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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think its ludicrous a GP surgery can prevent vaccination by...

265 replies

dameofdilemma · 25/04/2021 10:57

Deregistering a patient?
Dp has been deregistered (without notice or consent) for the offence of being too healthy - he hasn’t made an appointment in years so they just deregistered him as a patient.

He now can’t book for the vaccine (via NHS, walk-in clinic or GP) until he’s registered again, which could apparently take weeks as there’s a backlog (of fuming deregistered patients).

The reality is many won’t bother continually phoning the surgery (and being put on hold) every day and the vaccine roll out will be slowed. down.

OP posts:
maddening · 25/04/2021 11:13

Yanbu, however I think you can organise a vaccination by virtue of your nhs number?

Original poster
dameofdilemma · 25/04/2021 11:16

Nope - if you’re not registered with a GP you can’t book via NHS or go to a walk in clinic either.

You’re prevented from being vaccinated.

OP posts:
Sunflowergirl1 · 25/04/2021 11:18

They cannot de register you without getting in contact usually by letter. Is the address correct that they have for him?

Lots of patients are being de registered as they don't live in the immediate area any more. We had moved 15 years ago within the same area but suddenly our GP practice decided that due to population growth they would only serve their own area so drew an arbitrary line on a map a d we are 50 M outside it so had to find a new GP. As soon as the practice did that, the neighbouring practices had an explosion of patients registering and therefore had to do the same and kick a load out.

Absolute pointless exercise of churning patients as we all need a GP! However, due to patient influx..I ring at 8am for an appointment and get told I'm number 37 in the queue and have to wait an hour to be answered. As a result there are now huge queues outside in a morning which is really shit Covid wise

MyDcAreMarvel · 25/04/2021 11:20

Well that was stupid he should have gone in for an annual check up.

lurker101 · 25/04/2021 11:20

Did they not send him letters advising he would be de-registered? There is a protocol GPs need to follow to deregister a patient, and as I understand it GPs are paid based on patients rather than appointments taken, so it is more “profitable” for them to have healthy people on their books, so it would seem strange that he’s been deregistered solely for this reason.......

www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/managing-your-practice-list/removing-patients-from-your-practice-list

www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/privacy-notice/how-we-use-your-information/our-services/primary-care-commissioning/

PegPeople · 25/04/2021 11:23

@MyDcAreMarvel

Well that was stupid he should have gone in for an annual check up.
Why the heck is it stupid and why on earth would anyone waste the GPS time by going in for an annual check up when they didn't need to. It's already almost impossible to get an appointment when you do need one in many places.

Did you not get any correspondence saying he would be removed?

lljkk · 25/04/2021 11:24

Instructions how to register with a GP.

Binglebong · 25/04/2021 11:25

It might be worth using the NHS England helpline listed here. www.healthwatchhertfordshire.co.uk/advice-and-information/2021-02-22/not-being-registered-gp-practice-could-delay-receiving-your-covid

TheChosenTwo · 25/04/2021 11:25

Bloody hell this happened to ds and I. No need to go to a gp for a few years and apparently we were ‘ghost patients’!
I only found this out because I had to phone up about one of my dds and the doctor asked who else lived in the house and that’s when he told me.
We didn’t receive any correspondence at all saying we were being de registered at all! That’s the thanks you get for being healthy and leaving the sparse appointments for those genuinely in need Confused ffs 🤦🏽‍♀️

idontlikealdi · 25/04/2021 11:26

@MyDcAreMarvel

Well that was stupid he should have gone in for an annual check up.
?

Never been for an annual check up in the NHS system. Think my go would laugh if I tried to book one.

Pinkyxx · 25/04/2021 11:27

GPs have far too much power.

TheChosenTwo · 25/04/2021 11:27

I’ve never heard of an annual checkup either! Are you instructed by the GP to do that? I know someone who has to have an annual medication review but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of someone booking themselves an appointment for an annual checkup, do you receive a letter about this?

VisitingtheInfidel · 25/04/2021 11:28

At some point during the Covid crisis my husband has been de-registered from both the Doctors and the Dentists. Neither bothered to get in touch to warn him of this and in both cases it is apparently because he hadn’t been seen in 2 years. I’m ok at the Doctors because I’ve seen them recently and I haven’t bothered checking the dentists as my last check up was at the same time as his.
We’ve lived here for 25 years so they’ve got our address. They’ve also got our phone number and email addresses so no excuse not to contact us about it.

LaceyBetty · 25/04/2021 11:30

Annual check-up? Not a thing.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 25/04/2021 11:31

@Pinkyxx

GPs have far too much power.
They get financial penalties for not having 'enough' contact with a patient as they can't prove the patient actually exists. It is to prevent GPs claiming money for people/services that don't exist.

OPs DH woud have been informed a couple of time prior to being deregistered. It doesn't take much contact to update a patient's records and keep them on.

The GP has very little power in this!

FlyingBurrito · 25/04/2021 11:33

@MyDcAreMarvel

Well that was stupid he should have gone in for an annual check up.
What annual check up is that?

Maybe that's why it's hard to get an appointment when you're ill, all the slots are taken up by well people wasting the GPs precious time.

PegPeople · 25/04/2021 11:33

OPs DH woud have been informed a couple of time prior to being deregistered.

That clearly doesn't always happen though as previous posters have shown and clearly of he had been contacted he would have spoke to them and not been deregistered in the first place.

sanfranfibber · 25/04/2021 11:34

@MyDcAreMarvel

Well that was stupid he should have gone in for an annual check up.
What country are you in where this is a thing
Amiable · 25/04/2021 11:35

@MyDcAreMarvel what annual check up?! I have never been offered one, and I would be wasting NHS time if I asked for one! They are struggling enough with sick patients to deal with healthy ones!

Deregistering is however a despicable practise - they should at least attempt to contact the patient first.

daisypond · 25/04/2021 11:35

@MyDcAreMarvel

Well that was stupid he should have gone in for an annual check up.
No such thing as an annual checkup. There are ones at certain age points, such as at 50.
FrankButchersDickieBow · 25/04/2021 11:38

Well that was stupid he should have gone in for an annual check up

What?? And why would you even do this?

TheChosenTwo · 25/04/2021 11:38

@CuriousaboutSamphire that’s what the gp told me over the phone about not being able to claim money for active patients but I can most definitely say we received nothing about ds and I risking being deregistered for not making appointments for a few years, not a phone call, letter or email. We were absolutely not informed. If we were I’d have made appointments if we needed to, I’ve always got something I ‘could’ talk to the doctor about but nothing pressing enough to bother making an appointment for!!

TheChosenTwo · 25/04/2021 11:39

Glad to see that others don’t think check ups are a real thing! I’ve not heard of them before other than the decadely checkup at 40, probably 50 too! But I’m not there yet so haven’t had it.

TheVelvetiser · 25/04/2021 11:42

This is exactly what has happened with DH. He was de-registered without notice and even though he has his NHS number, the vaccine booking line has informed him that he can't make an appointment until he has registered with a new practice and his records have been made available. Apparently there is a slew of de-registered patients and the backlog is currently 4-6 weeks. DH has contacted our MP who has confirmed that this is a huge problem among his constituents.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 25/04/2021 11:43

@PegPeople

OPs DH woud have been informed a couple of time prior to being deregistered.

That clearly doesn't always happen though as previous posters have shown and clearly of he had been contacted he would have spoke to them and not been deregistered in the first place.

I'm never sure about that. I think it is often someone not paying attention to 'junk mail'or maybe telling their OHs that they hadn't heard anything for some reason. A GP has to tell you why you are being deregistered. It isn't an instant process, the GP has to show the NHSE (or other home country) who then also informs you.

You don't just get deleted.