How to deal with a GP that doesn’t take me seriously

[MoneyBall1]

I’ve never really been ill until I got long covid and since then it’s been a whirlwind of illnesses. I had a major allergic reaction abroad and ended up in hospital. When I came back, I booked some private allergy testing (via a consultant who works at an NHS hospital) and they ran tests and wrote to the Gp and recommended a load of medicine.

I went to see the GP and he says he disagrees with the recommendations and won’t prescribe me the medicine.

for work I had to have a medical and my cholesterol is high. I got an apoB test and LP(a) and both are high and genetically high cholesterol runs in my family. I am into prevention rather than cure but now concerned about going back to the GP in case he dismisses this too. Is it better just to give up and go private? I feel demoralised by it all. I would rather not be ill but I can’t change the hand I’ve been dealt with!

Go private.

i speak as someone who also has chronic illnesses. My Gp accepted my meds eventually.

I’ve been in a similar situation, just a one gp practice and an incredibly dismissive gp, I ended up going private, I couldn’t face the arguing as I was so ill and I basically just didn’t trust him at that point.

I went to see the GP and he says he disagrees with the recommendations and won’t prescribe me the medicine.
Would the gp then take on the responsibility for ongoing management of the meds, from what I've read (on here!) a lot don't wish to do that.

Can you change GPs?

Your GP didn’t agree with the recommendation of a consultant on one issue. Do you have any reason to think he will be dismissive of other things?

that sounds like more of a private consultant problem than a GP one. The GP isn't just the private consultant's minion and don't have to do what the consultant suggests if they don't agree/it's out of their expertise or experience/it's off piste prescribing/isn't on their formulary/needs follow up monitoring etc (the consultant is essentially asking the GP to take responsibility for the prescribing and any problems/interactions that may arise, but if problems do arise the GMC is not at all forgiving and 'just following orders' does not wash as a defence). Perhaps it would be better to go back to the allergy consultant and get them to get you settled on whatever the medication is, demonstrate that it helps/doesn't cause harm and then negotiate with the GP.

Well I agreed with the private consultant and the GP said that he felt the medication was excessive. Given I had ended up in hospital (twice over the past 2 years) the consultant felt it better to be cautious. GP seems quite happy not to be that way at the risk of me ending up back in hospital in hay fever season. Consultant wants me on fostair, GP wants to keep me on ventolin. Consultant wants me to have the prescribed version of fexofenadine (the 180mg), Gp says I’m fine with less. Consultant wants me to have dymista, GP thinks it’s excessive.

should say I moved in 2021 and prior to 2021, I did have this medication. GP stopped it and I’ve ended up in hospital twice.