Doctor v Hospital clinic

[Emskibucket]

Message from my partner:

Hi I've had diabetes for 40 years and a few years ago had to change my gp surgery. I attend Diabetic clinic at local hospital to see consultant etc. I have a phobia with other people sticking needles in me but grin and bear it a couple of times a year at clinic. this evening I received a call from gp surgery regarding annual diabetic check up. I explained that I had recently attended hospital clinic and as did not like having bloods taken would only go to one or the other.
The response was unbelievable I have been told if don't attend the surgery clinic they will no longer provide my prescription regardless of length of time I've had diabetes. I am contacting the hospital clinic tomorrow about this but has anybody else had same problem.

 

[merlin 2]

Message from my partner:

Hi I've had diabetes for 40 years and a few years ago had to change my gp surgery. I attend Diabetic clinic at local hospital to see consultant etc. I have a phobia with other people sticking needles in me but grin and bear it a couple of times a year at clinic. this evening I received a call from gp surgery regarding annual diabetic check up. I explained that I had recently attended hospital clinic and as did not like having bloods taken would only go to one or the other.
The response was unbelievable I have been told if don't attend the surgery clinic they will no longer provide my prescription regardless of length of time I've had diabetes. I am contacting the hospital clinic tomorrow about this but has anybody else had same problem.

Im a newbie but that is horrible what a nightmare

 

[First.Officer]

Have a word with the surgery and ask for their complaints procedure....from there (if needed) you can follow the guidelines in the following link:

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-ri...n-if-youre-unhappy-with-your-gp-or-gp-surgery

Usually the first query should fire a warning shot across the bows, the GP and Surgery just need a prod with a ‘hot poker’ to remind them who is the client and who is the service provider in the relationship. Don’t let them walk over you, tell them how it will be - after all, that’s what we pay the taxes on our salaries for.

 

[satindoll]

Unfortunately this is the way of things.....the hospital clinic can tell your GP what meds you need but its up to the GP to prescribe it........the GP's clinic has to see you to continue prescribing your meds otherwise they will be in trouble with the powers that be.........mind having a word with them may help if you can get the Hospital clinic to send your test results through to them thus negating the need for more blood tests.

 

[Daibell]

Ask to see the Practice Manager but if they just want to see you so they can continue prescribing then do go along but you shouldn't need any more blood tests as the surgery should be able to access the clinic tests.

 

[EllieM]

I agree with @Daibell and @satindoll , the first thing you need to do is point out that the hospital have your blood test results and get them to forward them to the surgery. There really shouldn't be any need to double up on this though I suspect the surgery may want to repeat blood pressure, feet type tests.

I bet this is a money issue. The surgery probably gets a payment to have a diabetic patient on their books (am assuming you're T1 if you've had it 40 years?), and don't get the payment without your annual review.

It's also quite possible that whoever you were speaking to at the surgery didn't realise you're T1 and is treating you as a T2 who shouldn't be seeing the hospital at all... (I know you told them you were attending the hospital clinic but never assume malevolence when incompetence is also an explanation ).

So, in your position, I'd try contacting the surgery again (get a different person if possible), and ask nicely what's changed? Imply a misunderstanding at the last call and try to find out why you need the double review. Are they hoping to remove you from the hospital's books? (Maybe the hospital has too many patients and is trying to farm some back out to the GP. You may or may not be happy to do this, depending on how useful the clinic is to you.)

Hopefully the hospital clinic will be able to shed some light when you contact them. (I'm still reckoning it's a money issue. I've had T1 treatment in 3 countries now. In the UK, I was just like you, the hospital did everything apart from hand out scripts. In Australia, the hospital looked after my diabetic needs but I had to have an annual visit to my GP where she set up a care plan (appointments with podiatrists, optomotrists etc and a check that I was seeing everyone I should be) and this was definitely a money earner for the surgery. In NZ I still get looked after by the hospital but my surgery does a quick 30 minute annual review. I don't really mind this as they check blood pressure and do some bloods that the hospital don't. It's not onerous and I'm not blood test phobic. I can see all my test results, hospital and GP, online, which means they can too .)

Good luck.

 

[tim2000s]

The six NHS Diabetes checks (feet, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc) are supposed to be done by the surgery.

The hospital clinic has a different set of boxes it is supposed to tick.

The GP has you registered as a person with diabetes on their recording and receives payment to cover the additional work done for people with diabetes.

BUT

You can opt out of these checks, and if you do the surgery still gets their payment for having the person with diabetes on their register.

Their threat of cutting off prescriptions is, not to put too fine a point on it, unprofessional and negligent. The team at the surgery could very easily explained their reasoning without deciding to be antagonistic. I'd suggest changing GP if you have the opportunity.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

The response was unbelievable I have been told if don't attend the surgery clinic they will no longer provide my prescription regardless of length of time I've had diabetes.

That has to be reported. Totally unacceptable. No way should you be threatened.