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AIBU?

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Original poster

There is a major fault somewhere if a Type 1 diabetic gets told he doesn’t need insulin

96 replies

Bythemillpond · 15/05/2021 10:37

Bit of background We have been with this particular surgery for years.
Dh has been type 1 diabetic for even longer.

It has never been a great surgery.
The Google reviews are dismal. (Patronising, nasty and superior are some of the words used)
Dh has suffered at their hands particularly as he has used them the most.
He went to them for 6 months to try and find out what exactly was wrong. He was showing all the classic signs of bowel cancer and even asked if he had bowel cancer and was told not to look at Dr Google and scare himself.
Finally got diagnosed in A&E by that time the bowel cancer the doctors had dismissed was Stage 4 and he ended up losing his spleen.

In the last few years some one with dhs same name and date of birth joined the surgery.
This caused so much confusion and we found that this guy was handed dh’s medical file at one point and when he pointed this out the police were called on Dh to ascertain if Dh was who he said he was.

This other same named person moved areas about a month or so ago which meant in the surgeries eyes Dh had moved. (An Operation he was scheduled for was cancelled. Dh only found out when he went to the clinic to book in ). They also, we found out, told the dentist surgery next door that we used that we had moved so now none of us have an NHS dentist.
They really struggled trying to get their minds round 2 people with exact name (quite a common name) and birthdate but finally Dh had his name reinstated on the list.

That was last week.

Today dh was told when he went to collect his prescription of Insulin the pharmacist said the notes they got back from the doctor was that he didn’t need insulin anymore.

Dh is a Type 1 diabetic

He has enough insulin till Wednesday but he is now stressed that come Monday he will have to have another session of proving he needs it, then getting a prescription (which takes 2 days) and then being able to collect it from the chemist before his insulin runs out.

AIBU that these people should be struck off and aren’t fit to practice medicine if they don’t know that type1 diabetics can’t live without insulin.

OP posts:
HildegardNightingale · 15/05/2021 10:45

Honestly that is shockingly bad care. Complain, complain, complain. They can’t just withhold medication like insulin like that. Can your dh sit in the surgery waiting room today and demand his prescription?

I would raise a complaint with the GMC too.

LunchWithAGruffalo · 15/05/2021 11:07

That's staggeringly bad. Definitely one for a formal complaint.

In terms of making sure he doesn't run out of insulin, pharmacies can do some sort of emergency prescription. If he has a repeat slip somewhere take that, but even without I've had to take in the vial and they've been able to sort a replacement. In my case it had got left in the car when we were on holiday instead of being put in the fridge.

Hankunamatata · 15/05/2021 11:19

On the fence about name mix up. Extremely unusal to have two people with same name and exactly same dob. In our system the patients would be merged as only need two identifiers - name and dob.

I would make a formal complaint about insulin. I would contact the out of hours doctor today, explain the mess and hopefully get a prescription

Lovethewater · 15/05/2021 11:26

Complain and definitely change practice

Quisto · 15/05/2021 11:42

Re the insulin, call 111, they have a prescriptions dept and can send an emergency prescription to your pharmacy. A friend had to do this last week when her surgery messed up her prescription. Hopefully, they will call your surgery too, my friend was contacted by hers the day after this happened, when she had struggled to make contact with them previously.

SimonJT · 15/05/2021 11:46

The pharmacist can give an emergency supply of insulin.

It sadly isn’t uncommon for GPs to deregister type one diabetics/continually cancel our insulin prescription because we are expensive patients. I have had it happen to me.

girlywhirly · 15/05/2021 11:49

Perhaps in case of there being two or more patients in a practice having the same name and DOB, their NHS number would be a useful third identifier? I was asked mine at each covid vaccination.

Definitely officially complain.

Darkrainbow · 15/05/2021 12:00

It really isn't unusual to have patients with same name/dob or same full name/same address but different dob, I can think of several in my practice immediately. We have an alert which we activate to pop up whenever you access their notes with a warning saying to double check a further identifier to avoid mistakes, you have to actively override it each time. This is unacceptable. It's also unacceptable for them to of shared information about you with the dentist, letter of complaint to both practice managers though it sounds like the doctors practice needs more than that (& I say that as an HCP who doesn't take it lightly).

Cornettoninja · 15/05/2021 12:01

@Hankunamatata

On the fence about name mix up. Extremely unusal to have two people with same name and exactly same dob. In our system the patients would be merged as only need two identifiers - name and dob.

I would make a formal complaint about insulin. I would contact the out of hours doctor today, explain the mess and hopefully get a prescription

Sorry, but the system your practice uses is inadequate then. In some areas it really isn’t unusual for two (or sometimes more) patients to share the same first/last name and dob and any IT system used should be able to differentiate by NHS number.
Lonel · 15/05/2021 12:06

Can you not change doctor surgery? That is really too incompetent to put up with.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 15/05/2021 12:10

That is shocking.

Absolutely complain everywhere and anywhere.
I would be even writing to a local MP.

Hope he gets the insulin. How did someone look at T1 diagnosis and decided insulin isn't needed...fuck me.

Porcupineintherough · 15/05/2021 12:11

YANBU - complain, complain, complain - loudly and in writing. Or change practice as they sound pretty shit anyway.

bellropes · 15/05/2021 12:18

That is dangerously bad. I think they need reporting to CQC tbh.

Puntastic · 15/05/2021 12:18

On the fence about name mix up. Extremely unusal to have two people with same name and exactly same dob. In our system the patients would be merged as only need two identifiers - name and dob

That's madness. Wouldn't the two different NHS numbers alert the system to a discrepancy?

AluckyEllie · 15/05/2021 12:20

100% change surgery. It sounds like nothing is going to change there until management changes, and that could be a long time coming. They sound completely incompetent and uncaring. There is a lot of information on citizens advice about putting a formal complaint forward- writing to the practice manager makes you think it will just end up in the bin.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/health/nhs-and-social-care-complaints/nhs-complaints-who-is-your-complaint-against/complaints-about-gps/

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 15/05/2021 12:21

Basic Care: Name, address, date of birth. 3 ways to ensure the right person.

I would be reporting this practice as unsafe.

OrangeSharked · 15/05/2021 12:26

This is very muddled. They haven't told the dentist that you've moved because firstly GPS don't know who your dentist is, and secondly NHS dentistry is not area dependent. You can visit and NHS dentist in Truro if you live in Newcastle.

Was the operation at the GP practice? If it was at a hospital it wouldn't get cancelled because you moved out of area

I can sort of understand a name and date of birth mix up in the initial stages if theres 2 pts with the same name and dob

But why would they tell the pharmacy your DH doesn't need insulin? Thats just bizarre.Why would he need to prove he needs insulin, he's a type 1 diabetic? His notes will say he's a type 1 diabetic, would the pharmacy not question why a type 1 diabetic no longer needs insulin?

Just as a little side note if your DP is a type 1 diabetic and runs out of insulin he will have to go to A&E.

OrangeSharked · 15/05/2021 12:32

And why were the police called on your DH? I don't understand this at all tbh it's really bizarre

Eskarina1 · 15/05/2021 12:38

Please make a formal complaint to the CCG. These are really serious issues.

Re loss of NHS dentist, will they not take you back? This needs reporting to the ICO - the practice for providing incorrect information and the dentist for removing you without appropriate checks. Especially removing you and your children on the basis that your husband had allegedly moved.

Merryoldgoat · 15/05/2021 12:58

Why don’t you change surgery? Is there not another option? I would have left years ago - they sound dreadful.

Loubiemoo · 15/05/2021 13:04

That all sounds shockingly bad. Complain officially. It’s appalling!

OrangeSharked · 15/05/2021 14:02

@Eskarina1 an NHS dentist won't remove you for moving out of area. That part is bs

goose1964 · 15/05/2021 14:09

Something, less serious, similar happened to my hu. He was chasing up one of his meds and he was getting nowhere when the person on the phone told him that it wasn't prescribed for him and that he needed to check online to see if it had been ordered. He doesn't use an online pharmacy, but it was at that stage he realised that they were looking at my records. We have similar first names but I'm a woman and he's a man. Wouldn't that have been a clue. Report this as not all practices are as good as others.

HunterAngel · 15/05/2021 14:53

The pharmacy can’t give insulin if the doctor hasn’t prescribed it but they can look at his records and issue an emergency supply. If not 111 can write a prescription. I would definitely complain about it.

Original poster
Bythemillpond · 15/05/2021 16:12

Honestly that is shockingly bad care. Complain, complain, complain. They can’t just withhold medication like insulin like that. Can your dh sit in the surgery waiting room today and demand his prescription

They aren’t open. You can’t even go in the doors as they are locked Monday -Friday

The police were called as they had checked the other guys details and his identity was ok so it was was reported that Dh must be the imposter trying to get NHS meds
A friend who is a pharmacist but not in this area said that they would never just go on name and D.o.b as there can be people born on the same date and called the same name especially if it is a common name. They go on the NHS number.

When we called to make appointments for our dentist check ups we apparently had moved out of the area so weren’t on their books any more. We can only assume that someone from the surgery had told them as that seemed to be the source of all rumours that we have moved out of the area have come from.

Just to add this isn’t the first time this has happened and Dh has ended up going to A&E for emergency insulin

OP posts: