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


Is that to make sure you ain't flagging on the exercise Cavelioness? :wink:

Nigel
 

lol yes that rowing machine kills me :lol:
 
You've come up against a greedy GP.

I suggest that you exercise your right of free speech and make regular visits to the doctor, complaining loudly enough to be heard by all the staff and patients, berating the doctor for greed, grubbiness, selfishness etc... shame on him etc...

Go to town, make a speech. You might not get a free letter, but you will have done a public service.
 
Lest we forget, the NHS/GP's/drug companies are profit led.
 
My GP is currently telling me that (despite my last BP and HBA1c check just three weeks ago) that I have to make an appointment to be seen 'privately' as the NHS does not provide letters for the Gym as part of diabetes management.

My current contract means I'm working 250miles from home - they're insisting that I have to make a "private" appointment and they will chage me £26 for this. They don't provide receipts either.

Its ludicrous that I have to travel a round jouney of 500miles and loose a days income (I'm self-employed) to deal with this?

This whole thing stinks and the fact they are insisting on cash with no recipts tells me that they are not declairing this income stream to HMRC either.

At the moment I'm seriously considering providing the gym with a dodgie letter - I've no doubts whatsover that they won't check it out. I regret declairing my Diabetes in the first instance now.
 
Rip off imo

My first thoughts were as above - the dodgy letter - I would imagine the gym just want anything that'll cover themselves from any liability, I don't imagine for a minute it will be looked into and will be taken at its face value.

The taking of a drafted letter for signing as suggested by hanna may be worth a shot
 
I believe that diabetics can claim back the VAT they pay for their treatment. Does that mean you can claim the VAT back from charge made by the doctor.
 
lionrampant said:
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.
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I'm type 1 and I've joined 4 different gyms over the last few years, and I've never needed any letter.
 
any Gym that requires you to reveal that you are diabetic on the joining form doesn't deserve your membership...


Anyway, see if you have any contacts who can do these as a favour...
 
My GP charged me £25, he included that I also suffered from Haemochromotosis, a genetic disorder I have had all my life and has never stopped me doing anything, including marathon running, boxing and rugby to quite a good level. Admittedly whilst a few years younger.
They declined my membership citing chronitic medical risk due to combined effects of the illnesses. Another gym welcomed me with open arms a few days later and accepted the same letter I am pleased to say.
Three weeks later I needed a further letter for my holiday insurance. Guess what, another £25, first three paragraphs identical, the forth changed by the inclusion of a bracketed comment to include the medications I needed to carry with me. I needed three copies, he tried to charge me an additional £1 per copy. I was called unreasonable when I told him to keep the copies.
I will say in everything else he has been brilliant and did offer to speak to the original gym, I decided as they didn't want me I didn't want them.
 
Paul_c said:
any Gym that requires you to reveal that you are diabetic on the joining form doesn't deserve your membership...
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Don't agree with that at all, if your insulin dependant then it's in your best interests to inform the staff that you use insulin and could suffer a hypo when using their equipment, depending how quick and how low someone can drop they may need assistance in treating a hypo.
 
Given they already get quite high "incentive" payments whenever they report that a patients blood pressure, diabetes control, cholesterol control, etc are within NICE targets and a smaller but not insignificant payment every tme they even do the tests, I think maybe they should not be looking a diabetic gift horse / cash cow in the mouth!
Maybe ask them how much they will be paid if your control improves :twisted:
 

Unfortunately, the majority gyms do not want that information for that reason. They want that information so that they can refuse you membership so that they WON'T have to treat/assist you if the worst should happen.

Gyms want nice, safe fatties that will attend once a week on a Monday and do 20mins on the running machine (walking) then go home and forget it for a week.

They DON'T want Diabetics that might have an "episode".
 
Patch said:
Unfortunately, the majority gyms do not want that information for that reason. They want that information so that they can refuse you membership so that they WON'T have to treat/assist you if the worst should happen.
Click to expand...


Perhaps this may be the case with some gyms Pat (who knows) however I would rather join a gym that would accept my diabetes and assist me should the worst happen.
 
I just visited the gym to have. Look around before I sign up, I told him I was type2 and why I want to join and he did not say anything about it. S all good.
 

Is there such a thing as "nice, safe fatties" where a gym is concerned? Surely it is these people who turn up once a week who are going to be the most out of shape and most likely to suffer an injury or worse? In fact, these people (if they do exist) would be wonderful members, pay their money and extend the life of the equipment by hardly using it!

I've been asked a number of times when running to indicate on my race number that I have a medical condition (red cross) and write the condition on the back. Hence if I do collapse then the organisers will know it may be more than exhaustion. I'm sure any gym has a wonderful liability clause when you sign up to say it's at your own risk etc etc.
 
My doctor just tried to charge me £10 for a gym letter! The irony being that I had to write the doctors surgery a letter to request said letter, should I charge them for this? I joined a gym that did not require any letters instead (lucky to have the choice) but given that doctors extole the virtues of exercising with diabetes you'd think they'd encourage joining a gym not expect you to pay extra! I am happy that I'm fit to exercise and its not my requirement for a letter so why should I be penalised. Most unsatisfactory.
 
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