Prove my ID after 30 years!

[Ladyof2022]

I've been with the same GP surgery for over 30 years. Obvs over that time all the GPs and other staff have met me at least once and mostly several times. During that 30 yrs I have not changed my name and for the last 25 years have not changed my address.

I phoned reception last week to request a repeat prescription of a preventative drug I take to avoid stomach ulcers whilst I take OTC painkillers. The receptionist said she will not authorise any more repeats until I prove my identity. I laughed out loud, and told her, I've been with the surgery for 30 years. Nevertheless she insisted. She said I must post or bring my passport or driving licence, but I have neither. In that case, she said, I must come in person and present myself to a receptionist. I asked how that "proved" my identity and she swerved the question and just repeated that they intend to withhold all my repeat prescriptions until I have come in to the surgery. My scripts include Ventolin for asthma.

AIBU for refusing to go along with this utter stupidity of having to "prove" (which I cannot do anyway) who I am after 30 years?

I think you’d be a bit U to deny yourself asthma meds to avoid a bit of (admittedly annoying) admin.

How do you get on having no valid ID??
Have you never been requested for ID anywhere before? I even need it to collect a parcel.

Would they have had an audit and found that they didn't have proof of identity for you (and others) on their records and they need to obtain them now so they can tick a box

Well it's a pain but presumably it's a new system they are bringing in because they've had problems with fraudulent requests for drugs etc.
So you could be a pain in return and refuse and not have your prescriptions.
Or you can minimise everyone's pain by complying.
You choice.

Just get on with it Jesus what a drama over nothing.

Everywhere I pick parcels up from they just want a visa etc card with your name on.

In our doctors you have to take in proof of address and official letters, every so often.

As irritating and inconvenient as this is for you, it's extremely likely that it'll be a one-off request and tbh I'm glad surgeries are putting in place anti-fraud measures. Don't take it personally, they'll be checking their records for all patients.

You're unlikely to win if you dig your heels in, don't make this the hill you want to die on (figuratively or literally!)

Well, I needed to re-ID for patient access.
They couldn't just send me the codes I'd read they could do as an option when they took over my old practice.

I asked them by email and they said I had to go in and show ID.
So finally I gave in and went in with ID.
Receptionist gave me a form to fill in which I then had to do perched on a chair (Think of that scene at the start of Men in Black) without anything to lean on.

So I took that back and handed over my ID. The receptionist starts to take it off to copy. Because they're not the person that does that. So I asked what they do with it. Oh they put it on my medical records.

Oh right, brilliant, because if it's on my medical records it'll be there for the last time I showed ID.
No. Not my medical records, something else they store at the doctors.
So then I ask about who'll actually process my data and where they'll store it in the meantime. Receptionist goes off and talks to someone behind a screen. Clearly I am now being very difficult asking questions about how they handle my personal data.
They need to keep a photo copy of it for the person who does the "patient access records" as they're not available right now.

As far as I understand it, my ID is only verifying me to the person who sees me with it. The person filling in patient access with a photocopy of my data isn't actually verifying me. They have no need to keep a copy of it because the person who sees me with it, could just sign to say they've verified I am who I am. And I think that's what this NHS document says.

Presentation of documents
www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/identity-verification.pdf Page 14
a. the applicant attends the practice and meets a member of staff authorised to
verify identity by presentation of documents;
b. the applicant presents documents from the list of acceptable identity
evidence in Appendix 3 (typically a passport or photo driving licence plus a
bank statement). These documents must include at least one item of photo
ID;
c. the authorised person checks the documents for consistency and compares
the applicant to the image on the photo ID;
d. once satisfied, the authorised person counter-signs the application form to
confirm that this identity is known at the practice and recorded on the system.

And to add insult to annoyance, the data hasn't been processed yet so I don't have patient access still.

My previous GP said that my request for patient access also necessitated me taking ID, despite me having ID'd myself when I'd joined them many years before. And again that wasn't done on the spot, they copied my passport. Which to be fair I'm fairly sure they lost because of them managing to activate it only when I complained it'd been weeks.

My GP practise insist when you pick up in person prescriptions that you have photo ID every time - everyone laughs and say it's absurd and has never heard of it before but they do check.

I'd love to move to chemists doing repeats for us but apparent need GP surgery to create accounts/give us code for computer based system - it's a different system to relatives have in England - I've asked several times but the receptionists never actually do anything about setting it up for us.

If you can get there - I'd go along with ID and see if you can find out why it's a sudden requirement.

Annoying, but just get on with it.
Take in your birth certificate?

Cutting off your nose to spite your face a bit?

Well, you need the meds so you'll have to do something.

By all means challenge it and ask for the rationale for this, but you're going to end up needing to cooperate somewhere along the way...

If you changed surgery you'd need to provide ID anyway, so leaving this practice won't get you any further along (as no doubt someone will tell you to flounce out of there).

OP didn't say she doesn't have any valid ID. She said she doesn't have a passport or driving license. There is no law that says you have to have either.

I've always shown my bank card and a letter with my address on as ID. Birth certificates are also a valid form of ID.

They’re all going to ordering prescriptions online or the NHS App and they have to verify your ID to allow you access to these systems as they have personal info about you in them protected by GDPR.

So, yes you have to go in and prove your identity. If you have no photo ID, take your birth certificate and a utility bill or bank statement.

The receptionist must feel like a right tool for having to do this but something has obviously changed somewhere and they have to do it. Sadly, you’re going to have to grit your teeth and do it. What’s ridiculous is that (assuming your surgery is like mine) someone else can collect your prescription in person, yet they won’t take a prescription request over the phone. To me, that’s a real head scratcher. The meds are all on the system so it’s not as though the receptionist has to do anything more than click a button 🤷‍♀️

I mean you can refuse but don’t you need the meds? No proof no meds, your choice, but seems an odd stance to take and risk your health

That's why people need CIFAS. Because any sundry can pretend to be anyone😐
We had someone accept a parcel from HO with passports with their fucking credit card eith totally different by foreign (like us) name on.
Combo of no IDs and dumbass delivery costed us hundreds.
And don't let me start on fraud etc😂

Anyway, it's fully undersdable to re-id once in a while. I agree with the thought that they had an audit.

UK hostile environment policy catching up with primary care.

"Under the hostile environment, employers, landlords, NHS staff and other public servants have to check your immigration status before offering you a job, housing, healthcare or other support."

I don't know how that's hostile when it's normal anywhere tbh.
Only issue was that estate agents really are NOT in any way trained or had access to data, to check validity of docs. So ended up sometimes overly cautious

Just to add, there is lots of hostile things, but basic id and status check ain't it imho

Because that's what it was called by Theresa May when she introduced it @BosaNova , "The aim is to create here in Britain a really hostile environment".

Yeah, I just realised that it was that ride to "rid uk of illegals".

If you have money tied up in investments that you’ve had for year then you made find you get id checked before you can access it. I got my elderly parents to get new parents at an age of 88+ (and def not going to travel) and it has been v v useful when dealing with their affairs.

I imagine the receptionist / dispenser has probably heard all the excuses before. It's not that unreasonable to check someone's who they say they are before handing over a prescription for medicines.

Getting new paremts at that age must have been some task

😁