To think that government cutbacks shouldn't start affecting medicine/prescriptions for children?!

[StaM]

My child has had a throat infection since Friday. I've been giving her Calpol over the weekend; it's had little affect whatsoever.

So today i popped into my local GP and asked at reception for a prescription. The receptionist said my dd might not get one because of all the cutbacks. She then said i might be lucky because Dr. Stuart (made up name) is in, and he's normally good with prescriptions.

I honestly thought she was joking.

Is this a new thing. Are the NHS seriously making cuts in prescriptions for children now?

Totally disgusting.

Before antibiotics are prescribed they need to see the patient, I didn't think any GPs prescribed them without seeing people anymore.

What am i supposed to do then, MsElleTow? They won't take her tonsils out. Am i supposed to just let her suffer from tonsillitis then with no antibiotics?

I'm on a long waiting list to see an ENT for a 2nd opinion.

I honestly thought it was normal for a GP to not see every single patient before signing a prescription for them. How on earth are they supposed to see loads of people each day on top of their scheduled appointments?

They have to put some of that responsibility on to their receptionists, to find out patients' symptoms etc.

I don't think antibiotic resistance works quite like that, MsElle. It's more a case that misuse of antibiotics has increased bugs, resistance to them rather than people's. But it's not great as an individuial to have antibiotics if you don't need them.

OP - I really can't see a GP refusing to prescribe antibiotics "because of the cuts". That's rubbish. Your daughter needs to be seen by a GP rather than having constant prescriptions for antibiotics. I'm surprised you've been able to get prescriptions quite so readily tbh.

I've never come across a surgery where they will give you a prescription without an appointment - unless it's approved as a repeat prescription. My son was basically on antibiotics for a year. Every time we had an appointment. I would think they might be tightening up on writing out a script without seeing you.

I think i just got a bit worked up about it earlier. You're right. I should save my anger for when she actually does get refused an antibiotic - not when a receptionist says she might not get one.

I was just really surprised.

I think that either the receptionist thought you wanted calpol prescribed (some people do make appointments for this as children's prescriptions are free) or they are changing their policy 'because of cutbacks' to prescibe less drugs without seeing patients.

I would wait for dr to call and discuss it with them.

Just to support the OP and reassure her that she's not going mad, I've been prescribed antibiotics without being seen before. I had what I thought was the start of mastitis (had had it before) and it was 5.30pm on a Friday, described symptoms to GP on the phone, and she gave a prescription to the receptionist for me to pick up that evening. So it does happen!

It is not common for receptionists to hand over prescriptions like that, StaM.

Yeah, my dmum has a standing order for antibiotics as she gets regular chest infections, so just phones up to get them when she knows she needs them. Most antibiotics are very cheap, they wouldn't be the first thing that would get cut back on for financial reasons.

stam they don't give out antibiotics on top of scheduled appointments, those appointments include people who require antibiotics. You need antibiotics? Ok I'll book you in to see the doctor. Legally they are required to offer appointments within 24 hours. If you need to see a dr urgently and they don't have an appointments with dr or a nurse then they tell you to go to a walk-in centre.

what happens is the people with appointments dont get prescriptions and have to wait until they can get appointments, they have an emergency appt system, and also the pharmacist can prescribe some medicines for children for free, like calpol, nit treatment, fungal cream, saline drops, and so on

Yes but Zimba you spoke to a GP, not just to the receptionist. It think that's different.

Well, when DS2 was having frequent chest infections, around every 6 weeks, our GP advised me not to give him lots of courses of antibiotics. We always waited(longer than 3 days) to see if it was viral and would clear up by itself.

I saw midwife who said I had mastitis but when I rang gp surgery and told them they said I still needed to see gp or nurse practitioner to get a prescription.
My surgery have recently started offering telephone appointments but not sure if they give prescriptions or just advice.

In my experience gps will prescribe antibiotics to people with reoccurring/chronic conditions, so the ops dd may fall into that camp with reoccurring tonsillitis. I have 3 types of abs on my repeat and can order them when I need them, so I always have rescue abs in the house - important for me. My gp reviews it around every six months or so.

I think the receptionist shouldn't be saying that, even if there is any truth in it. It's not completely outlandish. I'm struggling to get a vital ab ATM due to funding, my consultant is doing her best but they are cutting down the recipients due to the cost. Not the same as a normal ab for a child though.

Hope your dais better soon.

OP - the situation you have been used to is very very unusual.

The practice will have a budget. Out of that they pay for everything, medication, staff, premises etc etc. They can earn extra for achieving certain targets in relation to controlling chronic diseases - asthma, thyroid, diabetes and so on.
What is left after everything is paid for is what the GPs earn.

So to just hand out prescriptions to people who may not even need them is tantamount to them pouring cash down the drain.

We used to get prescriptions for DS2 to have antibiotics for chronic tonsillitis without him being seen because he was going a couple weeks between attacks. Eventually we got them taken out (went private) but he did meet the clinic guidance for a tonsillectomy by then (e.g. more than 5 attacks a year, affecting his sleep, failure to thrive etc). The bloody things were still infected by the time of the operation despite 6 weeks on antibiotics.

He was like a different child afterwards.

OP good luck with your second opinion, chronic tonsillitis is miserable.

dd is

Alibaba
Not that unusual as several of us on this thread have experienced the same.

Thanks. Glad your child's better now.

I've been thinking i might have to go private too if this ENT appt doesn't have the result we want.

I thought prescriptions were from NHS? I didn't think it was a set budget for each practice.

gp's don't normally hand out presciptions without seeing the patient and antibitoics are not needed for sore thoats
Just actually shut up with your ignorance. How long do you think it takes to get a sodding apt. Not like you can juat waltz in there at any time. It's a bun fight for appointments. Poor thing. Op knows what she needs and quite rigtly asked for it!

No - funding is by practice, not centrally.

My local PCT no longer prescribes :

Gluten Free food
Spacers for asthmatic DC's to use with their inhalers
Excema cream unless it is steroid based.
Wrist and ankle strappings.
Dairy free Food.
Creams for nappy rash.
Paracetamol or ibuprofen for children.
Headlice lotions.
Threadworm treatments.
Indigestion remedies.
Urine dip sticks for diabetics.

And they don't even prescribe the full amount of hypoallergenic formula my severely anaphylactic to dairy DS3 needs - he NEEDS 10 tins a month according to the dietician. He gets prescribed just 6 of those a month.

So I have to pay for the other 4 cans a month. At a cost of £15-£18 a tin. For a 400g tin. When I'm on benefits. I spend £60 a month on hypoallergenic formula for him, and £17 a WEEK on gluten, dairy, soy, nut free bread for DS3 and my 10yo DS1, who is coeliac.

The bread is £2.48 a loaf, it's only a half loaf, with half sized slices, so DS1 needs 4 slices to be the equivalent of 2 slices of ordinary bread! Hence getting through a loaf every day to day and a half!

Headlice scare the crap out of me - to buy enough lotion to treat the whole family properly, it costs me £40! (DD and DS1 have very thick hair and need a large bottle EACH to soak their hair, and my hair is waist length and takes TWO full large bottles!)

There are many other things my PCT no longer prescribe too, that I have forgotten - the list fills an A4 piece if paper in tiny 11 point writing!

It's shit. They basically refuse to prescribe anything that costs less than the prescription charge unless it is a prescription only item!

Just actually shut up with your ignorance.

Do you mean to be so rude?

my drs have given me calpol / infacol / coleif etc etc on prescription.
(even calpol sachets if i ask)

they do however have signs up saying they do not give out condoms for anyone at all anymore...