Where I live many people do not have a gp since the majority of them do not take new patients. This situation, of course, increases their power tremendously with all the possible consequences for patients. What happens here now, is that doctors interview those who are looking for a doctor and then either "graciously" bestow their services or refuse to take on the patient. I was just wondering how this is handled in the UK.
I can not think of any other profession that does that....the plumber or mechanic interviewing you first before they fix your stuff. And I absolutely resent the additional power given to a profession that already has so much of it. In my opinion it puts the patient into a very precarious situation where they have to keep their doctor happy or forgo medical attention altogether ( starting to wonder how bad that really is ).
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I haven’t heard of that but then that’s not to say they don’t. I believe doctors can remove you from their lists for certain things - I think like being aggressive to the staff but fortunately never having been banned I don’t know much about it.
What between being ‘de-banked’ as does seem to be happening in the U.K. and now possibly being interviewed by prospective doctors things don’t look good.
I live in Manitoba, Canada. I think this development shows the doctor to patient relationship very clearly, where the patient treats the doctor with the utmost adulation and looks up to them as gods. No asking questions, certainly no doubting anything, just do as you are told and, for heaven's sake, do NOT even think of getting your information from any reputable source. All you need to know the doctor already knows for you. That's all you need to know.
On top of that, all possibility of private testing has also been taken away (unless one goes across the border to the States) because all tests have to be authorized by a doctor or a nurse practioner. I feel that more and more power is taken away from patients to make their own decisions and look after themselves. Doctors are given the absolute monopoly on health.
On top of that, all possibility of private testing has also been taken away (unless one goes across the border to the States) because all tests have to be authorized by a doctor or a nurse practioner.
Scroll down the page to see the procedure required in Manitoba. It doesn't seem as if a doctor is required to approve the test being done. What might make things difficult is getting a blood sample taken. It is always a bug bear in the UK for many of us.
Doctor's referral is still required but they provide that. It states "No you do not require a Doctor’s Referral in Manitoba, we provide one when you have placed an order." I have a very good nurse practioner, who gives me what is allowed by Manitoba Health and also what I want to pay for myself, but I have to go through her whereas before I could order a test from Letsgetchecked as often as I wanted (and depending on how much money I was willing to spend ). There is a growing number of other providers online offering this service. I think it will turn into a booming business for companies. The power still remains with the doctors, though. And that is my beef.
Blue Horizon and Medichecks in the UK have to provide an official referral to a doctor, and both companies employ doctors. I have never heard of anyone being turned down by either company.
Both companies earn money from their customers, and turning someone down would lose money. Customers will get a report on their results from both companies. I don't think BH offers the chance to refuse but MC does. Sometimes I accept the MC reports just so I keep up with what the standard NHS guidance is, even if I don't follow the suggestions by the company doctors.
Of course! Companies making money will not turn down clients. And the whole idea of those businesses, I assume, is to make profit of those medical legalities, taking advantage of a "loophole". It is very clever, really. While gps interview and turn down or kick out patients, the companies' doctors make money with very little effort (I assume). Still, the government cuts patient power more and more and hands it to the doctors, who already have plenty of it. That is the difference between Letsgetchecked and Blue Horizon (and similar companies). Letsgetchecked may also have doctors involved (not sure how that works), but there is no referral. They do the tests, without me going to dynacare, the biggest provider in Canada, with a referral.
From what I understand from your response, in the UK tests can only be done with the referral of a doctor (or other medical personnel) just like in Manitoba (and all Canada, I assume) (?). Maybe I'm not thinking this through thoroughly enough. My question is, "What is it to them (government and governing bodies), if I want to test my thyroid hormone level, my antibodies, my cholesterol levels, my anything?" Why does a doctor have to be involved? And what I think is, that, beside financial considerations, there is also an attitude toward patients as incompetent, incapable of making decisions concerning their body and generally child like. Having been treated by doctors with just that attitude too often, I have developed a real sensitivity to this kind of thing. Maybe I am hypersensitive.
From what I understand from your response, in the UK tests can only be done with the referral of a doctor (or other medical personnel) just like in Manitoba
Yes, that is true... But you are missing my point. You don't need to get a referral before you buy a test. Getting a referral is just a standard part of the test process. You won't get turned down when using companies like Blue Horizon. They provide the referral and it is paid for as part of the cost of testing.
You will probably be asked (at the time of ordering) to provide a reason for buying a test, but it can be as simple as ticking a box saying "for monitoring a thyroid condition" or "monitoring my iron levels" or "checking my general health", or something else equally uninformative. You don't have to see a doctor before ordering.
I don't remember which company it was, but in the early days of me buying blood tests online (about 10 years ago) I was phoned once by the company I had ordered from and asked why I wanted the test. I started to explain, but I was interrupted and was steered into saying the right things. I've never had such a call again.
I think I understood that the company looks after the referral. I don't need it in order to buy the test. They give it to me, so that I can go to dynacare and get it done. That's what I pay for. And maybe I was missing the point. If I did. I feel like I still am missing it and somehow the communication is not very effective.
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And I absolutely resent the additional power given to a profession that already has so much of it. In my opinion it puts the patient into a very precarious situation where they have to keep their doctor happy or forgo medical attention altogether ( starting to wonder how bad that really is 
). 
). There is a growing number of other providers online offering this service. I think it will turn into a booming business for companies. The power still remains with the doctors, though. And that is my beef.
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