To ask if my GP gets paid for this?

[namechanger563]

I've received a text from my GP practice asking for my up to date height and weight measurements. Just to keep my record up to date it says.

I'm sure I read a few years ago the GP's get paid for every patient they do a height/weight check with. Is this still the case?

So is this text just a money making exercise or are they actually going to help anyone?

It is working though. They had to arrange to ask you and have systems to capture the reply and populate it into your record. Sure it saves time over physically meeting you but that saved time can be used identifying those that reply with data that given their medical profile.is worrying.

Most surgeries are running under resourced now, so anything where time can be saved and therefore spent on matters that need their clinical training makes sense to me.

BPs are fine too if people have a monitor and if they are reliable. I've got one but I'm.never entirely sure how accurate it is. We just use it as a guide.

I actually picked up a cancer based on a patient submitting a reply to that text. I noted a significant drop in weight and called the patient to check it was intentional, it wasn’t and they hadn’t noticed. One blood test later and it was clear to see something abnormal was going on. That text may have saved that patients life.

If you want to know what GPs get paid for and what targets they have to meet its all available via Google and the NHS websites.

Personally I think any extra monitoring that keeps me healthy is a good thing.

Would you expect to be asked to collect and input data and not get paid?

Our Gp has a blood pressure testing room off reception. Drink of water, comfy chair and test your own.

I know I am somewhere in the middle of the healthy weight range as I know what a bmi of 16/17/18 vs 24 looks like on me. I don't need to know my weight and it is more likely to be detrimental to my health to know it.

I work in GP practices, they are probably just trying to update basic stuff post Covid, for patients they don't see regularly. Does it really matter if they get a few quid for it? It goes into the practice budget not the GP's pocket.

You should be glad of this. Whether they see you or not they will get paid for each patient registered.

Is it really a legal requirement for the GP to have a record of your weight? What's the procedure for major changes? Who has the legal responsibility to keep that up to date? The patient or the doctor?

I know 3 people with their own BP readers - they’re not expensive, and a great way to keep a tab on a rather important aspect of your health

Yeah, I'm not going to buy one in a CoL crisis when my blood pressure has always been around 110/70.

That's a decision you can make. Others may opt to spend £15 and buy one for themselves.

What a stupid thing to say.

So it's nonsense for them to monitor certain ongoing conditions, but yet you're annoyed they don't contact you for a chat when it's not necessary.

I know everyone likes to bash the GPs but put a bit more thought into it next time.

I'm wondering too. They haven't bothered asking me in three and a half years. I don't know exactly but could give a ballpark answer which is quite different to what is on the record.

Pretty sure it will be included in the large salary they receive for not seeing patients 😉

What do they get? I was on their record for over 20 years when I wasn't in the country.

GP's can't win, can they?

Half the responses are annoyed that GP's are even collecting this data, and the other half are annoyed that they've never bothered to do it before

Ours has a height and weight machine in reception, and it does blood pressure too. Sometimes you’re asked to use it to update records. I recall during Covid lots of people found their weight (which was used to prioritise for vaccinations) wasn’t up to date.

I had one too, it’s invasive and I ignored it.

Our GP surgery and local leisure centres have machines where you can measure your blood pressure, also a number of pharmacies offer free blood pressure checks. As someone who only discovered my blood pressure was at hypertensive crisis level when I did my regular monthly check when at the gym, I think it is worth doing. I saw my GP and was on medication the same day.

I hope they are paid for the upkeep of records

I get paid to contact customers via email 90% of the time, does that mean I shouldn’t get paid op? And I work remotely not physically seeing any customers does that mean I shouldn’t get paid op?!

How funny they are only doing it as a risk assessment to establish your needs if there was any emergency/medications etc

Jesus some people need to take a day off!

You can buy a blood pressure monitor for under £20 to check it yourself at home or you can pop to most pharmacies who will check it for you.

It's important this is recorded on your notes for two reasons.

The first is that in the event of another pandemic situation those with high bmi are offered vaccines first. The same applies for flu jabs.

We are required to offer weight management (via an outside agency) to those with high bmi.

We don't get paid for just recording it.

Most people have bp machines or watches that do this now.

Saves on an appointment if you can do it yourself