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

[dameofdilemma]

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.

@MyDcAreMarvel

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

I genuinely don't know anyone who has an annual check up with their GP.

Ah. It seems I made a booboo about my native country (EU). It's every 2 years with GP for preventative checks, not every year unless health issues (which is why i made a mistake because my whole family had annual🙈). And it's twice a year with dentist.

Noone has reminded me to get booked in again, either they're still not doing them or they aren't bothered if people don't have them. They've just started a national smear test drive. I have my letter on the side of the fridge - must get on to it!

@Lancrelady80

They send you check up invitations at 40&45 I'm 41. Haven't received an invite. Assuming that's due to Covid. Didn't know it was something I could/should have.

Smear was due last April. Cancelled due to Covid. Noone has reminded me to get booked in again, either they're still not doing them or they aren't bothered if people don't have them.

NHS is not really geared up to pro-active preventative measures, there's not enough manpower or £.

I had mine before Christmas oddly that's something my gp did.

Stupid click bait title

Well I have no doubt that what you say is true.
But ofcourse they could vaccinate them. There is a local initiative here to vaccinate the homeless. So they can. Just wont.

It happened to my sister a couple of years ago too. No prior warning. Then a year ago she had a brain haemorrhage. Goodness knows what would have happened if she had had to reregister after that as she was very poorly and in hospital for weeks and incapable of organising anything. So yes, it does happen without warning.

You do not need to have a GP at all walk-in centres e.g. www.westminster.gov.uk/walk-vaccination-service-now-available-westminster
Please take along photo ID, if you have it. You don’t need to be registered with a GP to receive your COVID-19 vaccine.
Depending on where you live it might be worth looking at different sites and/or calling 119 for help, take NHS number and ID including DOB. If you post your council maybe others can help.

If your GP are being useless about re-registering and didn't even make contact to remove him from the books then join a different GP practice. They are not all so busy that they will take weeks just to register someone.

What country are you in where this is a thing

Annual check-ups are common in the US and covered by insurance. They're useful for checking weight, BP, lipid levels, med review, monitoring chronic disease, detecting CV changes, updating vaccinations, etc. It's hardly a waste of time.

The NHS check is at 40. That's the age when issues commonly start to develop (hence perhaps why the increased Covid risks for 40+).

It used to be every 5 years from 40, but no one I know has ever had an invite after their first.

I think the annual check happens in many continental European countries as well as America. Think Australia, NZ, and Japan too?

It makes a lot of sense and I wish we did have it here. Preventive proactive healthcare, with early treatment where needed is the best approach. Lots of unnecessary suffering with people fobbed off with their symptoms dismissed as anxiety or 'hormonal' (particularly happens to women according to research).

Diabetes and hypertension are both sometimes referred to as silent killers. Symptoms aren't always obvious particularly earlier years. Thyroid issues are another often overlooked or misdiagnosed as mental health problems.

Then there's women's healthcare. So many gynae issues are downplayed or outright dismissed. Many GPs including female ones still know very little about perimenopause and menopause. And there's been many posts on MN over the years from women who struggled and suffered for years to get symptoms for issues like endometriosis taken seriously.

Other countries start their mammogram programmes younger and they do cervical cancer checks annually. Is it any wonder why the UK has one of the worse cancer survival rates in developed world. Too often we diagnose too late.

So, yes, we're not given annual checks on the NHS - but we really really should be offered them.

@MyDcAreMarvel

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

It’s stupid wasting a GPs time for no reason especially in an already overwhelmed health system.

OP hasn’t mentioned his age but I’m assuming he’s not old given he’s only sorting a vaccination out now. Fair enough if he was old were having an annual check up wouldn’t be a be a complete waste of time.

NHS health checks begin aged 40 and are offered every five years. They haven't been a priority during Covid. Some practices don't sign up to them at all.
People on certain meds and with certain conditions should be reviewed with bloods, bp etc annually, but otherwise no way. There aren't enough appointments for poorly people!
Practice nurse.

The UK way is a false economy (and causes a lot of unnecessary suffering). We end up only getting diagnosed when it's at a serious stage - often requiring more treatment (with less chance of success and more invasive than it might otherwise have been).

I often wonder quite how uncommon some supposedly rare conditions really are. Particularly the ones affecting women.

It used to be every 5 years from 40, but no one I know has ever had an invite after their first.

I was offered another one just before I got to 45 but I don't know if that was because I'd ignored the first one.

Dev "I'm not saying it should be compulsory, but maybe more surgeries offer this and people aren't aware. Hence, check your surgeries."

Fair enough.

Unfortunately our surgery is the type who is more likely to hassle you into tests or meds. They tried to get mum on preventative statins because she was borderline. It gets tiring saying "no", they forget patients have choice.

At the same time, my father had to battle to get physio that he actually needed and really benefitted from when they finally referred him.

I think it's a lottery by individual surgery really.

I think it is high time we started questioning the British system of health care where you have to register with a GP in order to access other services, and people were in trouble if they were not registered or fell out with the GP. In France, you can see any GP or see a paediatrician or specialist without referral. Britain is unique in having free health care, but would paying a small fee (according to income) be better if it gave us more control?

@Tealightsandd

The UK way is a false economy (and causes a lot of unnecessary suffering). We end up only getting diagnosed when it's at a serious stage - often requiring more treatment (with less chance of success and more invasive than it might otherwise have been).

I often wonder quite how uncommon some supposedly rare conditions really are. Particularly the ones affecting women.

This is so interesting.remember the polypill that was suggested once for over 50s? Our surgery are obsessed with prevention and would happily put everyone on that.

I think there's one partner who dictates policy.

I am not a registered patient of a GP (in England) either as I was de-registered as I hadn't been for so long. Actually the reason I hadn't been was on the 2 occasions in the last 15 years when I needed to see a GP it was urgent, their appointment waiting times were so long I went private.

However I booked a vaccination with my NHS number even though I don't have a GP. Try here

@JER27

I think it is high time we started questioning the British system of health care where you have to register with a GP in order to access other services, and people were in trouble if they were not registered or fell out with the GP. In France, you can see any GP or see a paediatrician or specialist without referral. Britain is unique in having free health care, but would paying a small fee (according to income) be better if it gave us more control?

It's only free at the point of access. What good would an additional fee do? What do you think it could be used for? Especially if according to income. What control would it convey? And, if by income, wouldn't that set up a 2 or 3 or 4 tier system, the haves get better 'control' than the have nots...

This usually happens because people haven’t updated address/ phone number and they can’t contact you. Lots of people move abroad and they remain registered so it is necessary. If they had the correct details they should have contacted you, usually you’d get a couple of letters so in that case I would complain. If they’ve contacted you it will all be in your notes.
It’s standard practice at NHS dentists to de-register if you don’t attend for a year and is usually in their terms and conditions. You’re expected to go for routine check ups if you keep missing them they’ll give your a lot to someone else as NHS places are so limited and many of us can’t get one!. If you remain registered with them they also have to provide you with urgent and out of hours care which becomes increasingly likely if you don’t attend check ups

I don't think free at point of access is as unique as many people in UK seem to think... If I am completely honest, I think it was hammered into people to make them stop complaining.

@iklboo You don't get that this isn't a service offered by the NHS do you? A GP wouldn't book you in 'just in case / just for a check up' annually or otherwise. And a lot of people can't afford private healthcare insurance. It's not irresponsible', it's not there.
Maybe this is specific to my GP then, admittedly I have been registered with the same GP for nearly 20 years.
Every over 18 is encouraged to book an annual health check. They don’t send out invite but there is a poster and you are verbally reminded of you have an appointment for something else. The check is either with the GP or nurse depending on if you have pre existing health conditions.

On the matter of annual check ups. I was offered one at 40 and have been offered one each year since (currently 44). Got my next one next week, in fact. I’m in London.

@BackYardBetty

On the matter of annual check ups. I was offered one at 40 and have been offered one each year since (currently 44). Got my next one next week, in fact. I’m in London.

Must be your particular surgery (which sounds very good!). No one I know (London) has ever had an invite (other than the one at 40).

NHS annual check up 😂

I'd love to hear the reaction from my GP's receptionist if I phoned up asking to book my annual check-up.