To ask if there's another way I can get a prescription.

[LauraLorelei]

Long story short, I switched doctor's surgeries back in April to one that offers evening and weekend appointments as I thought it would be more convenient. I have a severely disabled DD and I need DH with me if I or she have an appointment. They also promise you can see a GP of your choice within 7 days.

However, in practice, those appointments don't exist. The prebookable ones on the website aren't there, if you phone they are already full, and phoning every day at 7 means an hour on hold before being told nothing is left. I've been doing it for literally months.

My problem is that they won't give me or DD our medication until we have been seen by a doctor at the new practice - and we can't get an appointment. So our medication is running out FAST. I have begged and pleaded with receptionists for a phone appointment, for a special consideration, but no one will budge. Obviously I do understand the reasons but it doesn't help our situation.

So I need to know if there is any other way I can get our prescription refilled? Mine was reviewed at our old practice not long ago, and DD's was prescribed by her paediatrician and gets reviewed by him when she sees him, so I know they both still suitable.

I know this is no-one's fault but stretched resources, but DD and I need our medication and that's what I'd like to focus on please.

The receptionists sound incredibly unreasonable. Do you have a emergency doctor at your hospital? You may have to wait a while but they can obviously prescribe. When you get to see your GP I would definitely let them know the issue you had or speak directly to the practice manager

Telephone and speak to the practice manager about they unworkable system. I guarantee they’ll suddenly find an appointment.

Ask to speak to the practice manager and follow up by emailing the same person. Good luck x

Practice manager or medicine manager. How long have you been asking for an appointment?

Private doctors can do this but costs quite a bit ....

You don’t necessarily need appointment with GP for just medication - reception should be able to do that/ask Dr. If not and you are actually running out and no other way then complain to Practice Manager as PP said - either they have an awful system or someone isn’t understanding what you actually need. Good luck!

They can give you a script and also book you in. Sounds very stressful

Ask for their complaints process. Lodge a formal complaint listing everything you have done to make an appointment or get hold of the meds.

Ask to speak to the surgery manager and explain the situation.

1. Practice manager - explain the situation and your inability to obtain necessary meds. They may be able to sort out an interim script and a proper appointment.

1. Private practice elsewhere - this may be costly just for the consult, but even more so for the prescription charges depending on what the meds are. Conversely if they’re cheap medications the prescription charge may be much lower; bear in mind some pharmacies add an extra fee for private prescriptions though.

1. You could try an OOH/walk in centre but you’ll have to wait a while.

1. If it’s so difficult to get meds at this practice (and you only changed because evening and weekend appointments might make your life easier - which they clearly aren’t) - change back to your old one?

See your usual pharmacist - they may give you an advance if you are running out.

Are you saying you haven't had an appointment since April? Some surgeries require new patients to have a 'health check'- have you been offered this? Why haven't you just booked any appointment?

I would go to the surgery in person and book an appointment over the counter. Saves hanging on the phone.

Can you email her consultant and ask them to send script / ok them writing script?

Are you under a community nurse? They can write scripts.

This is completely unaccpetable. Speak to someone senior ASAP.. And maybe move back to your old surgery.

Go fill out a repeat prescription form also

You can also email your consultant and explain what’s happened

Make appointment, DH needs to take some time off.

I have had a problem like this before - not being able to get to the doc as I work really far away. I asked for a phone call consultation with doc, he prescribed what I needed based on our conversation.

Speak with the practice manager, explain the situation and remind them of their duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people and by association their careers under the Equality Act 2010. Ask them to keep the next available weekend appointment for you. Hopefully this should work.

*carera not careers

My gp is like this you just cannot get an appointment!! If I need medication I've already been prescribed, I just fill out a request form and they issue a prescription in a couple of days.

Otherwise, could you or DH not turn up at the practice when it opens to book an appointment in person. This is honestly the best way to get one at mine. Not ideal with 2 kids at 8am though!

If you have been waiting 4 months for a night time appointment and are now running out of medication why doesn't your husband take time off work and you get an appointment during the day?
That way you will have been seen and assessed and should be able to phone for future prescriptions.
You should also complain to the practice manager about their system.

Thank you everyone.

To answer some questions, I had a health check when I signed up but they couldn't review the medication as it was done by a nurse, and DD couldn't come either. I was told to book an appointment online that afternoon once they had set up my online access and was told they always had loads, so I didn't think anything of it at the time.

When I got online I found this wasn't the case, and I also can't book a child's appointment online either.

Part of the problem is that I need an evening or weekend appointment so DH can come too. In an unfamiliar place with bright lights and other people, it's quite likely DD will have a meltdown and try to hurt herself or others. She's too big for me to restrain if I'm alone.

DH can't just take time off without giving six weeks notice - we will have run out in six weeks from now and I never dreamed it would take this long to get an appointment.

Thanks very much for the suggestions of talking to a practice manager, I will compose an email that spells the situation out and throw myself at their mercy.

Previously our doctors had a sit and wait system, where you waited for a couple of hours to be seen, which obviously was totally unsuitable for DD, so we just didn't see a doctor unless it was life threatening! I had hoped this practice would be the solution!

Can you switch back to the old practice?

Write to the practice manager. In the interim a private GP (££) or walk-in centre is probably the best option.

Are there no new patient appointments available either?
If your medication is on a regular basis, is it not on a repeat prescription? I get that they won't issue it til you've been seen, but is there a way for your old surgery to liaise with them?
When you say you've been calling for 'literally months', do your meds get issued for that period of time? (one of mine does, so it's likely I guess). Just wondering if there's a consultant at the hospital (if you're both under one) who could intervene too.
Bad luck OP, I can see how difficult it is.

I'm on my way to work so wouldn't have time to look at it until tonight but if it would be helpful for me to look at the email and throw in some legal wording re their legal duties to disabled patients then feel free to PM me.

Thank you so much everyone. I have emailed the practice manager now, so I will see what the response it. @AllyMcBeagle thank you for your very kind offer - I will let you know if I get a negative response and then I may need some legal wording in my reply.

Thank you very much.

Yes I did get a good stockpile before we left our old surgery, they told us to do that!

Just take whatever appointment you can get and have your husband call in sick.