GP surgery sent letter to deter us book appointment for toddler

[Watapain]

Today we received letter from Surgery saying that we have booked several appointments in the last month for our toddler who has been sick often and has got a recurring issue needing doctors attention. We should consider other alternatives and not see the GP.
This has really concerned us as me and DH never see the GP. I am fuming as they have sent a form asking us to sign an undertaking that we acknowledge the letter. We are not happy about it and to sign the letter.
Have you been through anything similar and how do we approach about complaining about it as the tone on it seems threatening that they are looking to remove people from their list.

And I quite appreciate that not all elderly are like that, and probably don't realise that there are other options, and just like anyone else could have something that really does give cause from concern. I'm not trying to bash elderly people here. But there are quite a few in my village that do treat the surgery like a social club!

I give up, I really do.
OK OP, don’t bother to have an adult conversation with the practice manager about this rude and upsetting letter. Go straight for the kill - MP, CQC, NHSE, in fact, why not go and camp outside number 10 till Rishi Sunak listens to your anger.
Meanwhile the GPs in the surgery can spend all those potential appointment hours dealing with the fall out. You all only have yourselves to blame when you can’t get appointments.
You may all hate me for what I’ve said, but I’m a GP and I know how it is.
And no point in having a go at me because I’m going to hide this annoying thread now, so you’ll be wasting your time.

To everyone who is saying this is just an admin error and I should just brush it off, how do you feel about a vulnerable mum who receives this letter and is too terrified to phone the Surgery as she's worried her name might be removed from the list? If something happens to the child, who'll take responsibility? I can't be the only one receiving this letter. It's wrong on many fronts.

MumblesParty the CQC and other health bodies knowing may prevent this from happening in this surgery (they won’t stop it just because OP complains) and other places

It’s not over the top whatsoever
It’s harming patient safety

Sure OP can have an adult conversation with the practice but I bet fuck all will happen
And regardless this shouldn’t be happening and health bodies should be notified MumblesParty

Oh dear Jesus - the hysteria and frothing on this thread is unbelievable. @Watapain i pretty much guarantee you’ve either got the wrong end of the stick or are making a mountain out of a molehill. Post the a picture of the letter (anonymised) and prove me wrong 🤷‍♀️ And as for all the posts saying go to the GMC etc, it really is unbelievable.

Then it is the gps responsibility to suggest and refer to social prescribing. Instead of rushing people out the door every week and acting like their the problem maybe spend a little more time getting to the root of the problem and a solution. This is how you save time and appointments in the long run.

How frustrating. I have been to the GP for my toddler many more times than that (he has an underlying medical condition that means minor illnesses need to be checked). I would be upset if I had received something similar. We wasted 3 appointments a few days apart late last year due to the GP missing tonsillitis. Eventually we ended up in A&E where they took one look at him and diagnosed (and the A&E doctor had no clue how the GP could have missed it). Sometimes it's the GPs own fault for multiple appointments!

I'd be amazed if that's legal.

Yep, totally agree!

In Wales we get sent text messages, questionnaires, used to get letters. These are some bright idea of central government which then filters down to health trusts and thus surgeries. I ignore them all.

These daft ideas implemented by our betters 🙄 do cause division.

Apologies that I haven't read the whole thread.

This is disgusting. I work for a GP surgery and it has to be something really horrific to get thrown off their books (we have just written to a patient to advise him to go elsewhere due to his blatant racism - this is the first patient in 8 years that I have known to be struck off our books).

Definitely contact CQC. They cannot be threatening you with this. We have patients who ring daily for appointments and whilst they are a pain in the bum we would never dream of striking them off.

Also contact your local primary health care network.

I would also write a letter of complaint to the practice manager.

I'm actually appalled by this. There are people that use GPs too frequently, absolutely. And GPs should be looking at specific cases to see what they can do (refer to MH services/Age UK/befrienders/social worker etc) But you have used a GP service because that's what you needed.

I would complain. And I would write to the surgery acknowledging you received the letter but you will continue to seek the most appropriate healthcare for your chold including the use of GP services. And then look for a new GP surgery. I wouldn't trust that if you ring for anything else they would take you seriously now as I think it might flag on their system that you're a frequent flyer or something.

And no - you should absolutely not receive a computer generated letter about this. GP surgeries cannot threaten to throw you off their books for using them too much!

If something happens to the child, who'll take responsibility? I can't be the only one receiving this letter. It's wrong on many fronts

Scarmongering.

You take your toddler to the pharmacist- they are good and deciding if your DS requires a doctor.

Yoi know working for the NHS the doctors are overwhelmed with patients that don’t need to be see and could go to the chemist - and let’s face it - most get a GO appointment to avoid paying pharmacy prices. they’ve changed the rules so pharmacies can now prescribe - well they could before!!

If they have concerns about you repeatedly taking your child to the doctor for no reason they should be raising a safeguarding concern with social services, otherwise you should be forwarding the letter onto the care quality commission for their attention.

My cousin who is a GP told me she had one patient who brought her child to the surgery at least twice a week- for vague tummy pains that never ever turned out to be anything at all. Calling wolf ...

It's disgusting. Go to the papers with this and the health ombudsman.

Pharmacies can only prescribe if they sign up to the new scheme.

The surgery I work for is in a town with two pharmacies. One is very big in this area. The other is a nationwide chain. Neither of them have signed up for the new scheme and, as far as we know, have no intention of doing so. Therefore if you go to them about wounds/uti and the other 5 things that are being promoted they will direct you to your GP.

We already do lots of signposting from the GP - to the pharmacy, urgent treatment centres and 111 (we rarely direct to A&E - if you are ringing your GP surgery about something it really isn't and A&E problem). 9 times out of 10 we signpost them, they are signposted back to the GP surgery and we end up with a call back from (very understanably) pissed off patient who has been passed around - just because we are all folllowing NHS Englands instructions. The whole system is breaking down.

So yet again the government/press are promoting something that isn't quite what is seems.

The frothing on this thread… all I can say is WOW

Our pharmacy is too small to have a room for diagnosis. It's part of the surgery building. I've asked for advice in the past, heard others asking. They always politely direct us to reception

which ones?

Of course, a letter should not be sent, but an appointment made to discuss the reasons why the mother is requesting such regular appointments. We of course have no idea about the previous history of the patient/mother either. There is probably more to this than we know. Or it could have been a mistake. It needs a proper discussion and explanation from GP/nurse/practice manager- and possibly, social services- depending on other issues.

Of course the letter is unnecessary for someone using the visit frequently in a short space of time where really needed. There is probably more at play IMO. But I agree that the letter is not right and regardless of which way round it is the surgery could handle it better.

That would be the sensible decision wouldn’t it… talk to the practice for proper clarification on the matter.

but the amount of people that seem to think going to your MP and putting on your best sour face for a page in the Sun is going to make you popular with the surgery is mad

Jesus Christ the people not getting that patient feedback is critical and that’s what the CQC, and other health bodies are there for 😵‍💫