GP can't give medical advice on phone while patient abroad?

[DorothyL]

Just phoned my gp - we are on holiday abroad but ds has ongoing health problems.
I was told that I could not be given medical advice while we are abroad ? Does anybody if this is right? I just wanted some advice regarding his medication.
Am rather baffled!

It's not fair to blame the Doctor or the NHS for this though, no matter how frustrated you are.

I don't blame doctors, I do blame the system

I really don't understand why you expect to be covered by the NHS while you're out of the country.

I understand your frustration but I think you are expecting a bit much there!

Can you contact a medic wherever you are and give them the contact details for your usual GP/Consultant? They may speak to a colleague or provide details that could be helpful.

I have a child with complex medical conditions. I am assuming the medication in question was prescribed before you went abroad so can't really understand how a dosage query suddenly crops up while you are away.

I can in a way see why you're annoyed. I didn't know there was such a rule. But now it's been explained. For what it's worth I don't think I'd dream of phoning my GP for advice if I was out of the country or even on holiday in the country. I'd see a doctor abroad or a locum where I was staying.

Because ds doesn't stop being these doctors' patient just because we're on holiday! And it should be possible to get advice from people who know about his condition, not to have to talk to a completely new doctor who most likely never even heard of ds's condition and who doesn't know his medical history.

Starfish, ds has bronchiectasis (chronic lung condition) amongst other things.
Before we left a sputum sample was given and antibiotics prescribed because ds was struggling.
Now the course of ab's is finished but ds is still not right.
So I would have liked to find out the outcome of the sputum sample? Whether to continue with ab's or not? If yes, MIL could have organised sending prescription over.
The doctor knew we were going on holiday.

thats more than just a quick dosage question

Fine but it's a question a local doctor can't really answer either.

if hes still not right then i would get him seen

So contact your travel insurance helpline to sort you out some local assistance?

But if I could be told the result of the sputum sample then ds could be given targeted treatment, instead of broad spectrum ab's local doctor would have to give without knowing the detail.

Would an NHS GP really write a prescription which he knew was going to be presented at a pharmacy in a foreign country?

Because ds doesn't stop being these doctors' patient just because we're on holiday!

Yes he does, if he has left the country he is not their patient currently. You don't seem to understand that if something went wrong, they could be struck off, ie have no career or job. Why should they risk all that?

Can you ring again tomorrow for results? Don't mention being abroad.

So you inform the local doctor of the contact details you have for the UK doctor. The local doctor can contact UK (though will charge your travel insurance company for the time spent so doing), the UK doctor will be able to give the local treating doctor the info, and the local doctor will prescribe, without risking their home, career, and livelihood.

Lost, Mil could collect from U.K. Pharmacy and post

Of course I wouldn't expect doctors to do this if those are the rules, but I think the rule is wrong.

Can a pharmacy in France, for example, accept a prescription written by a doctor registered and working in Britain?

MIL could have organised sending prescription over

so you went on holiday with a sick child?

go see a local dr. explain everything and they might be able to contact your dr at home for the test result.

Because ds doesn't stop being these doctors' patient just because we're on holiday!

Actually he does ,temporarily. That is exactly it.

So you inform the local doctor of the contact details you have for the UK doctor. The local doctor can contact UK (though will charge your travel insurance company for the time spent so doing), the UK doctor will be able to give the local treating doctor the info, and the local doctor will prescribe, without risking their home, career, and livelihood.

This seems a good compromise, if possible.

You can probably phone your GP receptionist and ask for the sputum sample result over the phone.
Deciding whether to prescribe another course of antibiotics isn't a quick 2 minute dosage question! A doctor would need to find out about his symptoms, examine him, make a judgement as to whether he has an infection still, whether it is bacterial, which antibiotics are best.
See a good local doctor. If you can't obtain the sputum sample result yourself the local doctor has the option of seeking the result.

Sorry you're planning to ask your mil to post controlled drugs?

Surely you can be given the sputum results over the phone? Then you can take that info to a local dr who can prescribe appropriately