£12 for a Dr's letter to join a gym!!!!

[candyfloss]

I was diagnosed type 2 last year but I've managed to keep off any medication through cutting the carbs and calories and walking a lot more. This was also achieved through much testing of blood glucose levels at different times of the day - not a penny of which was funded by the NHS as my doctor point blank refuses to prescribe test strips.(same old pathetic excuse, "what is the need to know?")
Anyway I thought I would still do my bit and join a gym to keep the general level of fitness up and avoid medication as long as possible.
The gym said I needed a form from the doctor to confirm I could exercise because of hypertension and diabetes, even though both are well controlled.
To my astonishment the surgery said i would be charged £12 for the form, which would take 5 minutes to fill out! Hang on a minute, who is doing who a favour here? I'm largely taking control of my condition, potentially saving the NHS thousands in drugs, treatments and doctors/nurses/clinics time and they have the audacity to charge me to fill out a form. So much for encouraging people to exercise more!
I have written to my doctor asking for this charge to be waived and if it is not it will be followed up with a written complaint.

Anybody else had a similar experience when joining a gym or other exercise class?

 

[kateincornwall]

That is soooo wrong and I dont blame you for being angry !! My diabetes nurse gave me a referral for free , actually offered one to me, I also have hypertension problems and she thought that some cardio vascular exercises would be good . Like yourself , I`m not on any meds yet and have been refused the test strips point blank but at least the gym referral helps, kick up a fuss !

 

[noblehead]

Candyfloss......................thats a bargain!!! :shock:

And here us thinking Robin hood was dead! At least he wore a mask when demanding money! :lol:

Nigel

 

[hanadr]

Disgraceful!
Don't they run a Pathway scheme in your area? We have one here. Doctors actually prescribe exercise and Pathway members get a slightly reduced gym membership fee.
Hana

 

[candyfloss]

I'll let you know what response I get to my letter. My blood is still boiling! grrrr :evil:

 

[Synonym]

My bill was for £10 and included the photocopying of my blood tests.

This is the first time I have ever received a bill and the first joke is that the person I saw is a student and the second is that they only photocopied the results because she couldn't get the printer to work. It seems that things are getting desperate in my GP's surgery - in many ways! :roll:

I have been looking at it for a couple of weeks thinking about what I am going to do about it. I think I am just going to think some more and then perhaps think about what I have thought about.

I have also been wondering how many times they will want to chase me for it? And wondering how long before they think they should chase me for it? I think I will just treat it as a joke and say so if they do actually chase me for it or if they even mention it.

 

[candyfloss]

Synonym,
I used to be a credit controller and received many excuses why the invoice hadnt been paid!

you can try these, one after the other...

1. You sent the cheque weeks ago

2. Waiting for new cheque book from the bank

3. Send the cheque but make sure words and figures differ.

4. Send an unsigned cheque

5. Your accountant needs a proper invoice before payment

6. Start at 1 again

 

[Synonym]

Hi candyfloss

I wouldn’t feel comfortable about saying that I have done or intend to do something that I have no intention of doing. I think I will just wait and see what their next move is.

In actual fact I think they are making a big mistake to send bills for such things as it just alienates the patient. They earn such whacking salaries and just because they think they can and will they write out a bill to a pensioner who is receiving in a year less than they receive in a month?! I don't think so - not without giving me a chance to make them feel very uncomfortable. :evil:

A certain bear said, “Sometimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits.”

Time is on my side!

 

[catherinecherub]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sho ... ?t=1503779

£12 seems cheap compared to what some people have paid here. I paid £25 for a letter from G.P. to confirm that my son was unable to use the gym owing to an injury.

 

[phoenix]

We have to pay here in France too.
We have to have an annual certificate of fitness for anything like joining sports clubs, entering a race etc and it has to be specific about the type of activity. This applies even to children joining things like football clubs or judo classes. The GP charges 22€ for a visit and most people will get 70% back. I cheat and get my diabetologist to write one as my visits to her don't cost me anything.

I have read on the runner's forums of people in the UK being charged £60 or more to get the necessary certificate to run in races like the Paris marathon. As a result lots of people write their own as it's easy to make an official looking one on a computer!

 

[sunflower333]

haha....i know where your coming from phoenix

 

[Dippy3103]

The exercise referall scheme is all very well, but in my area it runs on weekdays only- not much good to those of us who work full time.
I'm going to be asking my GP for a letter next week as the gym i want to rejoin also needs confirmation that as a diabetic i am same to go. I'd like to think my GP won't charge as exercise is part of my treatment plan- a brief letter should take minutes for them to do!

 

[noblehead]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1503779

£12 seems cheap compared to what some people have paid here. I paid £25 for a letter from G.P. to confirm that my son was unable to use the gym owing to an injury.

That is robbery without the violence!

Shame on them :evil:

Nigel

 

[kegstore]

Not all GPs charge, plenty don't including mine, but I have him quite well trained now after 15 years or so... :wink:

GPs have always had the option to charge for such items, nothing to do with their windfall new contracts (2004?) and £12 doesn't seem OTT in the grand scheme of things. But definitely worth shopping around.

 

[hanadr]

I suggest takingg a letter with you to the doctor's with the necessary information on it and just get a signature.
Hana

 

[noblehead]

I suggest takingg a letter with you to the doctor's with the necessary information on it and just get a signature.
Hana

That's a good suggestion, but I wonder if the person's requesting a letter would want the gp's letter on headed paper, with practise name and registered number etc.

Nigel

 

[candyfloss]

Success!!

My Doctor signed the letter for gym membership today. No charge. All due credit to her. Maybe I should try a letter about test strips but I dont think I should push my luck!

 

[noblehead]

Re: Success!!

My Doctor signed the letter for gym membership today. No charge. All due credit to her. Maybe I should try a letter about test strips but I dont think I should push my luck!

Strike whilst the fire hot :!: :wink:

Nigel

 

[lionrampant]

Well this is odd. I'm type 1 and joined a gym years ago, and no one batted an eye-lid. Not even an objection to me using the sauna/steam-room.

Wish I hadn't cancelled it now, lol.

 

[cavelioness]

As long as the trainer takes my blood pressure and I do a bg test before exercising and they are within the parameters then I am allowed to use all the equipment except for the sauna. They also keep an eye on me during my session which makes me very comfortable.