Registering with a doctor.. I give up!

[rockingbird]

I left my husband in the summer and moved away from the catchment area for our regular doctors surgery. I have an on-going repeat prescription for anti depressants and HRT. It's imperative I take them daily and I've always kept up to date with reordering via the Paydens app on my phone. I have been trying to register with a new doctor for 4 months, my medication completely run out 4 weeks ago and I had to jump through hoops in the chemist that emergency prescription was sent to via 111 and the condescending prescriber insisted having a conversation with me disclosing all my details in an open shop for all to hear - I felt so degraded 😕 Here we are 4 weeks in and I still have no doctors despite spending time calling NHS / Patient services and actually going into 5 surgeries I've been told to register at. I'm at my wits end. Surgery 1 only issues new application forms once a week at 8am on a Saturday, tried twice at this place dragging the kids up the road at 8am only to find a queue trailing the car park!! Both times by the time I got to the front of the queue no forms left. Surgery 2 refuses to accept new applications and tells you to ring NHS patient services. Surgery 3 happy to take your details and will contact you when they have a space come up but they have many waiting - more chance of a lottery win. Honestly I'm lost for words, same story every surgery I try. I've been on the phone most of the morning, promised a call back as the system is running slow blah blah I want to cry I'm so frustrated with all this. How has it become so hard?? Is this an isolated incident to my area or has anyone else had this sort of thing?? I'm contemplating signing up to one of these online doctors Simply Health where you pay a monthly fee but then I'll need to also pay for medication on top of that and I'm unsure of the costs of this outside of NHS prescribed medication 🤷🏼‍♀️

How very odd. I’m not aware of any of these problems in the city I live in. And I would be if it was happening.

This is probably your area, as it’s not in mine. Have you tried contacting PALS at all?

I moved this past July so had to go through registering with a new GP as well. Every surgery around here you register online, not by paper forms or calling? You submit an application via the surgery website and then after you’re initially registered, you download, print and fill out a form and take that plus photo ID and proof of address to the surgery and they confirm you’re registered and give you a username and password to access Systm Online for ordering prescriptions or load you on the NHS app to order prescriptions depending on your preference.

@Discovereads that sounds very organised and I could only dream of such service! Sadly in Kent this is not the case..

That’s horrible, I feel for you as I have essential medication as well.
I suppose if PALS can’t help you, there is always your MPs office. A staffer might be up to writing a surgery regarding your situation to get you registered. You are a person with a chronic health condition that requires medication and periodic review. You should be prioritised.

Have you tried looking online as that's how you register with my surgery. I filled in the application form, but didn't hear back. I emailed to check and I was registered, they just hadn't told me, so if you can find that option keep on top of the application.

Have you considered joining an online GP service such as Babylon?

I have considered an online GP but they will not do repeat prescriptions so pointless. Pals have called me back and asked me to approach another surgery taking new patients.. I've just called them and the phone lines have a message saying sorry our office is too busy to take calls please try later.. I fucking give up

@ifonly4 none of the surgeries in this area will accept online applications.

Babylon do repeat prescriptions- I've been using them for 2 years - they send me a prompt to go on the app and renew prescription, they then send me another message to say it's ready to pick up

The best thing about them is there are literally appointments all day every day and I had one at 11pm a couple of weeks ago

It's fantastic for me

Are you still listed as a patient at your old surgery? Could you make an appointment (a phone appointment?) just to get your repeat prescription. Would they give you 3 months worth in one go? You can request the prescription to be sent electronically to a pharmacy where you live now.

@LaurieFairyCake ooh I'll take a look. I'll do anything right now 😵‍💫

@rockingbird I sympathise with you. We had this problem 10 years ago whilst living in Birmingham. No surgery would take us. We simply lived without one. From conversations with opticians and dentists, it wasn’t unusual even then.
Do you have an out of hours clinic attached to a hospital you could use? That was our solution - along with a private dentist who would prescribe antibiotics to use at our own risk - so I always have a pack in.
we’ve since moved and have managed to sign up for a GP just never can get an appointment - so we haven’t really achieved anything progress wise. But online GP services and being able to order meds online and pharmacy services seem to currently working for us. Ok for adults - but really not great for children.

I had this in Kent (Broadstairs). I phoned the Clinical Commissioning Group for the area. They asked me which surgeries I’d tried. I told them and told them the one I needed to be in as it was the closest and I didn’t have a car. They gave me a number to call and the surgery (that had previously turned me down) registered me over the phone.

Have you tried Asda online doctors? They do a range of services including prescriptions.Its definately worth doing untill you get a GP.

@LaurieFairyCake downloaded the app.. sadly I'm not in the right area 😕

I was going to say you was in Kent op, cos trying to get anything dr related down here is a complete nightmare and I am registered!
Hope you get something sorted 🤞

Last place I lived there was a GP shortage.

We kept being directed to one 5 miles away and with no car wasn't practical - we found NHS people to contact about it possible - Clinical Commissioning Group can't remember.

Tired nearest one and receptionist was very dismissive - I wrote to the practise manager and was told there was no problem joining and took that letter along and insisted with receptionist who reluctantly let us join. They were not the best GP but as we had young kids were at least there.

Previous city prior to first pg - no GP practise would take us and we got nowhere and lived without.

Here it's NHS dentist - even 7 years ago there were none to be had - you either pay or travel to another city. There were three different quangos in charge of having list of NHS dentist - they all claimed there was one that took NHS on - when I got in touch which wasn't easy they hadn't for years - I wrote and told them all and was told they'd update their lists - which few years later hadn't changed.

If you haven't registered at a new place then aren't t you still registered at your old? I moved 70 miles and haven't registered at a new place but my old place still issues my recurring prescriptions (I'm diabetic).

Laughable update.. was advised to call a certain surgery who were taking new patients.. I finally got to speak to the receptionist who bluntly informed me new registrations were only taken on a Monday at 10am limited to 5 per week (there is 3 of us so slim chance) first come first served.. I politely said what if I work at that time ?? She put the phone down on me. 😳 I went back to the clinical commission group and spoke to the lovely lady for the third and final time to explain that despite mine and her best efforts I'm still without a GP or even a sniff of one and that I was now going to email the world and his wife to document my failure to register myself and my children both diagnosed with autism with a GP. Honestly I'm lost as to what our local NHS has come to.

They did for 1 month after taking me off the system but won't do so anymore.

Been reading your updates OP, what a nightmare! Keep pushing the CCG..you have an ally there and they may be able to intervene. I’m rooting for you 💐

When I moved in 2019 I went to the local GP's surgery & they said yes, I was in their 'catchment area' - I'd assumed all practices were run this way?

No they are most definitely not.. this afternoon I've escalated it via email and within the hour the practice manager has emailed confirmation that I can register myself and the children with her blessing. Doesn't solve my repeat prescription due early next week but it's most definitely a step forward. It's taken me since 8am to do this and my brain is fried 🥴

Oh my goodness @rockingbird Thank goodness you've got in with a GP..
Get your breath back & start again on Monday re the repeat precriptions.. good luck, sorry it's been such a FIGHT. :-(

I'm pretty sure your usual GP still have to take responsibility for you until you can register elsewhere. I wouldn't have told them I'd moved house until after I had registered with my new address.