Not to easy....

[jillc39]

I posted a H A P P Y message last week after I received a copy of a letter from the neurologist saying I should have 3x a week.... etc...etc. So, I saw gp today who had read the letter and said yes that's fine. However, when I tried to make the appointments she said there were no nurses appointments free and that gp's are now not allowed to give b12 injections. I have managed to book a couple of appointments in a couple of weeks but I was crushed with disappointment after I thought |I had cracked it!

[Foggyme Administrator]

Don't think it's a 'rule' as such. More of a local surgery arrangement to do with cost / time saving (nurses are chapter than doctors).

The GP is quit able to give the injection if he / she so chooses.

Not being able to get timely treatment (to put it mildly) as requested by a neurologist - disgraceful.

And the decision made by a nurse or receptionist (doesn't say which) - words fail me.

[Foggyme Administrator]

Hi jillc39.

Sounds like this decision was made by a receptionist? Disgraceful (see reply to beginner1 below).

Suggestions:

Get an urgent appointment with the GP who prescribed the injections and ask him to arrange this neurological regime as the the required frequency OR

Write to that named GP and drop the letter off on Monday morning - cover the following issues:

Neurological regieme advised by the neurologist because of neurological symptoms -

Treatment guidelines state every other day -

You are concerned that failure to deliver this frequency of injections will,leave you exposed to subacute degeneration of the spinal cord -

State that you are aware of the time and cost constraints this will mean for the surgery. Say you are prepared to be taught self-injection if that will reduce the burden on them -

Say that if they are not prepared to do this, then please can they contact you for mmediately to arrange your injection appointments as per the treatment guidelines and requirements -

OR provide written assurances that you are NOT being potentially exposed to SACDPC (they won't be able to do that). Note - not suggesting you have this or will develop it - but it should sharpen their thinking a tadge!

(You can use the above in a face to face consultation too)

You should also include evidence with your letter or,take to a consultation (if consultation best take a letter and evidence with you and ask formthis to be put on your medical records) will support your arguments. Think you may have the evidence already (or look in the PAS pinned posts).

Note - you might find that this is a decision made by the receptionist - your GP and nurse may not be aware - and I'd like to think that they would offer your appointments PDQ if they knew. Might be worth telephnoning the surgery nurse first to explain the situation and see if she/he will fit you in (they should) Injection can be done in five minutes flat (maybe at the beginning or end of a clinic).

I don't have time to leave links now but if,you can't find what you need, let me know and I'll find some links to post here for you.

Disgraceful.

Good luck 👍

[jillc39]

thank you foggyme - such a helpful post. no this time I cant blame the receptionist entirely - the gp told me she couldn't give an injection and this seems to be a new rule within the practice. I forgot to mention the tip from the gp was to come and 'beg the nurse to fit you in'. Beg. Moi?

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to jillc39]

That is so bad...

Suggest you write to the GP then, with evidence...on file...he'll have to do something.

The idea of having to beg beggars belief 😖

[clivealive Forum Support]

I feel that as the doctor has prescribed a fixed course of treatment the nurse should have juggled her appointments to fit you in jillc39 .

My practice nurses love me because, of the ten minute slot allowed for my injection, I'm in and out within five which gives them time to "catch up".

In 45 years I've only once turned up and the nurse wasn't there so my G.P. immediately called me in and gave me the injection himself.

Again, only once did I forget my appointment and I got a 'phone call telling my I had an appointment for the next day.

I've obviously been well blessed and cared for by my surgery in contrast to you and so many others out there.

I hope you get your necessary treatment in a good and orderly fashion

[Steap]

Quite often pharmacies have staff trained to give injections such as vaccines

Wouldn't it be nice if this was an option for b12.

It's maybe not availsble at the moment but hopefully something pharmacies could consider in the future for a small fee.

I wonder how you'd go about proposing such a notion.

[ellj]

I am assuming this will be your first B12 injection of the loading doses ? So it is advisable for a nurse or GP to give you the very first just incase the very rare situation might arise that you are not suited to the injection.

I agree with others here, it is a disgrace that you have not been offered timely treatment....They have a duty of care.

I would certainly phone the nurse, might have to ask her to phone you back between patients.

When my consultant said I needed to start the loading doses I was called to the surgery same day then every other day for two weeks....Fitted in due to NECESSITY. As Clive alive said, it takes a very few minutes especially if you wear short or sleeveless top so no fiddling around with taking multiple layers of clothes off.

I take my coat off in waiting room and the injection itself takes less time than the walk to nurses room.

Do not let them fob you off please....This is important ( ref foggyme neuro issues etc )

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Ell

[Ree2705]

What an utter disgrace - I timed the duration of my last injection from the moment the nurse called me in to the moment I walked out - 57 seconds and they have to book a 10 minute appointment, despite the fact I've been having injections for 2 years and never had an adverse reaction.

I think if it was me I would be ringing several times a day looking for a cancellation, but really I would be making a nuisance of myself - good luck

Mx

[jillc39]

thank you everybody.

[Hidden]

Don't they have Health Care Assistants. At our practice they do all the blood tests and injections. The only time I saw a nurse for a blood test she put it in the wrong tube. The HCAs are very efficient and are usually available v quickly.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

Never quite sure how "every other day" works in practice, given health centres usually closed at weekends. I've been lucky enough to have had 2 injections a week since October 2016.

That has now changed. Today had my last injection for a month (21st April). Not entirely sure why the GP stopped this, but I don't think there is much I can do since there appears to be no official guidelines for Functional B12 deficiency treatment. Was improving but very slowly, now feeling a bit kicked to the kerb. Decision about "no more improvement possible", since it involves acceptance of permanence of current condition, should surely be a mutual one. Who really has to live with the consequences of that decision? I wasn't quite ready to give up on me yet.

Seems that GPs and nurses are more worried about the imagined consequences of overdoing it than about the actual effect on their patient of underdoing it.

Follow Foggyme's advice - why would your GP refer you to a specialist if only to ignore their professional advice ? Don't beg, don't give up, and don't let decisions about your life be taken in your absence ! Best of luck, jillc !