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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To complain to the gp practice manager?

91 replies

LivinLaVidaLoki · 21/04/2019 16:34

I have asthma which is mostly triggered by allergies.
Every year from about March to September I take a nasal antihistamine. This is prescribed after trying various over the counter antihistamines and a couple of prescription ones. This one seems to be the only one that is really effective.
I still had a bottle left from last year so started using that in March but it was running out. Knowing it would likely run out over the bank holiday I called the prescription clerk at the gp to order a repeat on Monday last week (it takes 3 days). I went to the pharmacy yesterday to pick it up and it's not there.
I called the gp surgery who said it had been sent to the doctor on Monday but not actioned as it's not on my repeat medication list.
I explained that I've always had it on repeat and she said that as I've not had it since September it has been removed from my repeat list.
The receptionist was very helpful and said she would take it up with the gp on Tuesday.
I bought some clarityn to try and take the edge off, but I feel lousy. I feel stuffy and tight chested and just generally shit on the nicest weekend we have had.
I just feel that all this could have been avoided if someone had called me to let me know about the problem with my prescription so I could try and fix it but no one did and now here I am feeling wheezy and sorry for myself.

OP posts:

CherryPavlova · 21/04/2019 18:12

If it’s Beconase nasal spray, it’s available over the counter from a pharmacy.

memorial · 21/04/2019 18:13

Please don't call 111 for a hayfever scrip. They will be inundated. It will delay a palliative call, a sick child, a septic oldie. No wonder the NHS is broken.

1990shopefulftm · 21/04/2019 18:21

The NHS had a horrendous system issue on tuesday so that could have contributed. Taking things off repeat when a patient hasn't ordered them in a while is pretty standard practice where I live.
The exact spray might be prescription only but a pharmacy can suggest an alternative in the mean time.
Your local ccg list will either have a no prescribe list openly on it or it ll be there somewhere just a bit tricky to find it. In future call the pharmacy before picking up a prescription, saves the hassle for you turning up if its not there and you can then call your surgery.

WrongKindOfFace · 21/04/2019 18:24

No hay fever treatments are prescribed at our surgery. They all have to be bought over the counter. Perhaps this is now the case at your surgery OP?

They’ve only stopped prescribing the over the counter ones. The prescription only ones can be prescribed where there is a clinical need. I’m sure if the op could get the medication over the counter she’d have done so already.

A polite complaint would not be unreasonable. They should have let you know if they were unable to do the repeat. Another patient could be seriously affected if they don’t get their medication on time.

Mistigri · 21/04/2019 18:25

I don't think it's unreasonable at all to let them know that their systems are not working properly. Nothing will improve if patients don't tell them what is going wrong!

memorial · 21/04/2019 18:28

If there is an issue with a life saving script I will ring the patient. Hayfever meds not so much. I am usually finishing off the scripts after a full days work at 8-9pm. Funnily enough ringing someone to have a chat about their hayfever spray is not top of my priority list. We are short a doctor and cannot recruit for love or money. We can't recruit a pharmacist either. We have just had our funding cut again. If you want to complain, complain to your MP and the health sec.

Mistigri · 21/04/2019 18:35

I've got a lot of sympathy for overworked and underfunded GPs but this seems like something that could be solved with a better system for renewing prescriptions for seasonal medicines.

Not renewing prescriptions results in patients having to book appointments which adds to workload.

memorial · 21/04/2019 18:40

The solution is people buy their seasonal hayfever meds. You cannot imagine the workload this ridiculous seasonal demand makes.

Mistigri · 21/04/2019 18:41

Presumably if the OP could buy her medicine OTC she would do.

Mistigri · 21/04/2019 18:42

this ridiculous seasonal demand

And speaking as someone who has had anaphylactic reactions to pollen in the past I am very glad you are not my GP.

memorial · 21/04/2019 18:46

Oh don't be ridiculous. The OP is not describing anaphylaxis. She's describing hayfever. We are talking of hundreds of scripts all wanted right now.
I am struggling to imagine what it is that cannot be bought OTC. I look forward to the OP returning to enlighten us.
And sadly I have many many rude entitled demanding patients making the job very much more difficult than it needs to be. And why we cannot recruit and are losing admin staff as well.

BlackeyedGruesome · 21/04/2019 18:46

It is not just hayfever though. It is allergies triggering asthma, which can be a life threatening condition if not controlled.

Complain. They should put a note on your files that it is for asthma.

Original poster

LivinLaVidaLoki · 21/04/2019 18:48

Hi sorry just to clear up a few points.
I'm not hoping anyone gets tarred and feathered I just want to illustrate that there has been a breakdown in communication and so maybe either something just went wrong or the process needs to be looked at.
Secondly, the antihistamine also contains a steroid and is only available on prescription. I tried several which did nothing and so my GP put me on this which makes a huge difference. I have been using it for 3 years and never had a problem reordering it on repeat prescription as it HAS been on my repeat list. However because I haven't ordered it since September for some reason this year it has been taken off.
And yes, I know its only an antihistamine but considering my allergies could potentially trigger an asthma attack then whilst it may not look like important to you it is to me.

I acknowledge I got it wrong with the idea of complaining to the practice manager, but I just want to highlight that for some reason my repeat has changed and I've not been notified and the consequences of this luckily have only been me feeling shite (which probably clouds me on this a bit) but could have been a lot worse, all because of a complete lack of communication.

Also, the receptionist could see my repeat list and so I'm assuming the prescription clerk could too. So could maybe have advised I may not be able to just get it rather than say "it will be ready to collect at the chemist in 3 days but just in case, give it 4 because of the bank holiday"

OP posts:

Mistigri · 21/04/2019 18:50

I agree it would be helpful if the OP said what the medicine is. I am guessing that it's not an antihistamine but a corticosteroid nasal spray - can those be bought OTC in the U.K.? I'd be surprised if that were the case.

Original poster

LivinLaVidaLoki · 21/04/2019 18:52

I am struggling to imagine what it is that cannot be bought OTC. I look forward to the OP returning to enlighten us

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/9450/smpc

Enlightening enough?
I get it, you are overworked and underfunded and constantly see people taking the piss. I get this, I really do as I feel an extortionate amount of pressure at work due to government cuts, underfunding of essential services and a multitude of other things. However I haven't been rude to you I don't see why you feel the need to be rude to me.

OP posts:

memorial · 21/04/2019 18:56

I'm not being rude. I'm answering your AIMBU? My answer is yes.
Complaints take a ridiculous amount of time. By all means tell them you think it could have been handled differently/better. Offer to help them figure out a way to do so...
Apologies dymista is prescription only. It is also blacklisted in a lot of areas so may no longer be prescribable. You can buy beconase/flixonase etc OTC and could have done so in the interim surely.

MaxNormal · 21/04/2019 19:01

@memorial are you as rude and condescending to your patients as you are being on this thread?

Original poster

LivinLaVidaLoki · 21/04/2019 19:02

Apologies memorial it's hard to convey tone here sometimes.
The pharmacist suggested clarytin as they didn't have any beconase but could order some in and would be there by Tuesday. By then I was just feeling a bit flustered so went with it after all they know what they're doing, right?
Like I said, perhaps complain is the wrong term I just think that this is something that could have been avoided by just telling me it's no longer on my repeat list so may need to see the gp or something rather than just telling me it would be there.

OP posts:

Fridakahlofan · 21/04/2019 19:05

I wouldn’t complain - nhs is under SO much pressure and so under funded - this doesn’t seem like a big enough deal to waste everyone’s time over. Sorry you have had a miserable weekend though!

memorial · 21/04/2019 19:10

Max sadly yes nowadays. After 20 years with another 20 to go. The job has become unpleasant and unsustainable. Which is a shame as I am a good experienced GP. And I love the actual job.
Livin apologies I do actually get your frustration I really do. The sheer number and complexity of scripts and the constant scrutiny from all quarters makes them an impossible task. I am really not sure what the solution is this is an area we discuss on a regular basis.
The word complaint got my back up. We have to deal with them through an excruciating formal process and report them all at end of year. Tell them by all means. I really have no idea what the solution is. What seems a quick phone call to you multiplied hundreds of times is admin and medical time we just don't have.
I think people don't realise how precarious NHS GP is currently.

BarrenFieldofFucks · 21/04/2019 19:12

Complain may be the wrong word, but it may be worth mentioning that the system is flawed/failed here.

memorial · 21/04/2019 19:12

And yes pharmacy are supposed to be our saviours but we are this poor advice all the time. OTC flixonase plus clarity spray would have given you a better response I think.
Believe it or not we don't actually want people to suffer and nothing is done vindictively

Raspberrytruffle · 21/04/2019 19:14

OP my gp surgery does this, if you havnt ordered it in a while it gets removed to save money, yabu to complain op it's the NHS under extreme strain. I make sure I order it every month regardless so it doesn't get taken off my prescription list

Chouetted · 21/04/2019 19:19

I make sure I order it every month regardless so it doesn't get taken off my prescription list

????????????

But that costs the surgery more money!

WrongKindOfFace · 21/04/2019 19:19

They could have sent an automated text asking her to ring the surgery to discuss? Then reception could have passed on the info and either booked an apt or passed the details to the gp? Not doing anything hasn’t saved any clinical or admin time as the op is still going to have to contact the surgery and possibly attend an appointment to get the repeat reinstated.

Maybe don’t mention the word complaint if that will trigger a formal process? Feedback instead?

OP the pollen has been brutal the last few days so I do sympathise. I’ve had to use my inhaler for the first time in months - delightful snotty, wheezy mess here.

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