Surgery receptionists/doctors complaint

[Goldsgym]

I usually have repeat prescription for antihistamines all year round as I suffer allergies all year. I ordered them online, a female doctor from the surgery rang me and refused to let me have them. A few days later I went online to order my other repeat prescriptions and realised I have been taken off online. I went to the surgery and keep getting fobbed off by receptionists 1st she said it will come up automatically when prescriptions due. I knew she was lying as it was always there before But only ordered when due. 2nd time another receptionist said it was an IT problem u am at end of my tether as do not have time to keep going to surgery to write out prescriptions it just seems they can do what they like. Not just me but a few people have complained about receptionists and doctors at this surgery and even reviews are not very good. I didn’t want to change surgeries but wondered if patients have any rights or just have to put up with it. Life is stressful enough. Is there anywhere we can make a formal complaint. Not sure I am in the right site if not can you please direct me

Thanks

[Omeba]

Hi, I'm not sure if this applies, but I know that many prescriptions for over the counter medications are being stopped. I think it's a new NHS attempt to reduce costs. I'm not saying it's fair or anything like that. But it might be worth checking online or with the chemist who deals with your prescriptions to ascertain if this is the reason. At any rate, it doesn't excuse the way you're being treated.

Hope this is helpful.

Take care x

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Sometimes things come off of repeats cause they need reviewing. Case in point my ventolin disappeared off of mine cause the computer decided I’d had too many so needed a review (cause a doc hasn’t ok’d that you still need it) and deleted it from the script. Helpfully no one told me, and was only when I went to order that I noticed (luckily wasn’t urgent as have just come out of hosp and flying high off of treatment there). But also a few other meds I don’t use as much also disappeared so will book to see someone soon.

And yes. Depending on the antihistamine you can get them cheaper otc than on prescription so lots of meds like that are being weaned off, unless you speak to the GP about it to make your case for it to go back on script (which may or may not happen).

If in general you don’t get on with your surgery and there are lots of issues let me reassure you it really is easy to transfer to a different on. Fine one that accepts your postcode, spend 5-10 mins filling out forms. Wait about a week to have initial appt (to get repeats written etc) then voila. Trust me in the last 5ish years I’ve registered at 3 surgery’s and also as an emergency at another.

If you want to make a complaint I suggest going on your practices website. Usually they have an online complaints procedure page (where it will tell you where to go about it)

Hope that helps

[twinkly29 in reply to EmmaF91]

When I was last in hospital I went online to do my order (having cancelled my actual appointment because I was on hospital) and discovered half my stuff couldn't be ordered as it needed reviewing - it was there but not tickable. Apparently though if you have the paper repeat bit drs will issue it anyway if you tick that. At my surgery anyway. I'd forgotten something so went to see GP after escaping hospital and he hadn't actually known the system blocked the ordering as they got a new system in November so are all still finding quirks with it - so he synchronised all my meds to be reviewed in a year and thanked me for finding a system issue 😄 I'm so lucky they are lovely and really good though.

[PMRPete]

The Patients Association:-

patients-association.org.uk...

ombudsman.org.uk/sites/defa...

[Cat33]

Hello Goldsgym

This is terrible I would contact the practice manager

I can't believe they have taken you offline without any explanation

Sorry to all doctors receptionists as I know they do a fantastic job with a lot of pressure but some can be really horrible

I hope you get this sorted out good luck

[Alecia]

You can raise this with the PALS team at your local Clinical Commissioning Group, they commission primary care and can look into the issues, you could also contact the CQC and raise it with them as well.