• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Why do my Doctors keep messing about with stuff they are not involved in?!?!

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
G

grainger

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Frustrated rant coming up...

So.. I went to order my prescription online today and discovered that my GP have removed half the things on my prescription without telling me.

Now, I know I rarely order a glucagen hypokit - but this is because thankfully I've never had to use it and only replace when it expires... it's expired and they've removed it from my prescription - oh so helpful.
They've also removed novorapid and levemir insulin cartridges... again helpful... yes I am on a pump and therefore no longer use them daily but was instructed to keep some in my house so that if my pump fails/i'm on holiday and my pump breaks etc etc then I have the ability to inject in another way.
Lancets - they've removed the ability for me to order lancets!?! Don't get me wrong, I'm not a good girl. I rarely change mine but it would still be helpful to be able to order them.

Now I realise they are my GP - but they are useless - absolutely useless, you can't arrange an appointment these days unless you beg and then you might get one in 3 weeks. You have to go to a walk-in clinic held every morning between 8-10am... last time I waited 3 hours and with a 3 year old in tow that isn't much fun. Oh and I can't register at any other doctors in my town as nowhere is accepting new patients.
All my diabetes care is managed at hospital, but my prescriptions still have to go through my GP.
So now I face having an argument with the receptionist and then being told I have to go and waste everyone's time by having an appointment I don't need!

ARGH!!!!
 
grainger said:
Frustrated rant coming up...

So.. I went to order my prescription online today and discovered that my GP have removed half the things on my prescription without telling me.

Now, I know I rarely order a glucagen hypokit - but this is because thankfully I've never had to use it and only replace when it expires... it's expired and they've removed it from my prescription - oh so helpful.
They've also removed novorapid and levemir insulin cartridges... again helpful... yes I am on a pump and therefore no longer use them daily but was instructed to keep some in my house so that if my pump fails/i'm on holiday and my pump breaks etc etc then I have the ability to inject in another way.
Lancets - they've removed the ability for me to order lancets!?! Don't get me wrong, I'm not a good girl. I rarely change mine but it would still be helpful to be able to order them.

Now I realise they are my GP - but they are useless - absolutely useless, you can't arrange an appointment these days unless you beg and then you might get one in 3 weeks. You have to go to a walk-in clinic held every morning between 8-10am... last time I waited 3 hours and with a 3 year old in tow that isn't much fun. Oh and I can't register at any other doctors in my town as nowhere is accepting new patients.
All my diabetes care is managed at hospital, but my prescriptions still have to go through my GP.
So now I face having an argument with the receptionist and then being told I have to go and waste everyone's time by having an appointment I don't need!

ARGH!!!!
Click to expand...
Grainger is it possible to 'knock up' a quick letter & drop it off at your GP's...I understand you have a lot to do...and a small child...however...your practice must be advised this is not acceptable...if you can't perhaps this sorry episode is something you can address with them once you get this mess sorted out...not acceptable to change/limit your medication without discussing it with you...a letter may not be much help imediately...but...it might make them think twice about doing that again...can you ring them...ask for a telephone appointment with your GP...or possibly the practice manager?...good luck
 
grainger said:
Frustrated rant coming up...

So.. I went to order my prescription online today and discovered that my GP have removed half the things on my prescription without telling me.

Now, I know I rarely order a glucagen hypokit - but this is because thankfully I've never had to use it and only replace when it expires... it's expired and they've removed it from my prescription - oh so helpful.
They've also removed novorapid and levemir insulin cartridges... again helpful... yes I am on a pump and therefore no longer use them daily but was instructed to keep some in my house so that if my pump fails/i'm on holiday and my pump breaks etc etc then I have the ability to inject in another way.
Lancets - they've removed the ability for me to order lancets!?! Don't get me wrong, I'm not a good girl. I rarely change mine but it would still be helpful to be able to order them.

Now I realise they are my GP - but they are useless - absolutely useless, you can't arrange an appointment these days unless you beg and then you might get one in 3 weeks. You have to go to a walk-in clinic held every morning between 8-10am... last time I waited 3 hours and with a 3 year old in tow that isn't much fun. Oh and I can't register at any other doctors in my town as nowhere is accepting new patients.
All my diabetes care is managed at hospital, but my prescriptions still have to go through my GP.
So now I face having an argument with the receptionist and then being told I have to go and waste everyone's time by having an appointment I don't need!

ARGH!!!!
Click to expand...

Typical stuff and very frustrating.

When I had this I wrote to the practice manager and set my feelings out.
It has not happened since.

Now they are quite wary of me but sometimes, especially regarding my health, that's just unfortunate.
 
I went to order a sharps bin the other day only to find it had disappeared of the repeat so left a message on the comments section pointing that after having diabetes for almost 53 years there wasn't a cat's chance in h*ll of having recovered so kindly reinstate the sharps bin or prescribe a cure instead 🙂

Oddly enough the sharps bin has appeared again lol.
 
Get on the phone to the practice manager and follow up with a letter of complaint. Good luck x
 
Pumper_Sue said:
I went to order a sharps bin the other day only to find it had disappeared of the repeat so left a message on the comments section pointing that after having diabetes for almost 53 years there wasn't a cat's chance in h*ll of having recovered so kindly reinstate the sharps bin or prescribe a cure instead 🙂

Oddly enough the sharps bin has appeared again lol.
Click to expand...
Perfect response!...would have loved to see the look on the face of whoever read that.
 
So amazingly annoying!
I have to say that round these parts now I am on a pump, I can no longer get my novorapid and levemir cartridges as they come in 5s and are too expensive. For backup I now get disposable needles and syringes that I can use with my vials of novorapid for the pump and a vial of lantus (apparently they don't do Levemir in vials).
They should surely ring you up to talk through any proposed changes. Let us know how you get on.
 
Thanks all... took advice on board and emailed the practice (the practice manager already hates me as I told her that needing a letter to fly with my diabetes kit wasn't a lifestyle choice so why should I pay £40 for a letter.. but that's another story!)

Have had a response saying they will review with my gp and someone will be in touch to let me know if I need to make an appointment so we shall see.

It's not as if us Ds don't have enough to think about without having to argue with GPS all the time. God only knows what life will be like if the NHS disappears.
 
grainger said:
Thanks all... took advice on board and emailed the practice (the practice manager already hates me as I told her that needing a letter to fly with my diabetes kit wasn't a lifestyle choice so why should I pay £40 for a letter.. but that's another story!)

Have had a response saying they will review with my gp and someone will be in touch to let me know if I need to make an appointment so we shall see.

It's not as if us Ds don't have enough to think about without having to argue with GPS all the time. God only knows what life will be like if the NHS disappears.
Click to expand...
Good for you Grainger...firmly believe if you put it in writing...then we can all be clear about who said what to whom...that letter should be scanned onto your notes...maybe next time you have an appointment with your GP...you could remind him...well done.
 
Do you have a DN at your surgery? I'm only managed by my surgery and then by the prescribing DN who also covers diabetes. I had my annual review this week and was very pleased with the way it was handled e.g. asking about injection sites, any problems, and prescription changes needed and so on. I was politely told off for not using enough lancets! Note I don't see how you could keep a backup stock of insulin cartridges as they will have an end date and would need to be thrown away after that date
 
DaveB said:
Do you have a DN at your surgery? I'm only managed by my surgery and then by the prescribing DN who also covers diabetes. I had my annual review this week and was very pleased with the way it was handled e.g. asking about injection sites, any problems, and prescription changes needed and so on. I was politely told off for not using enough lancets! Note I don't see how you could keep a backup stock of insulin cartridges as they will have an end date and would need to be thrown away after that date
Click to expand...

No my care is all at hospital but my prescriptions have to go through the gp.
I'm really happy with my hospital care and wouldn't want it to change.

A backup stock of insulin is required incase for any reason my pump fails. Yes if it expires then it would have to be thrown away but it's better than the alternative. Same applies to the glucagen hypokit but it's one of those things you need for the just in case situations.

I don't mind if they need to change my backup insulin like @stephknits has been given but to remove it altogether isn't helpful.
 
grainger said:
I don't mind if they need to change my backup insulin like @stephknits has been given but to remove it altogether isn't helpful.
Click to expand...
In all honesty though you do not need back up short acting as you already have it all you need is some disposable syringes to use it. So that problem is solved when you have the syringes 🙂
 
@Amity Island I completely agree.

@Pumper_Sue - I'd be happy to have alternatives, I just need the option to have an alternative... some of my items have magically appeared again today - everything except lancets (I swear they just don't want me to have them - surely they are the cheapest thing on my prescription!)
 
grainger said:
@Pumper_Sue - I'd be happy to have alternatives, I just need the option to have an alternative... some of my items have magically appeared again today - everything except lancets (I swear they just don't want me to have them - surely they are the cheapest thing on my prescription!)
Click to expand...
When you need some lancets put a tongue in cheek message on the comments section of your form. As I found out it works wonders 🙂

I quite agree with you though it's needles hassle which we don't need.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top