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!

Yellow, ds is never 100 % well. We are abroad visiting my family. If I waited for ds to be completely we'll I could never go.

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.

Wouldn't you just explain the situation to the local doctor who would then get in touch with your son's GP or consultant? I assume they could pass on test results to a medical professional in another country?

Do you have travel insurance?

Yes we do have travel insurance

I had a telephone appointment and got results while I was abroad and they knew I was, because that's why it was a telephone appointment?!

You seem to not be listening. Your son needs to be seen by a local doctor, he is not the responsibility of your NHS GP whilst abroad unless a local doctor makes contact.

I'm confused now. Did you want the test results or a prescription?

Can you even post prescription medicine without any restrictions?

I find it potentially unlikely a package would make it across a border to the end recipient

I want the test results and possibly a prescription

I am listening, I understand what is expected of me but I think the rules are wrong in complex cases like ours.

There is no way I'd prescribe antibiotics to a child based on a phone call with their parent and an old sputum sample, no opportunity to physically examine them, knowing that they were going to be posted to a foreign country so there would be a delay in getting treatment. Especially not a child with ongoing health conditions, but not anyone, child or adult. It wouldn't be covered by my indemnity insurance, but regardless of that I wouldn't do it. Not safe.

The rules are not wrong, they are there to protect your son who has not been reviewed recently. It would be negligent to prescribe based on that sample without assessing him in person again.

I am not a medical person. But I think a patient with complex needs and condition does need to be seen in person by a doctor before a decision regarding prescription and treatment can be made. Otherwise mistakes could occur and who'd be to blame. The doctor of course. So I expect that's why the rule is in place.

I've gotten test results overseas while on holiday. (I wasn't sick; I was pregnant and had tests done before we left for a month.) There were no issues getting the test results.

If you're a permanent resident of the UK, you should still be able to get your own medical information from your GP if you need it. It's not like she's a medical tourist; she lives here!

I agree with OP. The rules seem a bit over the top.

Leaving aside the (I think reasonable) rules, why would an old sputum sample indicate his current infection status? What about the possibility that another organism is causing his current symptoms? He sounds like he needs a physical assessment.

That's not a simple dosage question.

That would be having a new assessment, doctor deciding if contacting your GP and asking for results of old sputum sample was enough or if they wanted more new tests done.

Which is why you have travel insurance and why your GP makes you see a new doctor abroad rather than trying to give distant advice over the phone when they can't actually see you.

If your son hasn't responded to the antibiotics then you should be taking him to be physically seen by a doctor at your current location. The infection could well of progressed. This is what insurance is for.

A GP can not be expected to prescribe medication without physically examining the patient.

I think the rules are wrong in complex cases like ours.

Your child needs to be seen by a doctor before any new medicine is prescribed. While it might be a pain for you to go and see a local doctor, it is to ensure your son gets the best care and the UK doctor isn't prescribing without seeing the patient. It protects your son and your doctor. The rules are bang on.

I'm a doctor. The question of whether you are in the UK or not is a slight red herring. Agreed with most previous posters though, that a travel insurance system is precisely for this purpose, even with chronic diseases.

The primary reason that your doctor is not safe to diagnose over the phone, is that they need to see your child to examine and take a history. To do otherwise would be unsafe and unethical, even if you do think the system is wrong. The lack of indemnity is for a reason.

It would have been sensible for you not to travel at the time of an acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis (awaiting confirmation of sputum microbiology), especially if flying.

Hope your son feels better soon.

PPs have it. Local doctor will contact your consultant or GP for the background and then make the local decision. It's not actually that difficult, but it's an inconvenience to your holiday. Or is it that DS is not actually insured due to his health conditions and you're worried about the bill? Your other option is to go home and get the NHS care you want, in the country in which it is provided.

Three health professionals in the U.K. were happy for ds to go away on holiday.

Well if he needs more ABs, then surely you will need to see a local doctor anyway.

I feel for you. It's awful having complex conditions and never being able to have real holidays. I think a phone call isn't asking too much actually. You should be given special consideration as per your highly unusual circumstances.

I have a ds with a complex genetic disease. We don't get to go on vacation much. And when we do, i seem to spend much of it explaining ds' condition to local doctors when he gets sick (which he often does). I completely feel for you.

Having said that, I communicate with my ds' geneticist by email mostly. He (and I) prefer that. I am in the USA and that seems to be allowed. Would you be able to do that in the UK? Also, I ask to have all labs sent directly to me (in addition to the doctor). Is this allowed in the UK?

You should be given special consideration as per your highly unusual circumstances.

No. Everyone thinks that they deserve 'special consideration'. Neither is it 'highly unusual'. Do you know how many people in the U.K. have chronic conditions?
Plus, as explained by PP, this requires a physical assessment.