to think there is something very dodgy about this GP surgery?

[sparechange]

We've just moved, and very fortuitously, there is a GP surgery practically at the end of our road. Even better, it is the only one around here to do late appointments.

So I went in to register and was told that in addition to all the proof of address and entitlement (fair enough) I have to have a 30 minute consultation with a 'healthcare professional', in which they will weigh me, do my blood pressure and give me a health check up.

Coincidentally, I had my work medical that day, so produced from my bag a sheet showing all the things she had mentioned and more, and said they could have all this to save them the trouble. No, she said. 30 min consultation, or no registration.

I asked when I could have an appointment, and was told they take registrations from 8-1pm, Monday to Friday on a first come, first served basis.

I work about 45 mins away from home, and start at 9 and her advice was to take a day off.
Twice, I've been in at 8am, hoping that I could get seen first and just be a bit late to work. Twice, by 8:30, they haven't started the first registration.

So today, I've taken a morning off to get it done, only to be told they aren't doing any registrations today, but maybe I could come back on Monday.

Is this legal? I mentioned the process to a nurse friend, and she said GPs get £20 for doing healthchecks, so offer them to new patients, but to make it a condition of registration?

3 weeks later and still no sign of being able to get a local GP!

How strange. Do you have to pass the check in order to register I wonder?

I would speak to PALS, they are being pretty obstructive.

I thought it was normal to have a medical when signing up to a new practise. But registering was done and accepted letter came through before the medical happened. It wasn't a condition of.

There is also a very extensive medical questionaire to fill in, which begins by saying 'you might think some of these questions are very personal, but they help us better plan the services we can offer'
It then goes on to ask about sexual orientation, whether you've ever had a miscarriage or termination, whether you've given blood and 2 entire a4 sheets on alcohol and smoking.
However in this entire thing, there isn't a single question about exercise habits or the sort of diet you have, which are probably slightly more significant than if you are gay or straight when it comes to planning whether they need an on-sight physio

On-sight?! That would be good
On-site...

Just make something up and ring for a GP appointment. They can't refuse to see you if you've registered. I don't think the health check is set in stone and after that you can make an appt for the health check any time.

I'm not advocating wasting GP time of course. You might need some more pill or advice on some medical issue.

I had to have a new patient medical when I joined my surgery. It went fine and the nurse just checked my smears were up to date and my BP etc and chatted about what they offered in the surgery.

I'm married to a GP - as far as I know registration medicals are quite normal. The questionnaire sounds odd though.

Have you checked the website/leaflet. To check if hey say anything about their ethos? It could be that all the clinical staff have a particular religious belief or something which might affect whether or not you want to register. This is perfectly legal, but I'd find it off putting (and I'm a Christian!).

That questionnaire is weird and totally inappropriate- I have just registered with a surgery and it asked about medical conditions first, medication and then a few questions on diet/exercise/smoking.

Really odd and their idea of just showing up and then getting turned away three days in a row is even odder.

I think I'd find another surgery, personally.

Although I've found most surgeries want you to see the nurse for a completely pointless appointment when you register.

Normal where I am in Liverpool, I have had a few realities move house and helped them move/sign up for GP etc.

The bit that would concern me is the inflexibility if the appointments given, it doesn't bode well.

My DD has just had to change GP because there appointment and drop in system is ridiculous, you would have to take days off work to just be able to get anti biotics.

The health checks are in line with "prevention being better than cure" and the GP can plan future services easier.

The standard process for registering with an nhs surgery can be found here www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1095.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=158

I would write to the main gp or the person that is in charge of the surgery and tell him/her/them of the problems that you have been facing with their patient registration policy. The fact that you have repeatedly been late for work due to their policy.

In all honesty you don't actually have to have a medical as your old gp notes will be handed over to them, however it is becoming increasingly common for surgeries to ask that patients have a medical done often by the practice nurse as a part of their new patient registration process. A faff I know!

Dingdong
The problem is I cannot register without seeing them for this medical.

The process is you go in, tell them you want to register. They give you a big form, plus the standard NHS form, and tell you you need proof of address and eligibility.
You are then told to take a ticket and a seat and you will be called for your medical.
They won't accept the registration forms at reception, and and beyond going in every day and hoping they have time to see me, I can't imagine how I will get seen, based on recent experiences

Medical check alongside registration here. We (2 adults 3 teens) were meant to have the check first, then papers sent home to confirm registration, but due to us dithering around and not being able to come along all for our checks together in that first week we all ended up registered before the health check.

Very relaxed attitude from receptionist.

I had a similar experience when we moved house OP.

The local centre insisted I had a similar medical when I went to register.

But they couldn't give me an appointment, because the computer wasn't releasing any for medicals that day. I rang back the next day, as asked, and was told the same thing and asked to ring back on Monday.

Which I did. I was too late (at 9:15am when I finally got through) because the computer had released some appointments but they were now full. Ring back on Wednesday.

Rang back on Wednesday, computer had released the appointments on Tuesday and I had missed them. Could I ring back on Friday?

This went on for four weeks and then I register at a different surgery, with a form that took the most basic details of name, address, contact numbers, DOB and any pre-existing conditions they might need to know about for the sake of repeat prescriptions. Took two minutes, no medical required. Appointments are usually same day and they are open 8am-8pm every single day, seven days a week, including Christmas Day etc.

I worked for the NHS for six years. Nothing surprises me, on the pen pushing side of things at least.

You are doing what we called the NHS Shuffle.

HTH.

A GP'surgery that is open 8-8 7 days a week including bank holidays and same day appts? WOW. Are you in the UK?

The local PALS team passed me to England NHS choices (or something like that!) who said that it sounds 'far more rigorous' than anything the NHS requires them to do at registration.

When I said that it means that anyone working would need to take a half day holiday to just register, and he said without prompting 'that assumes you can take holiday. Teachers would have a problem'

So they are going to look at the 'reasonble-ness' of the policy, and I think I will try and find another practice that will actually let me register without using up all my holiday!

I was offered a health check by a health care assistant when I first registered but I declined it. It wasn't compulsory. I don't need one, I've got a medical history and various repeat prescriptions that I have to discuss with the GP.

At my old GP surgery my DH got really annoyed when he was told they only do registrations at 3pm on a Wednesday. He said that he had to take a day off work just to register, they said yes. It's ridiculous. My new GP let us register any time.