This makes perfect sense as Rugby St Cross hospital is part of University Hospital Cov & Warks Trust and they operate at various locations relatively close to /easy to find from various residential locations round and about.

Give your local one a bell and see if you've been registered or who you should ask about it if not. They deal with their own appointments.

That’s what I did but they said they didn’t have me registered in the local area. I spoke to the nurse about it today and she said they do a monthly download of the details to the eye team and it probably just missed the list. She said to ask at my appointment with the GP next week.

Today I had my new implant fitted, went fine, really quickly and they (two nurses) where so nice asking about me and Jemima.

The nurse even gave me my results ahead of next week. I was expecting bad news but I’m quite impressed.

Liver and kidneys both fine
Cholesterol 5 - no further breakdown, I’m always about 5

And HB1ac is 7.2 old money and I asked for new money 55%. I’m so happy with that! I know it could be better but it’s loads better than I thought.

Seeing my new GP for the full review new to week but it’s nice to know x

 

[Northerner]

That’s what I did but they said they didn’t have me registered in the local area. I spoke to the nurse about it today and she said they do a monthly download of the details to the eye team and it probably just missed the list. She said to ask at my appointment with the GP next week.

Today I had my new implant fitted, went fine, really quickly and they (two nurses) where so nice asking about me and Jemima.

The nurse even gave me my results ahead of next week. I was expecting bad news but I’m quite impressed.

Liver and kidneys both fine
Cholesterol 5 - no further breakdown, I’m always about 5

And HB1ac is 7.2 old money and I asked for new money 55%. I’m so happy with that! I know it could be better but it’s loads better than I thought.

Seeing my new GP for the full review new to week but it’s nice to know x

Great news Phoebe 🙂

 

[SueEK]

Well done @PhoebeC that is a good result. I think where diabetes is concerned we need to keep on top of things ourselves and give the GP surgery a little nudge if necessary re reviews, eye screening etc.