GP home visits - do they happen any more?

[pooka]

Hi all - just hoping for views about a situation we have with my grandmother.
Background - she is 90, very frail, has carers 3 times a day (to get up, give her lunch and then put to bed) so she can stay in her own home, where she has lived for 60 years.
She at least a 2 hour journey away from all of us.
Her physical and mental health has grandually deteriorated although she is still able to remain in her home at the moment.
However, she has had several urinary tract infections in the last year. But her doctor has refused to visit her - says home visits aren't done. Recently her carer picked up on change in her urine and called my mother who rang the surgery. The practice nurse said that she should get a sample, put it in the fridge, and then the nurse would come later in the week to pick it up. In the meantime, a filled presription of antibiotics was dropped through her letterbox. Bearing in mind my mother lives a good 2 hour journey away it was a bit tricky getting the sample, but has been done.

However, last night she had a fall Ambulance was called by the morning carer, they checked her over, didn't take to hospital but warned her blood sugar was low.

Sorry for the ramble, but the query really is whether you think it is reasonable to DEMAND that a doctor from her surgery makes a house visit, bearing in mind it is not possible for her to be taken there during the week, no doctor has seen her for 2 years 4months (and several prescriptions have been written without ANYONE seeing her - just phone advice). My mother is going to call in the morning, but she fears she will be fobbed off again.
I would appreciate your views as to whether you think she is getting appropriate GP support - not to criticise the GPs but more to know whether you have the right to home visits where you are housebound for example.

pooka, sorry i haven't read through all posts just your OP. Does gran have care workers via social services or private? If they are ss, then she will have a social worker. Her social worker will be able to advocate on her behalf with the GP practice. They will already have a working relationship. Also, sw should have been informed of changes in health by care workers. Might just help having a change of tac.
hth

Thanks all for the advice here. The consensus seems to be that it is reasonable to expect her GP(or any doctor from the practice) to come out. Have told my mother and she is ready to do battle tomorrow. Great to get everyone's opinions.

The meds she's been given were antibiotics. Once for a UTI, but prior to urine being cultured. So dose was changed.
Once she was accidentally given antibiotics which are specifically for chest infections when, again, she had a UTI. Ended up in hospital that time

It's a sad situation (but very common I think) to be in. We honestly think that home is the best place for her as she is a bit befuddled and I think it would be an enormous wrench for her to be put into a home. But is difficult that none of us are nearer to her.

My mother goes over weekly, as does my uncle. And she has the carers as I said. But she's frail, doesn't really eat properly and is easily scared.

Don't want to start an anti-GP thread - my own is lovely and I know that she would be here like a shot if needed. She even rang my mother to congratulate her on being a grandmother after dd was born. But I think if anything that makes me More cross that my vulnerable grandmother is not being cared for properly.

I agree with you Greensleeves, I think GP's at the moment are really shooting themselves in the foot by being seen to be doing less work (ie opting out of out of hours work, home visits etc), and earning such humugous salaries (dh doesn't earn any way near the 'national average' btw...there is an underclass of GP's in this country called Salaried GP's ...but that's a current bug bear in this house).

Anyway I think eventually that the GP community will see that they are seriously pissing off the people who they are meant to be looking after, and change their ways. (well I live in hope...being a GP used to be a respected profession!!)
In the mean time really nice, hard working ones will end up getting tarred with the same brush.
It's certainly not a great situation.

Thanks SP - will also suggest that my mother liases with the social workers (she has a care plan in place and a case worker) to outline the problem.

Totally reasonable - if they refuse then I'd say they really ARE being lazy !

Definitely off to bed....

Morning Pooka,
have just quizzed dh over toast and marmalade...has got him all fired up..never seen him so empassioned before whilst still in dressing gown!!

Anyway his very first comment was 'get a new GP, that is really shoddy service, I'm embarrased to hear my collegues practicing medicine like that'.

On a more constructive note he said phone the surgery and ask to speak to the practice manager (don't let the receptionists fob your mum off). Explain your dg's history and ask what the surgery's policy is for home visits.
Unfortunately doing home visits is at the discretion of the GP and not an automatic right, and some practices will only do them in certain situations (such as terminal care). However my dh says is is 'entirely reasonable' to request a home visit in this case.
Ask if your dg can be booked in for a routine home visit rather than an emergency one, make sure your Mum explains about the string of repeat prescriptions without ever seeing a Dr (dh was SHOCKED by this), and that you feel she is due her annual medications review.

If your dg is in a relatively big practice there will usually be one sympathetic GP who will come out and see her (the practice manager will know who that is). If you still get nowhere with all of that dh STRONGLY recommended that your dg moves practices...she's really not getting the care she is entitled to.

HTH!!

Thanks so much for your help. I too am shocked, but it must be even worse when you are concerned that your profession is being given a bad name by (hopefully) a minority. Will pass on all these helpful comments to my mother so we can get this sorted out.