To think this doesn’t just mean new born babies

[User566666]

Ds2 came back from university but are practice currently aren’t taking new patients. I found this guidance 5.2 The Contractor may, if its List of Patients is closed, only accept an application for inclusion in its List of Patients from a person who is an immediate family member of a Registered Patient whether or not resident in its Practice Area or included, at the time of that application, in the List of Patients of another.
The receptionist has apparently told ds2
That It means only new born babies.

Eh?

The receptionist has said the guidelines which involve a practice being able to accept new patients when their list is closed only applies to new born babies not other family members.

The contractor may not the contractor must 🤷🏻‍♀️

yeah that doesn't state 'new born babies of current patients' does it - so YANBU - receptionist is wrong

well the receptionist is wrong. That is not what it says.

@RJnomore1

The contractor may not the contractor must 🤷🏻‍♀️

May only accept patients from the registered patient’s family though.

Perhaps it's their policy that they only take on newborn babies in this situation? Very annoying if he was on their list before and changed to be with a GP near uni.

'May' doesn't compel them to, it gives them the option to, they've decided they will only take on newborn babies as new patients

Still no obligation to do so so it doesn’t help the op at all

Where were they registered prior to University? They can be seen as a temporary resident - they don’t need to be registered.... the practice will get paid to see them.

As PP said, that's guidance which says they "may accept" which means if they as a practice are choosing not to accept patients other than new born babies, they have no obligation to.

That's how I've read it at least and it's similar in my area so I do think that's correct

So your ds unregistered from the doctor's practice your family use but now he's back from uni he wants to register with them?
Is there a reason he can't find another local surgery? If he needs an urgent appointment, he can complete a temporary registration form or call 111 for advice.

May, not must.

It’s irrelevant.

He was registered at that surgery but has regularly prescription so moved to the university one. His university is up north and we are down south so can’t really stay registered there for over three months unfortunately.

He university practice can still issue a repeat prescription electronically to a local pharmacy. Alternatively ask the CCG where is registering new patients locally.

It’s quite usual for oversubscribed practices not to re-register students (who are adults). They have no obligation to see as a temporary resident either.

The only other local GP is one that never answers the phones and appears to be not very good at all. I would imagine they are under even more pressure with the list of the other surgery being closed.

My DD is registered with a practice up north where she is at Uni, she doesn't change doctors when she comes home in the summer. My DD requests any repeat prescriptions electronically, and when it has been necessary seen a doctor as a visiting patient when down south

That clearly says "may" so it sounds like this GP practice has decided to limit it to babies only. He can register as a temporary patient at a GPS though.

The practice has said he can’t stay there and have told him they have started the process to de register him.

They shouldn't deregister him until he has registered somewhere else, but that happened to me too when I moved house (and they didn't even tell me). (I assume he's left at the end of his course now and that is why they've said that).

GPs really are a law unto themselves.

I think phoning the CCG is your only option OP.

If you have problems registering with a GP surgery:

call the NHS England Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 22 33
contact your local Healthwatch www.healthwatch.co.uk/

Complain to your CCG. They’re wilfully misinterpreting the guidance.

Thanks everyone. No he’s a first year but they have said anyone that leaves the area for three months must be registered with a local GP he won’t be back till mid September.

Get an online pharmacy set up. I use pharmacy2u - so much easier than faffing around with Drs surgeries/receptionists/queues in the chemist. Electronic reminder, click a couple of buttons and it arrives in the post a day or so later.

I think online pharmacy’s still need the GP’s approval unfortunately.