this is about my husband. He’s avoided the gp surgery as trying to get appointments and past the receptionist has caused a lot of stress to us all over the years. Anyway due to a recent event with a family member we’re they needed an emergency bypass as did my husband’s father and aunt I got him to see a private gp to avoid all the stress and anger getting an appointment with the nhs one causes him.
Theres been a few bits picked up so far nothing detrimental at present but his cholesterol is 5.3 with a hefty wack of bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol so the private gp prescribed atovostatin 20mg. And sent all the information to our NHS gp. We haven’t got passed the receptionist there yet to ask the gp but she said some gps won’t prescribe medication if it’s been started privately 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️🙈. The receptionist wants more information from the private gp before asking the gp at our practice.
so can the nhs really refuse to prescribe it? Thoughts please.
thank you
Written by
Ewloe
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The receptionist cannot. That is not her job. You need to complain about her to the practice manager. Thoughts way above her station. My dad's GP 30 years ago refused to prescribe statins as 'too expensive' he just changed GPs then they gave them to him.
If I read your post right the receptionist is not refusing anything, she’s asking for more information from the private Dr. Before prescribing your GP has to evaluate (in their own professional opinion) whether this is best for your husband,
How it seems to work at our surgery if you have been issued with a private prescription is; you pay the full cost of the medication the first time it has been prescribed, once the G.P surgery have written confirmation from the private Doctor re the changes, they then add it to your regular N.H.S medication list thereafter.
Some NHS GPs won't prescribe more specialist medications if they were originally prescribed by a private Doctor , especially if they are costly, unless they do their tests to prove definite need.But that's not the truth when having statins or the common cardiac medications because they are prescribed and recommended for NHS treatment , many are essential and you need to make sure your repeat prescription is sorted out.....which is why you obviously want to speak to the GP.
That receptionist sounds like a real power hungry moron.
Whether it's just the receptionist or the fact that your surgery is a bit slow there are certain things you can do.
First, politely but firmly ring to ensure you either speak to the GP face to face or by telephone appointment about arranging the prescriptions reminding the receptionist what your husband has just had and that the prescriptions and arrangements for cardiac after care are essential on the NHS.
If they query this or still suggest it can't be sorted out. Politely but firmly ask if they have a Practice Manager and ask to speak to them right away as you are sorry but you feel that you are not getting appropriately dealt with considering your husband's recent heart operation and you will need to discuss this with the Manager ( at this point the receptionist should sort out an appointment asap unless they are either the PM , or a bigger moron than I first thought).
If they refuse , or you speak to the PM and they still refuse to sort things out , brightly and positively state. " In which case , I'm sorry but I'm going to have to put in a complaint after finishing this call to the local Integrated Care Board about this unless we can sort something out today because my husband is not receiving the appropriate amount of help for the condition he has and there has been an inappropriate delays in him getting to speak to a GP or to receive an appointment for his essential medications which could put my husband's health at risk."
Unless they are insane , they should sort things out.
If not , do put in the complaint to the ICB , but also call your private Consultant, explain what has been happening and the fact that your GP has ignored their letter and not sorted out your husbands prescription or seen him , and ask them to phone up to query this issue for you , and/ or , send another letter reinforcing what was said before and asking for an explanation for the delay. Then you'll definitely get things sorted
You should understand that the last time a GP saw your husband he had no complaints about anything that could be construed as cardiac if they have not received any data from the private GP they haves no idea why he is on them If he prescribes them with no evidence they are needed and something goes wrong they would be culpable of negligence. The receptionist may have been simply telling you that they may require to repeat the tests to justify the prescription. Atorvastatin 20mg is a very low dose so it sounds as if the cholesterol level is borderline however with a family history they may feel that prevention is better cure. It is not your GPs fault he has not seen your husband nor that he has no info from the private consult. Since Brexit we have lost 25% of our GPs so yes appointments are harder to get quickly Personally I try to plan ahead but since my GP has seen me a few times he will also phone me on occasions when that is all that is required
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