To want to put in a formal complaint to my gp practice?

[Hellbentwellwent]

I’ve had an awful bloody day and am feeling really let down and upset. I had major gynae surgery last week, radical hysterectomy with extensive excision of deep infiltrating endometriosis, they removed my uterus, cervix, bother ovaries and tubes and a large area of my pelvic wall - not insubstantial surgery.

I was sent home with a catheter in as my bladder was traumatised in surgery. Catheter was removed on Monday and I was asked to go back to see my consultant today for a bladder scan to make sure it was fully emptying. Scan today was all good but they did a dip test and I have an infection so consultant wrote me a prescription for an antibiotic and a script for more painkillers (30/500 cocodamol) as I’ve run out and in a fair bit of pain

Husband was with me so we drove from the hospital to our gp surgery, the system is ridiculous in the first place. Because it’s a script from the hospital it needs to be taken to the gp surgery so one of their doctors can re write the script to take to the chemists. We’re in NI if that’s relevant as I know our system is different that across the water. Dh left me in the car as I was feeling shite and took the script up to reception, then called me to say the receptionist was saying it would be 48hrs before a gp could write the script.

Wtf??

For starters that bollocks because we did the same last week when I was initially released with a script for hrt, dh brought it round in the afternoon and collected it later that day.

Secondly it’s bollocks because I know they have a prescribing gp every afternoon for this purpose and for repeat prescriptions.

Thirdly is bollocks for someone who is post operative to have been seen by a surgical consultant and diagnosed with an infection be left to wait 48 fucking hours for antibiotics because a non medically trained receptionist seemed to be under the impression of it had been urgent then they’d have dispensed the antibiotic at the hospital... which she said to dh repeatedly....

I’m beyond livid.

Poor dh has been running about like a blue arsed fly trying to sort it, what if I didn’t have any help? I can’t drive for 6 weeks, I’m in pain and feeling pretty ducking vunerable.

I love our nhs and I appreciate how much pressure it’s under but the gate keeping at gp surgeries is a liability.

Anyone want to help me draft a letter of complaint to the practice manager about the level of service the receptionist provided. FWIW I’m medically trained, changed career path eons ago and think it’s beyond appalling that a receptionist with no medical training seems to think she can override the recommendation of a consultant.

Go easy on me... I’ve just had major surgery and been plunged into surgical menopause....

[Rubychard]

No practical advice but that seems awful. Our surgery (England) states 48 hours but surely common sense has to prevail in situations like this.

Hope you get your meds and are feeling better soon.

[Hellbentwellwent]

Thank ruby, well dh is just back from the gp and empty handed, they told him to come down at 5.30 after the chestnuts phoned and demanded on our behalf that the script was issues. Apparently though the receptionist just shrugged and said try again tomorrow.

Raging

[ViaSacra]

What a ridiculous policy. I don’t see why the consultant can’t give you a valid prescription - that would be far easier and would save time for everyone involved.

[Lulualla]

Cant you go to your A&E and get the drugs issued from there? You can't wait. You've had surgery and have an infection.

And you must send in a complaint and ask for a meeting with the practice manager.

[dammit88]

The consultant should have given it to you .... they didn’t because if the go does it it comes from the gps budget!

Hope you feel better soon

[ViaSacra]

The consultant should have given you the prescription. He simply wanted the cost to come out of the GP’s budget rather than his own.

He/she is the one at fault here, not the GP surgery or receptionist.

[Hellbentwellwent]

There’s no way in hell im going to a and e, our local councillor put up a plea on Facebook a couple off days ago asking for people with non urgent complaints not to put any further pressure on them as they were at the point of collapse, non medical staff are also currently on strike there too so it’s mental and I’d be up there in pain and unwell for god knows how many hours....

My mums just done a raid on her medicine cabinet and found some old 30/500s to get me through till tomorrow, sadly doesn’t help with the infection but at least it’ll help with the pain

[Halleli]

Because it’s a script from the hospital it needs to be taken to the gp surgery so one of their doctors can re write the script to take to the chemists

That is what’s bollocks.

Are you saying that hospital consultants in NI are forbidden to prescribe, and any drug they deem necessary must be concerted the same day by a GP surgery?

What a huge waste of GPs’ time that must be if it’s true. I honestly don’t believe you have understood it correctly - that is simply impossible.

YABU because your anger is misplaced. Your consultant is the one managing your care post-surgery. He is the one responsible for ensuring you get your prescription.

[Hellbentwellwent]

Halleli, that’s the system, I’m not lying!!!!

[Hellbentwellwent]

They have me discharge medications when I was let off the ward last week but the script he wrote today was at outpatients so i guess because I wasn’t an inpatient they couldn’t give me the drugs direct

[PassMeAnotherCoffee]

It sounds to me as if the system is bonkers. In England a drug prescribed in a hospital comes from the hospital pharmacy and can't be used elsewhere.

[Halleli]

They have me discharge medications when I was let off the ward last week but the script he wrote today was at outpatients so i guess because I wasn’t an inpatient they couldn’t give me the drugs direct

In GB as well, consultants give out outpatient prescriptions, but these can be taken straight to the hospital pharmacy. There is no need at all to get one’s GP involved.

Are you sure you weren’t just supposed to take the consultant’s prescription to the hospital pharmacy?

[Cohle]

That's totally bonkers. Leaving someone with a post-operative infection without treatment for 48 hours is just asking for a serious problem to develop. I don't have any solutions for you but I hope you manage to get it sorted.

[PrittSticky]

The prescription given to you by a consultant cannot be taken to a commercial pharmacy, no, but it can be taken to the onsite hospital pharmacy.

That is what you were supposed to do. It’s not your GP’s job.

[Jaxhog]

If I was your DH, I would have sat down and said he'll just wait then. If he then kept asking, I bet they would have done it!

It sounds quite bonkers.

[Suchamess123]

That's a lot of surgery! You must be feeling utterly awful. Do you know I would be trying to focus on getting better than putting energy into your anger at the GP's surgery. It's not a good situation, very poor in fact, but wasting your precious energy on it is not going to make you feel any better. Try and get well and then tackle it.

[RedLemon]

Hellbent I’m sorry you’re having to go through this. I’m in the south of Ireland and system is similar here but chemist can dispense medication from the hospital prescription if you pay privately for it. Is that an option for you?

Otherwise I know most of our local pharmacists will dispense the meds anyway and just get you to drop the prescription down once GP issues it- or they’ll often send a staff member to the GP to collect it. I’m in a small town though so everyone knows each other- did your chemist suggest anything like that??

I agree re raising this with the surgery. We have a 24 hour policy for prescriptions but if it’s something urgent like this we would always waive that. Maybe the reception staff just got it wrong? Worth raising with the manager/GP definitely.

[Hellbentwellwent]

Nope, told to take it to the gp, that’s the system. I’ve had surgeries before with the same consultant at the same hospital for endometriosis I’ve the years and it’s always been the same. It’s not a big hospital, private, and doesn’t have a pharmacy for patients to fill scripts at, they all have to be taken to gps apart from the drugs you’re given on discharge

[Jaxhog]

The prescription given to you by a consultant cannot be taken to a commercial pharmacy, no, but it can be taken to the onsite hospital pharmacy.

Why for heaven's sake? Surely, a pharmacy is a pharmacy!

[Spoilywoily]

The person who is actually BU is your consultant. He/she should have either written you a HFP10 prescription OR written you a hospital prescription to take the the hospital pharmacy instead of dumping his work on your GP, especially as if it was for urgent meds such as antibiotics.

If I was handed that prescription (I’m a GP) I would do it but I would be writing to the consultant to tell them to do their own fucking work instead of causing more hassle for the most important person in this - the patient.

So OP. Complain if you want to the GP practice, but you should actually complain to your consultant for going against the hospital contract as well as being a lazy twat.

[bakebeans]

If the consultant wrote you a script you normally get this from the hospital onsite pharmacy. If it is an advice note, then that is for your GP to prescribe

[Singerleon]

Hi Op,

I’ve had the same thing before, prescribed insulin for gestational diabetes by a hospital consultant and had to take it to GP who then sat on it and told me to wait 48hrs.

So I sat in their waiting room and pretty much had a breakdown because I’ve had pregnancy losses before and my blood sugar was out of control and said I would be blaming them if my unborn child was harmed by me having no insulin for over 48hrs.

And of course I’m in NI too because where else would something as ridiculous happen

Hope you get sorted ASAP, would out of hours Dr sort it for you??

[Spoilywoily]

Ah I’ve cross posted, it’s a private hospital did you say? Explains it even more.

If that is genuinely the system that the Gp surgery is contracted for to do same day prescriptions for the hospital consultants then yeah fair enough complain. However I doubt it is actually the official system ie: what’s in the contract for the GP Surgery to do. It would be worth checking this with the practice manager.

Your GP cannot just drop all their other work to immediately do the prescription anyway. They may be in the middle of clinic, or another emergency, or a home visit. You can’t get instant prescriptions like that.

I hope you feel better soon.

[tomatoesandstew]

Two practical things

1. ring practice manager or ask to speak directly to doctor and explain situation and impact of delay.
   
2. ring o Hospital and say you can't get hold of the medication can they help either contact GP or give you medication maybe they could give you at least one more day of it.

[Spoilywoily]

Apologies I missed that you have previously been medically trained. Then you should know even more that the hospital consultant was being a lazy twat.

Don’t blame the receptionist for gate keeping. They have to gate keep as per the instructions from their bosses (ie: the practice manager and the GP partners).

I’m still of the opinion the consultant could have issued the antibiotics themselves. If it’s a private hospital there has to be some sort of pharmacy Situation onsite otherwise how would they be able to prescribe to patients admitted overnight for procedures etc?