The GP gets a fee for looking after you and more for doing those blood tests
Take your fees elsewhere. You'll be happy, as will the new practice (until they discover you're the type to cost them far more than the NHS could ever pay them)
My GP practice uses a similar system. Is it perfect, no. Is it right, no. Does is work by getting your attention, yes.
On the flip side, after getting my weight down and improving my fitness I had a low potassium attack and ended up in hospital. The blood pressure tablets I was on were no longer required and caused the issue. Have I had a check up with my GP this would maybe not have happened.
But if you didn't try then you'll never know. Please understand I see this EVERY DAY. There is always room for a conversation to occur.Originally Posted by markrlondon
It's not blackmail or healthcare coercion. There's an overworked, usually not medically trained clerk processing hundreds if not thousands of requests. There has to be a system to ensure responsible prescribing for the entire practice list not just you.
It's not personal, take it as a learning point, engage rather than confront and have a long and happy life.
You are an amazingly obtuse fellow.
My conclusion is no answer is helpful unless it is completed aligned to what you wanted to hear. You are so self centred, narcissistic and up yourself to understand any differing viewpoint to your own. I bet you believe you know better than the GP in any case. I pity the poor GP.
Maybe lose a bit of weight, eat better and exercise and you might be surprised at how many of those medication you could stop.
To go right back to the start…
Questions:
Is this ethically acceptable?
Yes; to do otherwise could be seen as medically negligent should anything untoward happen to you in the future.
Is this common practice?
It would appear so.
Is this accepted practice?
Again, it would appear so.
What would you do now?
Get yourself booked in for the checkup as soon as possible to endure that you are prescribed the correct medication going forward. Do it as soon as possible rather than “in due course”!
In other words: You're the only one whose (quality of) life is compromised by not resolving this matter asap.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Yes, meds are the first priority. I've just returned from the pharmacy and the prescription isn't in yet. The pharmacist thinks that it should probably be in tomorrow's batch.
The SMS that the surgery sent yesterday said "we have issued" a prescription so I expected it to be there today on this occasion but tomorrow would match previous timeframes.
I'll decide what to do next when my blood pressure is under better control.
I have done nothing whatsoever to cost this practice anything out of the ordinary. They have incurred no unusual expense due to me.
Mark, if one person calls you a cowboy, it’s an opinion. If five people call you a cowboy then it’s time to get your saddle out.
Go to the doctor. You won’t escalate yourself out of going in, so just go in. Don’t drag it out even longer.
I have tried previously! That is how I do know.
They will not discuss prescriptions or renewals or anything related on the phone. As I have mentioned in this thread, errors in their prescriptions are not uncommon (usually a randomly missed item). I've tried on more than one occasion to talk to them on the phone about these errors, thinking it would be trivial to get a quick prescription for the missing item. But, no, that is not allowed. Prescriptions renewals must be via app or paper (letter or counterfoil).
So that's what I do now: They have policies and a system and I willingly work in accordance with them. When eight out of 10 items was missing on the prescription on the 19th I had no reason to do anything else but deliver a re-request.
It depends on the policies, doesn't it.
For the avoidance of doubt, I had no reason whatsoever to imagine that they were intentionally withholding medication to get me to come to a test until they told me so, in response to my prescription re-request.
Using withholding of medication to persuade or encourage someone to book a test is quite literally and precisely a form of coercion or a form of blackmail. One could even use it as an ideal descriptive example for those words.
That is useful to know. I don't view it as an excuse, however.
I did engage, using the system and within the policies they set out to me when I previously tried to contact them regarding ostensibly similar seeming missing prescription item issues.
Last edited by markrlondon; 30th November 2021 at 18:53.
I have at no time indicated any desire not to visit for the tests.
Let me once again repeat what I said in the very first message: I am happy to go to these tests in due course. I too consider them important.
The tests are not the issue.
Oh yes you have, you have cost the practice additional resources in time and effort from their administrative staff. Time and money which could have been easily avoided, particularly from your own part in this.
My ex used to work in a GP practice and she would regularly come home in tears having to deal with the 'difficult types' so perhaps try to see the position from the doctors and staff side rather than your own selfish intransigent position. My advice, instead of wasting hours on this forum, spend the time in a far more proactive manner, engage and play ball with the practice and you just might be surprised at the outcome.
Good luck
Last edited by zippy; 30th November 2021 at 18:22.
Not so. I am a direct person. I asked specific questions and it is answers to those that I value.
I have thanked people who have answered them to the best of their abilities.
I value any answer, whether I like it or not, that genuinely addresses the specific questions I asked.
I think this is the best idea. The OP is clearly unhappy with the relationship he has with the practice, and might be able to build a better relationship with a new practice. His current practice will lose circa £100 (because this is roughly what a GP surgery receive - the capitation fee - per patient, for a whole year, no matter how many times they attend or require help)
General Practice nationally receives about 8% of the NHS budget, and perform about 90% of the patient consultations. (34 million last month)
I think if the OP decides to move from his current practice to a different one both parties might be happier, (if not the new practice.)
Regards,
Martyn.
Get your arse to the doctor Mark, this post doesn't sound like your usual self, hope it all works out for you.
Mike
If you look back over the series of events, you will see that this is not the case.
They asked me to come in for tests. This is a normal part of their processes.
I delivered a prescription renewal request. This is a normal part of their processes.
I had to deliver a prescription re-request. This would have had to happen anyway, even if I had known that they were withholding meds to 'persuade' me to come for the tests, something for which I do not need any persuasion. In other words, they'd still have needed to issue a prescription whether the tests were booked or not booked. I'd still be running out. I'd still be running out now even if I had made the initial request sooner.
They have not had to do one thing more than that which they would have needed to do anyway.
I did and I was.
I did engage with them using the systems and policies that they had previously advised me of, and I was surprised at the outcome. Hence my post here.
Last edited by markrlondon; 30th November 2021 at 18:47.
Once again I must point to you out that the OP is here and you don't need to imagine, guess, or invent anything about my relationship with the practice.
I'm actually quite happy with them overall. Despite their frequent (minor) prescription errors and the increasing difficulty with actually having a substantive conversation on the phone with anyone, response times to medical issues are fairly rapid. I suspect that I am better off than many in terms of the quality of the GP practice.
This is the first problem of this nature that I've had and I won't be going elsewhere over this particular issue. That doesn't make it any less problematic, but it is not worth leaving over.
Better the devil you know, so to speak.
I am going at the first opportunity. That was always the plan.
But meds first... the hypertension review cannot usefully proceed until the blood pressure meds have had a short time to take effect.
I think I missed this reply to my specific questions. Thank you, I appreciate it.
For the avoidance of doubt, "in due course" is the same as "as soon as possible".
Don't ever think of becoming a Lawyer.
"In due course" means at the appropriate time.
"As soon as possible" means at the earliest time possible.
Two different meanings.
^ Jack of all trades, our Mick. ^
Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.
And what do you think the "appropriate time" is, in this context?
In this case, the "appropriate time" is "at the earliest time possible". I have even explicitly referred to the "earliest available opportunity" or words to that effect.
I understand that YOU want your BP drugs to take effect again before going for the tests, and I agree that there is logic in that, but allow me to suggest your GP should be the judge of that.
Also, I monitor my BP with an Omron set (just make sure the cuff is large enough, I need the larger one), and my GP is quite happy to take my readings as they give her a more accurate reading, with a history (I check about once a week) and save her time. It also allows me to check that my prescription is still adequate. Win-win.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
The ambiguity is right there: Does "earliest available opportunity" mean earliest date the surgery can offer or earlier date you are available for a test (like, a week or fortnight after you've restarted taking your meds, for example)
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Mark, It's just dawned on me how you have reached 22,000 posts
On a serious note, GP's aren't there to make anyone's life more difficult. This looks to me like a case of responsible prescribing, and reviewing medication appropriately. As someone that has recently been told that I may not be around for too much longer, take it from me fella, life is too short. Get it sorted, stay safe and well, and enjoy life as much as you can.
I prefer not to go into too many details in public but I am fully aware of the details of what is under review.
As I've said, I am happy about the review and the tests. They are not the problem.
Yes, I use a similar Omron set and I also supply the practice with readings from time to time, if and when they want them. The hypertension review is in addition to that.
I didn't say they were. But sometimes it happens all the same. Even well-meaning systems can backfire and cause more harm than they prevent sometimes.
I'm very sorry to hear that! I hope that things will work out for the best for you.
<chortle> It depends, doesn't it. I'm not in control of what is on offer. At this stage I can only say that, on previous experience, the next date available from the surgery is likely to be far enough in the future that I'll certainly have had time for the meds to take effect.
The GP practice is like any other shop on the high street. They make their rules and you like it or lump it. Obvs their rules have to be within reasonable parameters set by the govt, NHS, GMC etc
OP needs a dose of self awareness. Why are you so unaware that you allowed yourself to run out of medication? Everyone on repeat meds builds up some level of buffer just because but you worked your way through all of that as well, yet it's the GP's fault.
They get extra revenue for your hypertension review. If you don't like the way they carry that out, go elsewhere. Or play by their rules.
I suspect you may well be right
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
There are some patients who request repeat meds through a letter or paper form. They're generally illiterate with IT. You are not
You are adding to the practice workload by requesting repeats on paper. If you wanted to communicate with a family member about a routine thing and they're of working age, do you think they'd prefer hand written letter or electronic communications?
Reasons, which I'm not going to go into here. It's annoying to have run out but so be it this time.
Well, yes it is the GP's decision to not prescribe meds when asked and to give no reason for it.
When I asked for the meds, sooner, later, whenever, wouldn't have changed this.
On previous experience, I'll be very happy with it when they carry it out.
It is not the hypertension review or blood test that are the problem.
I did. I followed their procedures as they had set them out.
Oh don't be silly. Using paper is a perfectly reasonable, normal and entirely accepted part of requesting prescription renewals. It adds nothing to their normal workload. It is part and parcel of their normal workload.
It is even offered as an accepted method on the prescription counterfoil. I'm looking at a previous one here and it states the following:
There is in fact no "black box" at my local surgery but they have a letterbox.Pharmacies will soon stop ordering medications for you.
Use the following options:
1. Sign up to online requesting. It's easy and quick!
2. Use the black box by the front door to drop in your written request
And I usually find delivering paper letters or counterfoils to be easy and quick.
My family members are not my GP.
In fact, I'd love to be able to email my GP surgery but they won't deal with email direct. Of course it would provide them with a route to nag me but that would be fine.
I'd be very very surprised if your GP practice does not have a means for you to send them a message (email) through their website. Please do share their website.
The practice clearly ask for patients to request repeat meds online. The paper counterfoil black box thing is for the old patient who does not have online access. That it doesn't day as much does not mean online savvy people should send them snail mail. FFS. Seriously man.
You are joking, right (on an open forum)?
What’s the big deal, will be in public domain anyway?
I believe the opportunity to resolve has just presented itself.
The website might be public domain but naming it on here will result in some bellend somewhere causing trouble for the OP.
ISWYDH
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Their surgery Their rules.
Do you think staff time costs nothing? Are volunteers reading your letters?
The vast majority of people require little intervention from their GP (little to no cost but they still get the captitation fees) while the minority who require more time and effort from the doctors and staff (very high cost).
Last edited by ernestrome; 2nd December 2021 at 09:05.
Mark,
Was there a successful resolution in the end?
Rob.
Stop whinging and whining, do what you have been asked to do. You ran out of meds and expect them to jump through your hoops.
Having run out gives the GP a good opportunity to get new base lines and maybe adjust your meds accordingly.
4 weeks late, very helpful.
About as helpful as the thread in the first place.
Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.
Better late than never.
In this case, I believe never would have been better.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
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