AIBU to be angry that I now have to find a new GP practice.

[TheSparkling]

I moved house, one measly mile further away from where we were. Last week I registered our new address at the GP practice we are with. Two days later I receive a letter saying that I am being put off their list and need to register with someone closer to where we live.

IMO this is ridiculous. I could understand it if they had too many people on their lists but they don't. They are still registering people in their practice boundary so why can't we stay with them?

It just annoys me. I don't want to register with the only practice near us as they have a piss poor reputation.

So annoying. < stamps feet >

[longjane]

i think all you have to say is that you accept that they wont do home visits
and you can stay on their list

[OddBoots]

Ours let us stay but did warn us that they wouldn't do home visits. Would you be prepared to opt out of home visits to stay with the practice?

[snooter]

If GPs kept on people outside their boundaries it would be chaotic, esp for those who needed home visits, resulting in poorer care overall for everone - shame you're just over the border but there has to be a cut-off point

[snooter]

everyone not everone

[WhenShallWeThreeMeetAgain]

My friends have been kicked off their GPs list after 22 years. They haven't moved house, instead the GP practice said they were 'shrinking their boundaries'.

[mutny]

Happened to me. I was told if I needed an emergency doctor o would be able to have one. Because th area I was registered with wouldn't send one to me area and the area I was in would supply one as i was registered elsewhere. Wouldn't mind except you can't get and emergency doctor for love nor money. Last time as was very sick, they offered to pay for a taxi to the walk in centre rather than send a doctor.

Yabu to angry, miffed maybe. Its just one of those paperwork things that make things worse for the people.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

YANBU
I had this last year when I moved half a mile. I went to my midwife booking in appointment only to be told when I got there that I shouldn't bother as I had to move. Had to go and register with a new GP then make a another midwife appointment. Just what you want in your first pregnancy. I asked if I could move after Ds was born but no, not an option.

[issyocean]

My practice deregistered myself and my D because we hadn't been to see a doctor since 2008

[LineRunner]

What are these 'home visits' of which you speak?

We can't even get through to ours on the phone.

[GhostofMammaTJ]

No GP ever does home visits anyway, so that is irrelevant.

[OddBoots]

I thought home visits were a thing of myth until my grandparents got very elderly and my Grandpa got cancer, the GP (also my own GP and from the same practice my Grandma has been with since she was born, a loooooong time pre-NHS) was very good at visiting them and still comes to Grandma on occasion.

[Popumpkin]

At the practice I used to work at, it was at the Drs' descretion as to whether someone who have moved just out of catchment could stay registered or not.

It usually came down to whether they were receiving any ongoing treatment which might be inconvenienced by a change of GP (it takes time for medical records to be transferred between practices, letters from hospital & Consultants may get mislaid going to old practice etc.). Generally, though, if there was no "special need" the answer would be no.

Even if you did get a "yes" it would be on the understanding that no home visits would be made, which is really just a time & distance issue as the GP's only have a certain amount of time between morning and afternoon surgery to complete visits/paperwork etc.

[TheSparkling]

I didn't realise that about the home visit. I was thinking of phoning and pleading my case anyway so I might mention that too. We have never had or requested a home visit.

I suppose I am mostly angry because I will have to register with the worst rated practice in our county now. and I don't want to

[Popumpkin]

Home visits still exist in Staffordshire . Mainly to elderly housebound patients though. They are not on offer to people who could reasonably be expected to get themselves into the surgery.

[GhostShip]

^What are these 'home visits' of which you speak?

We can't even get through to ours on the phone^

:o same here!

[Popumpkin]

If you have one regular GP you tend to see OP, you might well get more joy speaking to them as opposed to a Receptionist or Practice Manager. At the end of the day, it's down to their descretion (sp).

I do know it's not always easy to get to speak to your own GP though!

[Softlysoftly]

SIL is always home very late after making home visits.

[snooter]

Home visits are an incredibly inefficient way for GPs to see patients so they will always try to lure you into the surgery. Home visits take up a lot of time & much of the useful equipment available cannot be taken along. The genuinely housebound & terminally ill patients will of course be seen at home, as will the usually fit who are too ill to come in. Children are hardly ever seen at home because they are portable.

[ToothGah]

Wasn't the government talking about allowing people to register at any doctor's surgery of their choice a while back? Which would allow folk to register with one, say, nearer to work than home if that was more convenient?

Don't know what happened to that idea.

Anyway. No YANBU as it's annoying, but I can understand they have to have rules. Though I know they do make exceptions, so it's worth a try.

I didn't change my address when I moved for a long time so I still went to the same GP as I was concerned about continuing my care under the same surgery - but when I eventually did move, it was to a much better surgery with shorter waiting times, much less vile receptionists nicer staff and significantly better care.

In fact I found I had been quite badly misled and neglected in terms of regular medication I take (I hadn't had an asthma review in 20+ years) and was on the wrong medication and using it incorrectly.

So it didn't turn out all bad. As for home visits - I'd echo, what's one of those?

[thebitchdoctor]

That's a load of bullshit that no GP does home visits because I can tell you I now I do PLENTY of them! Every day. One practice I worked at every doctors did 3 home visits a day 5 days a week.

OP I know it's a total pain in the arse but if you are outside the practice boundary then you have to move so YABU, sorry.

[thebitchdoctor]

Thankyou softly softly and snooter, people who speak sense.

[thegreylady]

Our GP will do home visits if really needed. She came out to me when I had chemo and didn't want to risk the surgery.

[Schrodingershamster]

Same issue. Registered at my GPs they have the same post code as me. Their catchment oes 3 miles on one direction and 5 in the other. again.Im right on the border of the 3 mile one so they said i can never have a home visit.

Luckily for me the huge city hospital is 5 mins away in a taxi and maybe 10 or so on foot so i can go there. I wouldnt unless i really had to though and being a healthy adult , i imagine if I am so unwell i couldnt get a taxi to my surgery it would be the hospital i need anyway.

[GhostShip]

thebitch, it's not bullshit though. My GP doesn't do home visits at all. Just because you do plenty of them (which I think is fab by the way) doesn't mean they all do unfortunately :(

[trumpetsandkettledrums]

This happened to us as well, we really liked everyone at the practice & it wouldn't matter who you saw they were all lovely.

Yet to be convinced of new practice- we were given ridiculous advice when on our first visit when ds was sick(although admittedly yes he did get better by himself after a few days!)