Page 10 | Uni Freshers 2016 (second thread)

mygrandchildrenrock · 07/11/2016 13:28

Thanks for all your supportive messages.
Well it seems more than a week ago that I drove to Oxford to find my son. Finding him was like a black comedy. He doesn't really do phones, his mobile is rarely on and I didn't want to let him know I was coming, because that would have been difficult to do without telling him why.

I got to his college about 2.00 pm and the porter took me to his room and the college library, and he wasn't in either of them. I then took a taxi to the faculty library and he wasn't there but the librarian said he had been, and I'd missed him by 20 minutes. I took a taxi back to his college and did the same hunt in his room and their library with no joy. I had text and phoned him asking for him to get in touch but he didn't. I knew he was having a meeting with his Mentor at 5 pm but wasn't sure where.

The college admin team did their best to find out where and couldn't. I knew my son would eventually return to his college after 6 so thought I might have to wait until then. However, I thought his mentor meeting might be at the student disability service main office, so took a taxi there. I got there at 4.30 and they could confirm my son was expected at 5pm. At 4.45 his mentor came and she was lovely, she made me a cup of tea and took me into a private room and brought my son to me when he arrived. He didn't seem unduly surprised to see me, ( did I say he has AS?!). Anyway he was very shocked but pleased I'd come to tell him in person.

We went out for a meal and although sad, we enjoyed each others company. He said if a pet died, I could tell him over the phone, and he'd be sad but if a person died could I please come in person to tell him! I love my son so very much and am so proud of him! I got home at midnight but am so glad I went.

We have no news about a funeral date yet, the post mortem hasn't been done yet but all the family will be there to support each other.
My son has just phoned me asking if I wanted him because there is a message on his voice mail saying 'hi it's mum, on Monday can you call me when you get this message'. I told him it was from last Monday!

Squirrills · 07/11/2016 13:56

What a day for you mygrandchildrenrock. I'm glad your DS responded well to the news.

As to second year accommodation DS2 could actually get halls if he wanted because they have enough on campus. I think campus would cost more but of course there would be no transport costs. Either way it's clear there is no hurry because there is a glut of private rentals ( possibly due to the expansion of the university halls - I don't know).
In contrast DS1 tells me they have already shown round lots of viewers for his house for next year.

dottygamekeeper · 07/11/2016 17:08

mygrandchildrenrock - I'm pleased to hear your son coped well with the sad news, but I can identify slightly with the issue you had tracking him down.

When my son was admitted to hospital the uni didn't know he had been admitted, he had taken his phone but not his charger so couldn't tell me where he was and I had to ring the hospital to ask if anyone by his name had been admitted the night before....

It is very difficult when you have to wait for a funeral, we had a family situation where we had to wait for a post mortem and coroner's report and it is very strange having that time without being able to organise things. Sending your whole family sympathy and I am sure it will help that you are all able to provide support for each other.

Looking ahead to next year, my DS says his whole flat want to look for somewhere together, but whether they will be able to find somewhere to fit 7 people in, I have no idea. I get the sense that he is starting to find the novelty of living with a whole group of people wearing off though - he said at the weekend it was very irritating that no-one puts away their washing up, which then means that it builds up so that others can't wash, as there is nowhere to drain it - I think he will appreciate home life so much more when he comes home for Christmas.

He was really pleased this week as he had to submit his first design model and the tutors asked him to take a set of photos that they want to use to show to other students, so I am hoping that is a good sign. He also said he had been getting positive feedback from a presentation he did, so I think he is starting to feel that he is getting to know the tutors and feel more involved in the whole process and just that he is working along the right lines.

homebythesea · 07/11/2016 17:36

Grrr time for a rant......

DS takes medication for. Chronic condition, has been for years, dealt with by repeat prescription monthly at local pharmacy, no dramas....

During the summer holidays DS and I went to GP just to review the situation, told GP that he was going to Uni and he says he's happy to keep prescribing and I could just pick up the pills as usual and send them to DS. All fine....

So DS arrives home for reading week yesterday and says he's running low on pills. I went to the pharmacy today and asked what has happened, usually get a text to pick up new pills etc. Anyway (if you're still with me!!) it turns out unbeknown to us he has been transferred to Uni medical centre GP and, even worse, no provision has been made to continue the medication prescription. No notification from home GP that he has been de-registered and DS (and I ) did not realise that the signing in to the medical centre at Uni meant he was registering for a new GP. Certainly no advice from Uni medical centre to make an appointment if there are ongoing issues/prescriptions etc.

So now he has an appointment at Uni late on Thursday, ruining his reading week, and running the risk of being without medication depending on how quickly a local pharmacy can prescribe the drugs (they are not held in stock by many and often need to be ordered in)

DS is taking it out on me (not unusual, closest target!) and I'm pissed off that we had no indication of any of this and cross with myself for not properly understanding the situation (backed up by home GP assurance that everything would basically keep on as usual). Registering with Uni medical centre wasn't optional!!

And breathe......

user1471531877 · 07/11/2016 17:44

I'm sorry but this is entirely of your own doing - why are you blaming your home GP when your son has registered with the University !! If he has a chronic disease it is up to him to check with his new doctor about the medication supply.
Luckily he has been given an appointment as a temporary patient at the home GP but please don't start blaming them for something that is not their doing.

gonegrey56 · 07/11/2016 17:47

Homebythesea
My dd has been in a similar situation re medication - her former GP here at home will always see her and prescribe her medication provided she fills in a form to say she is a temporary resident. Can your son not use this option rather than have a disrupted reading week ?

user1471531877 · 07/11/2016 17:49

Sorry just read it is the uni he has app with. He could be seen as temporary resident by GP at home which means the reading week won't be ruined.

Dunlurking · 07/11/2016 18:02

Definitely ask your regular GP to do it as a temporary patient. They may do it for him without an appointment, although he would have to complete a form. Just tell the surgery what it's for.

homebythesea · 07/11/2016 18:08

I have told him to go to home GP in the morning to see what they can do- problem is it might take till Thursday for them to produce a prescription (usual wait time for our surgery) in which case he's no better off and he will still need to sort it out for the future anyway

user147 I appreciate that we have misunderstood the system, but encouraged by the home GP who said that regardless of DS going to Uni he could still get the drugs from him. The medical centre registration was not explained as a de-registration from current GP and neither were they (as I think they should have been) told to sort out ongoing issues once registered. If we had known he would be de-registered he would not have signed on with Uni medical centre BUT this was presented as a COMPULSORY activity in freshers week.

Squirrills · 07/11/2016 18:10

Home Yes they are somewhat encouraged to register with uni health centre GP, which actually comes in useful if they need to see a doctor there because they will have obtained medical history from the "home" GP.

With DS1 he had no trouble whatsoever getting an appointment at his "old" GP while at home over Christmas last year. They registered him as a temporary patient and of course still had digital copies of his medical history.

homebythesea · 07/11/2016 18:18

squirrills that's encouraging that they keep a record at home- I was made to understand this afternoon tha t DS is now effectively a non-person as far as home GP practice is concerned? He does need to go to the surgery in the morning I think at least that's what I will advise, whether he does so or not who knows

Coconutty · 07/11/2016 21:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GasLightShining · 08/11/2016 19:25

Uni had the students registering with the medical centre as they collected their accommodation keys.

OhFuds · 08/11/2016 20:00

I'll need to double check this with DD, she registered with a gp beside her uni but comes come for dermatologist appointments and usually hands in the prescription (well I do) to the gp at home. I hope that is still the case as I'm pretty sure if it's not then any new medication will take her forever to collect as she "doesn't have time" to do things like that

impostersyndrome · 08/11/2016 22:15

homebythesea I sympathise. It's so easy to miss a trick with all the stuff needing doing. Could you alert the university pharmacy that you'll need the medication so that they can get stocks in? If not, in my experience my pharmacy has rung round to find stocks or given me what they had with an IOU for the rest. Surely in an emergency the doctor can send an electronic prescription?

jaxxyj · 08/11/2016 23:01

It is also worth reminding our DCs to fill in a free prescription form for those on low incomes as the are not automatically entitled to them and can get a £70 fine if they tick the box and they haven't applied.
Here is link to form http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/Documents/HealthCosts/HC1 Aprill_2016.pdf

homebythesea · 09/11/2016 08:23

imposter I'm sure he will be ok - his Uni has an attached hospital and in extremes is a fairly big city with numerous pharmacies!

With the reduced prescriptions is it on his income or ours?

homebythesea · 09/11/2016 08:28

jaxxyj thank you for the form- I've emailed it to DS to complete once he turns 19

Lovelybangers · 09/11/2016 11:29

Ah - that's useful.

I thought that young people had to pay for prescriptions once passed August in school/college leaving year.

DS had to get a prescription in September -so was not a student at 6th form, nor a student at Uni. The pharmacist just let me tick on the back that he was 18 and in full time education ?

He is 19 in the new year - so i suppose he will need the form from then onwwards -and for dental too.

samandcj · 09/11/2016 12:46

lovelybangers the application process is not straightforward.
My dd applied for the HC1/HC2 as she has multiple prescription items per month. She applied on the first day she arrived at uni (not allowed to apply in advance) - it took 4 weeks to get any response.
She was rejected because she has a zero hours contract job in a hotel close to home (uni is 200 miles away). Even when at home over xmas she will only do 1 shift a week. Even if she does the same number of shifts in 2016/2017 that she did in the previous year she would be no where near the income level limit.
After countless phone calls we have given up and purchased a 12 month pre paid prescription card.

homebythesea · 09/11/2016 13:55

lovelybangerx yes we tick the "full time education" box - but only till next month! How much is the prepay card?

samandcj · 09/11/2016 14:57

I think it was £104 for the year. As it would cost my DD more than that for 2 months of prescription items, it was well worth it for her. i think you can pay by direct debit.
If I remember correctly, DD should have started paying once she left school (full time education) or reached 19yrs (she was 19 at the beginning of October).
And don't get me started re the momentous process that she had to go through to get registered at uni and get her prescription transferred. She's just called today to tell me that half her prescription items have disappeared off her prescription!!! She likes her new doctor though!!

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 09/11/2016 16:00

can't remember if I posted this before, but DD has to wait 8-12 weeks for her records to be transferred to the uni GP . Fortunately they were happy to see her and sort out a repeat prescription, checking it didn't clash with her other hospital-prescribed medication, just on her say-so. We felt it was important that she had a local GP who eventually would have her medical history to hand just in case.

Also delighted to report that finally, after 7 weeks, today she has a new carpet, her room no longer smells, and she can close the window and not freeze now that the weather has turned. Her whole flat is delighted as the smell was noticeable in the hall and kitchen, not just her room [bleugh].

Re prescription charges - if they are still 18 and at uni, does that count as full time education, or are they supposed to pay?

samandcj · 09/11/2016 18:27

My understanding is that they are supposed to pay. I guess the safest thing is to ask each pharmacist for their interpretation of the rules.

jaxxyj · 09/11/2016 18:45

My work colleague's DS ticked the box without having applied and was fined £70. I have been nagging my DC to do it but they have done it yet as it is complicated