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New doctors surgery

purplepenguin

Well-Known Member
Messages
319
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I've just moved to a new county and have my introductory appointment with the doctor tomorrow. I'm a bit worried because I had a fabulous diabetes nurse at my previous surgery who agreed with low carb and basically let me manage my condition myself.
Has anyone done this and got any advice about how to approach a new healthcare team?
 
Ooh, thats tough..
I've moved every 3 years minimum for 50 years now and still got no advice how to cope with changing docs/nurses.
Trouble is you dont know their views until they express them.

So, on my diabetes and moving (T1 though) I let them talk first and I dont give much away till they do.

Ie my last practice and this CCG do nor refer T1's to hospital unless they are deemed as being outside targets consistently.

Well, I'm always in targets and had to end up giving life story and more to get to 2ndary care. Then even they couldnt give adequate care so eventually GP asked by 2ndary manager and me to refer me to tertiary care.

Every practice is so different and the staff. Even nurses can have different view points. We have 4 nurses and each one is so, so different. Having seen them all I plumped for one I like most. Some practices only have 1 nurse though....
 
Only had 4 gps in my life and only that many because the first 2 retired. I was 8 when the first one retired. My third Gp was in the same practice as the second. So the only move I have made in 60 years was to the current GP and I chose her because the first two I went to were already full. So best of luck. I have a card on which I have tabulated my eye pressures for 20 years and a sheet listing my test results and targets so I would simply take those with me, smile sweetly, hang on their every word and if something does not make sense to me ask them to explain it referring to the relevant item on my record. However when I went to my signing up medical I saw a nurse not the GP and it was a weigh, measure and tickbox checklist affair so there would not be much that could be discussed. Actually I took the list of the dates I had my childhood vaccinations. Needless to say the nurse was not interested.
 

I'd go along with @donnellysdogs on this one, in terms of letting them lead the meeting, giving you a chance to assess them as much as they're assessing you.

Even if your views are well apart, it makes sense to build a relationship with your medical team, as we're more likely to need them than they need us.

Bearing in mind a very good shift in your last HbA1c, it seems you have documented (by the NHS, on NHS systems) and demonstrable evidence that you can manage yourself, so hopefully they'll be of the "keep doing what you've been doing for the last few months" brigade.

Fingers crossed for you.
 
Also, see if you can register as online patient (if you arent already) to view all your reaults online before you see anybody in future there...

Having online tests enables a lot. I had my brain scan results sent to GP. I viewed them 4am this morning online. She hadnt even seen them when I spoke to her this afternoon but it enabled me to have my questions prepared.

I would certainly see how the beach lies and whether its pebbly, rocks or sand before walking on it barefoot!!
 
I dislike tick boxes, they leave no room for individuality or grey area.
 
You are limiting how much suger and other foods that quicker increase your BG you eat.........
 


OOOoooooh. You lucky devil. At my surgery a doctor has to have viewed the results before they are released to the patient. I'm waiting for results due now, and I'm not being very patient about it, to the extent I can state that my practice updated their version of SystemOnline between lunchtime and around 20:30 yesterday.

Well, it's a million miles better than calling the receptionists every day.
 

Yes our systmonline is updated too. I knew results should be back in 7 days but I was also quite surprised a GP other than mine had checked them but grateful as I could review results so quick.

Even blood tests taken in morning are online by the next morning too for normal standard ones...

Highly recommended for all.
 

Yes, I love the overnight bloods, but this wasn't bloods.

Online access is ace.
 
All went very well. She said she wasn't overly bothered about how I was losing weight and reducing my blood sugars just as long as I'm healthy, feel great and keep the diabetes under control.
I actually found out I'd lost a stone rather than put a stone in, which was what I thought I had done due to moving and the related stress etc. All in all a good day, although I still have an appointment with the diabetes nurse to come!
 
Well thats very positive..

Good to lose a stone!!
 
Tell me about it!! I had a blood test last week and our practice is not on line yet and the results line is only open from 2.00 to 4.00. I rang on Wednesday waited 10 minutes and told results weren't in, rang 3.00 Thursday and waited 15 mins and gave up, tried again at 3.45 and waited until 4.00 only to hear the message 'the results line is open from 2.00 til 4.00' tried again Friday and, after 15 mins finally got through. It was extremely frustrating and could have been avoided if the practice did what it should have done in April last year and put the results on line.
 

Is your CCG and especially the CQC aware that your practice arent online?

Have they a PPG ?
 
If they arent up with basics like online are they up to date with everything else?

Seriously that isnt good...
 
donnellysdogs said:
Is your CCG and especially the CQC aware that your practice arent online?

Have they a PPG ?
Click to expand...
Their CQC report was unsatisfactory and they have recently been taken over by an organisation called 'Symphony' which helps practices which have gone into 'special measures'. The only online access we have is to order repeat prescriptions and they often get that wrong - the other day the chemist had to give my husband some of his heart pills without a prescription because, although I ordered them, the surgery didn't put the prescription through.
 
CCGs can not sack GPs as there is no one to replace them with! So unless a GP is worse than no GP they get to keep their jobs.
 
Agree CCG's cant sack but at least it looks like measures are in place to help the practice.

There is always means to get Practices failures recognised and improved and I'm glad to hear that something is in place here.

They are actually desperately trying to eradicate smaller / under performing practices.

GP's are now joining up to bigger conglomorates (??spelling??) and one man practices etc will struggle to survive with changes that are happening behind the scenes...
 
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