Can a consultant prescribe medication?

[Clarita678]

Hello! New to the forum and looking for some advice. A little background; I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in hospital about nine weeks ago. A fortnight ago, still feeling awful, I was told it was a misdiagnosis. Several medics that are family friends said thyroid issues can present as T1.

My GP has arranged a blood and vitamin test, along with some female hormone tests, too. It won’t look at thyroid antibodies, just the hormones. I have arranged a private panel to look at the antibodies, through Medicare.

The NHS results will take 10 days, but I will have my Medicare results on Friday. I’ve lost faith in the NHS completely, everything moves at a snails pace, the quality of care has been appalling. Every appointment that was scheduled for me with the hospital has been cancelled. So I’m throwing money at the situation, and will see a private endo consultant.

My question is: will they be able to prescribe medication, should it be required, or does it have to go through my GP? My plan is to book an appointment with a specialist for Friday afternoon, or early next week, when I have my Medicare results back. Trying to get a GP appointment takes an age.

I’ve read about antibodies having to be at a certain level to qualify for treatment on the NHS as well, does this apply if you go private? Of course, I’ve no idea what level they will come back at, or if I will have antibodies at all, but from everything I’ve researched and been told by family friend medics, I’d be very surprised if my thyroid isn’t the cause of my ill health.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

A consultant can prescribe.

However, a private consultant can only prescribe private prescriptions and you will have to pay for the medicine at the pharmacy. Repeat prescriptions, assuming also issued by the same consultant, are likely to require you to pay a fee to the consultant.

An NHS consultant can also prescribe. But they are often unwilling to do so and, even if they issue one prescription, are most likely to pass you back to your GP for future prescriptions.