If you need to see a nurse every 3 months, how do you make appointments?

[didyouwritethe]

Our surgery seems bonkers on this. Dh has to have B12 jabs every 3 months, but the nurse is very hard to make an appointment with, and will not make appointments more than 2 weeks in advance. So mostly he just doesn't have the jabs.

Any suggestions? This is not a trivial medical issue.

I wonder why they even talk about nurses doing it, if self-injection is possible. Anyway, I'll try to persuade dh to diy.

I'm a practice nurse who gives these. We regularly book up to 3 months in advance so no issues.
The easiest option would be for you to learn how to give them if the surgery would be happy with that. Not difficult.
Failing that, does the district nursing service not run any treatment rooms, drop in or otherwise? I used to give plenty this way too.

Pretty sure the surgery would be happy with anything which meant not seeing patients! I can try to find out re district nurses - I have no idea.

I have pa too, and if he's not getting his jabs no wonder he's finding it hard to remember things. It sounds crazy, surely there must be an appointment available at some point? I'm staggered at the attitude you are getting from the surgery, it does sound like they totally underestimate how serious and essential this injection is.
For the pp who asked, you can't take oral supplements as pernicious anaemia is an autoimmune disease which destroys the cells in your gut which absorb b12, so you can't absorb it normally.

I'm a district nurse . we don't see any non housebound patients , other than chemo ones who can't go to surgery or catheter/picc line that the PN's don't see.
I would learn how to do it yourself or your dh do it to himself

I've just asked him; he's not keen to do them himself, and I'm afraid I couldn't. Fuck knows what we'll do.

The NICE guidelines make the cancer risk abundantly clear.

Why couldn't you do them, do you have a thing about needles? Or you'd be worried about not doing it right?

Can you move practices? Failing that, can you speak to the practice manager, I don't think there's much point talking to the reception staff. However, first of all I'd set about trying to book the appointments yourself to see if it is as difficult as he's making out.

God knows I've tried booking myself, and yes, it is as difficult.

I am needle phobic.

I'll have to LTB if his wife has to do the jabs.

Okay in that case you injecting him would be horrendous all round, so it's a non-starter.

I think you need to go to the practice manager and explain this situation is untenable and potentially having a catastrophic effect on your DH's health, and no doubt other patients with long term care needs. When you inevitably get the 'sod off' response, I would go to the CCG. Make sure this is in writing; the practice will be inspected by CQC at some point soon and you'll want to make sure they're aware of the failure to provide care.

Can you move practice? Was the course of treatment ordered by a consultant? Said consultant will be hacked off to know his or her orders are not being followed.

Tribpot, thank you so much for that comprehensive response. I did forget to ask dh if it was a consultant that recommended the jabs - I will ask him next time. In the meantime, he's agreed to see a GP and ask for the way forward on this.

And you are right, we may have to move practice.

I hate needles (almost passing out when giving small blood samples) but I could inject if I had to. Trips to surgery are a hassle no matter what.

Tell him to Man up & take responsibility for his health.