GP forms

[Clarescluck]

Hi folks

I've been with my GP for around 30yrs last week I had a txt saying due to suddenly being 'out of area' I have to sign an out of area form saying I will not get a home visit and if my health changes I could be asked to change GP. If I don't sign the form I will be asked to find a Gp. I have signed it and sent it back but feel uneasy about it as I have three conditions. Has anyone else had to sign a form like this? Tia.

[10gingercats]

In your position I would check this out with my local Health Dept.,or Pals. Maybe your GP area borders have been rewritten but you need to know.

[Hidden]

Dear Clarescluck

Had the same text asking the same thing. After contacting them I was told that my surgery’s {Gp} borders had changed and that I was outside them.

I asked for a map of their new catchment area and surprise surprise I was still well in it, after telling them I was informed that yet again it was a computer glitch, who am I to dispute such a thing {sarcasm}

So get proof about your GPs catchment area and explain to them the anxiety it has caused you, it may help others.

take care

[Ageingfast]

Dear ClareI worked in the admin side of GP practices and soon noticed that the admin seemed isolated from the GPs. If you have a good GP then a word to him/her May resolve the issue, without any form signing.

Alternatively, you might want to select a different GP practice to suit you rather than to suit the admin at your current practice.

And for you to change at a time to suit you.

There is a lot of money in the admin side so we get a lot of messing around.

My GPs have this week reverted to making appointments available to patients as opposed to online junkies. There is hope !

Best wishes

[Clarescluck]

HiThank you for all replies. Have looked online at catchment area and although only 2miles from surgery I am out the area?? Go figure. Not much online about this but the medical council do say this is voluntary for GPS and they have concerns for cherry picking younger patients who are healthy. Feel like I've been forced to sign this either way because if I don't I will have to get a new GP.

[Hidden in reply to Clarescluck]

There will be a PPG-Patient participation Group- for the practice, so contact them-even join them-and find out more. The PPG has a mix of GP practice admin people, sometimes a doctor, and patients to discuss issues and suggestions- put your point of view in!! The practice manager is also available for patients to discuss issues with.

[Clarescluck in reply to Hidden]

Thanks needleThat's an idea to ponder. Feedback from patients will help the situation hopefully.

[Nks900]

My husband and I were in the same boat. We stayed with the same Practice (in St Albans) for over 30 years. We moved 5 miles down the road, but into another town but still within the Herts County. As we are officially out-of-the-area, despite signing to accept "no GP home visits" , we were repeatedly encouraged to relocate to another GP practice. We have never had to use the Home Visit facility in all our lives! In fact, my husband almost never saw a GP until 2015 when he had diabetes.

Since 2019 my husband, who has T2 Diabetes on Metformin and COPD, was diagnosed with 2 cancers, I had sternotomy - mitral valve repair, dbl bypass and ablation, later trimalleolar ankle reconstruction following a complicated fracture Attending GP surgery was out of the question during Covid Lock-Down and neither did we use an Home Visit facility. All said, we were on massive Repeat Prescriptions.

Suddenly we were informed via email that we should seek another Practice as they are removing us from their patient list.

There followed a most stressful 12+ weeks where we were in limbo - the new Practice:- could not perform any Repeats, appointments could not be made to see any GPs..... our Notes had mysteriously not arrived at the new Practice - however, the old Practice insisted they have been sent.

When they finally arrived at the new Practice, there were missing gaps of our major medical conditions that had taken place from 2018 -2022. I had to reprint all the Cardiologist and various Oncologists and Orthopedic letters to forward to the new GP. So in truth, most copies of correspondence from the hospitals to the old GP Practice, which I was sent a copy, was never scanned nor filed in their/our Records.

Lazy admin staff, ineffective practice manager or plain, poor management!