GP Advice

[Becs258]

I’m going round and round in circles trying to work this out, so thought someone more knowledgeable would be able to help me.
My dd is starting uni in September. She is currently on various medications, which our GP prescribes.
If she registers with a GP at uni, what happens in the holidays and when she finishes? Can you have two GPs? Or do you have to hedge your bets with one?
Any advice gratefully received!

I work in a GP surgery if she registers at uni she would have to reregister if/when she returns. We would see her for urgent things as a temp patient, things like needing antibiotics but not for routine things she would be expected to go to the surgery she was registered at. Things like medication you can ask the surgery to issue as a one off to different pharmacies if needed. For example if someone goes on holiday in England and leaves their medication at home we can issue a one off script to a pharmacy local to where theyre on holiday.

At my surgery we recommend you have a good supply of medication before registering elsewhere. If she asks her current surgery they might be willing to issue extra before she transfers

Thank you, will tell her.

She can get an extra prescription in September (or whenever she leaves) so that she has a 1 month supply when she leaves. So if she's leaving on the 20th, get all of her med that day or the day before and then she has time to book an appointment. Depending on what university she's going to, she can pre-register with them but ask them to not process it till the 20th when she moves. I did my forms on results day for pre registration at my uni (though my uni has it's own GP for students, so they encouraged us to do it on results day and up to a week after results day). All the preregistration forms my uni GP got, weren't processed till the day before undergraduate move in, so I was still on my home GP'S list and saw them before I left and got a 1 month supply to take with me.

@YanTanTetheraPetheraBumfitt When back for any holidays, I just temporarily register at my old home GP and then they give me repeat prescriptions as needed, I only temporarily register if I'm at home and think I need to see someone (but will always let my uni GP know when I go on holiday just so they place me on hold on their systems in case, and I'll contact them a week before I go back so they've sorted it all before I come back or just as I come back). Normally, I have enough medication from my uni GP and pharmacy over the holidays which are short (1/2 weeks - Christmas and Easter). However for the summer, in-between university years - I always temporarily register with my home GP, 1 week before or just when I get back. This is so they've sorted it all on the system and so that I get all my prescriptions, they do them for me, for 3/4 months, from July to end of September.

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If you have a good relationship with current GP I would suggest staying with them and going to local uni GP for emergency things. on nhs you are allowed to visit other gps in emergencies.

This may be easier said than done. You may be expected to go to A&E for true emergencies.

GPs are also cash strapped. One cannot blame them for wanting those they serve to register so that they can be compensated. In student districts a number will hold firm to this, otherwise they would be overwhelmed.

You can't be a patient outside of a certain area in which you live. As well as if you need regular prescriptions you will need to change GPs to get them and for any regular monitoring. I know some people who haven't changed GP's (which is at their own risk) but they don't have any regular meds or any meds at all and have no conditions etc, so unless something happens they're healthy. It does depend on how much you see a GP and if you're sick or disabled or have any conditions, regular medication you need then you should definitely switch. Then you can go to walk-in clinic like minor injuries or urgent treatment centre if something happens.

Mine stuck with home GPs which in both cases has worked out well.

Dd has regular medication that they'll only prescribe one month at a time, but we normally manage to work it out (she's fairly local) but the GP did say they can fax the prescription to a pharmacy near her if necessary.

DD has registered at her uni GP, which has at least once been essential (urgent problem that had implications for grade). She has 2 long term conditions (one diagnosed at previous home address) and 1 new urgent one that has arisen during a long holiday, and thus is under the care of specialists at 3 different hospitals in 3 separate areas, hundreds of miles apart.

It works, courtesy of a lot of random lifts!