If I make a complaint about my GP refusing to prescribe medication

No, it's Topiramate. It's not a legal requirement to be on contraception and all guidelines state doctors should speak to the patient about their medical history and circumstances, inform them of the risks of pregnancy and advise effective contraception.

If there was a law I would accept it and either take the contraceptive or request an alternative medication if there was one.

I do understand this, and I'm not complaining about the refusal to prescribe in general. I'm complaining about the refusal to communicate and the approach that's been taken. I'm complaining about his refusal to risk assess based on me as a patient. Because his only reasoning is I have a womb so could.get pregnant. I was even informed I could get pregnant by another man 🙄

It's not the system preventing an appointment, it's the GP. Half my complaint is about the GPs refusal to discuss all options with me. I had him removed as my named GP and said I don't consent to him treating me anymore. Rather than have another GP deal with this, he got the pharmacy to tell me that he's working collaboratively with another GP because I won't engage with contraception.

I also disagree that his refusal is due diligence because if it was about due diligence then this would extend to all risk factors including the risk of prescribing a contraceptive pill without informing me of what pill or medically assessing me if it's one with risks around higher BMIs such as the combined pill. Although this is no longer an issue because he's decided there's too much of a risk I won't take the pill and put an imaginary foetus at risk.

I think it's utterly barbaric to treat me like this. It's clear that he doesn't see me as a patient. He sees me as a uterus. If he saw me as anything more he would be willing to communicate, and treat me like an actual human being with reasons behind my refusal.

He got the pharmacist to tell me he's no longer allowing the pill because it's clear I won't take it meaning the risk of a pregnancy and potential harm to a foetus is too high 🙄

I actually spoke to the practice manager yesterday. She's asked the complaints manager to call me urgently when she's back in the office either today or Monday. She advised me to log a complaint because the GP has broken the practices shared decision making policy. The policy basically states that GPs are meant to work with patients. GPs are meant to support patients by providing accurate information, and making sure patients are aware of and understand all available choices and the risks and benefits of them. They're supposed to give the patient support and guidance while they think about what is most important for them. The GP is then supposed to work with the patient to come to a decision about care that they are both happy with.

They also have another policy that states the healthcare providers should always consider the patients perspective.

Unfortunately none of these policies have been followed.

Thank you for seeing this from my perspective. It does very much feel like that at the moment.

At this point it seems like the GP cares more about hypothetical outcomes for a non existent foetus, than he does about very real outcomes for me, when I am the one that actually exists.

I know several people are going to flame me for this, but I am not convinced that it's even about mitigating risk or following guidelines anymore. Let's be honest, if it were about that, then the GP would follow the NICE guidelines for topiramate, inform me of the risks of birth defects and advise me to use an effective contraception. Following that he would then make a decision based on my medical history and personal circumstances as per the guidelines. He would then offer to let me sign a waiver stating I understand the risks and take full responsibility. And after all of that, if he still felt uncomfortable prescribing, then if it was really about mitigating risk, he would contact neurology about another medication option or at least let me seek an opinion from another GP. But he's refusing to do any of that, instead he's choosing to block any option other than a copper coil.

At this moment in time I feel like I've been blocked from doing anything other than getting the copper coil because I've questioned the GP and now I'm seen as a non compliant woman who is refusing to do "what's best" for the GP and a non existent foetus. He's now blocked off all access to other GPs at the surgery, and he won't communicate with me because he isn't open to any other options. He's got me in a position where I either to live with debilitating migraines or get a coil I don't want or need. I'm sorry but it's basically medical coercion at this stage.

I updated yesterday - I tried to book an appointment with him to discuss and the GP has refused to see me. I did call up and change my named doctor either Tuesday or yesterday because I felt it was a good middle ground that means I'm not making a complaint but I also don't have to see him. I said I don't consent to him treating me anymore and requested this is tasked to someone else. When the pharmacy called she said the GP has made the decision to work collaboratively with another GP because of my refusal to engage.
My husband has refused to consent because he's not happy with the approach taken, and he feels it's completely inappropriate to request his medical history and take that into account, when my medical history hasn't been taken into account and I'm the patient. I was even told my medical history hasn't been taken into account because it doesn't eliminate the risk of pregnancy. While this is true, the GP shouldn't even consider prescribing contraception without making sure it's suitable.

As a HCP would you not take a patients previous history and personal situation into account? Would you not take into account the fact that a patient hasn't had a pregnancy since 2013? That they only came off long contraception in 2022 after their husband's diagnosis? Would you not take it into account that they am happy to have a conversation and discuss the risks and go through their history? Would you choose to work collaboratively with a GP to try and get a patient to agree to contraception when they've requested to speak to another GP?

Would you go against NICE guidelines that state a patient must be informed of risks and advised to go on effective contraception, without actually having a conversation with the patient about why it's seen as too high risk to follow the guidelines? Would you hide behind a pharmacist and deliver all of these messages via her?

Would you agree to prescribing long term contraception with no appointment to inform a patient of the risks or without assessing their health to see if the pill is suitable. Because before my GP withdrew the "option" of the pill because I'm "refusing to engage", he was going to put me on a pill I cannot take due to one of my medical conditions. He didn't withdraw the option of a pill because of my health, he withdrew it because I won't comply.

After the last couple of days, it's no longer complaining because he's refusing to prescribe. It's complaining because of the lack of communication and the refusal to see me as anything more than a uterus. He obviously cares more about risks to a hypothetical foetus than he does about risks to an actual living patient. Because if he did care about me as a patient, he wouldn't have even considered putting me on the pill without checking my records and assessing me to make sure it was safe.

I mean, I take my wedding vows seriously, so really wouldn't. It's also incredibly insulting and inappropriate for the GP to refuse to have a conversation with a real patient, who has a real medical condition, and needs a real solution, because he's too focussed on a hypothetical affair, that could produce a hypothetical foetus, who could then be diagnosed with a hypothetical birth defect, resulting in a hypothetical termination, or hypothetical disability.

I'm guessing you haven't read the whole thread. The GP has claimed there is no such thing as infertility, only sub fertility. I was then told that even if my husband is "sub fertile" I could still get pregnant by another man.

So yes, both have been said

Yes, I was told I could book an appointment in 3 weeks. I agreed to book the appointment. But yesterday, the pharmacist (who the GP has made deal with this as he's too busy) told me the GP has since said he's not going to see me and won't pass this onto another GP.

Instead he's going to work collaboratively with a different GP because I'm "refusing to engage". I cannot get an appointment regarding this at all. My requests are just refused because I won't accept the contraception and therefore the risk of pregnancy is too high. He won't consider other options so no waivers, no alternative meds, no contacting neuro and telling him to prescribe as he doesn't feel comfortable doing it.

I'm complaining because every avenue to do anything other than go on the contraception he has approved has been blocked off.