changing GP practises

[hedgerow pete]

well this years start has not been as medicially sound as I want it to be.

so this has lead me down the very UNUSED road to the local quack. now before i start , i must say that the last gp was fantastic but this one is not very impressive, so i want to change practises.

so for all you people out there heres the questions.

how do you do it and can it be done and what are the rules surrounding it.

also because as i get older i expect to have a need to see them slightly more often than once every 6 years ( the last time i saw him was 6 years ago)

what are the benifits of seeing a private GP and paying for a better service, what do they charge and how do the charges??
does anyone have any experiences with private gp's and what are they good or bad.

i also want to do this without getting the back up of the quack i see now and him causing me issues else where

 

[Apple]

Paying for your doctoring always seems a bit silly to me when you have already paid for what is perhaps the best health service in the world.
I have recently, due to a house move, have had to register with a new practice. The Lady doctor I have now is fantastic!
My nephew recently had to have a heart scan, and Derriford Plymouth had the most up to date equipment available, even BUPA has not got that kit yet.
I am right behind our NHS... underfunded as it may seem to be!

 

[hedgerow pete]

ha yes, that seams to happen to everyone but me.

standard for me is a one hour wait after the appointment time, even the first one of the day, the clinic is dirty and untidy and generally poorly looked after, my doctor does not speak english as a first or second language and as such communication is at best extreamly poor. pretty well every time you call up to make an appointment you need two weeks notice the best i have ever done is 8 days, the receptionist askes more questions than the spanish inqusistion and if you answer any question wrongly she will refuse to allow you to have an appointment because " you need hospital treatment" and you get flobbed off

so whilst everyone goes on about our wonderfully nhs i , am on of the many that dont get these treatments, even the chemo treatments and cancer stuff took me a massive fight to get passed this idiot and on to someone who would deal with it properly

 

[jd101k2000]

Hi Pete,

Just register with your new, preferred practice.

The general experience with private medicine is that they deal with the easy cases - when something goes wrong you are back in the NHS.

I generally get to see my GP on the same day as I need him/her. How do you think that private medicine would improve on that? You might get a nicer painted waiting room with a vase of flowers.

 

[user 6228]

well this years start has not been as medicially sound as I want it to be.

so this has lead me down the very UNUSED road to the local quack. now before i start , i must say that the last gp was fantastic but this one is not very impressive, so i want to change practises.

so for all you people out there heres the questions.

how do you do it and can it be done and what are the rules surrounding it.

also because as i get older i expect to have a need to see them slightly more often than once every 6 years ( the last time i saw him was 6 years ago)

what are the benifits of seeing a private GP and paying for a better service, what do they charge and how do the charges??
does anyone have any experiences with private gp's and what are they good or bad.

i also want to do this without getting the back up of the quack i see now and him causing me issues else where

seen this?

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1088.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=158

 

[Heather]

Could start with not calling him a quack..
Some of our best doctors have come from abroad.. as have some of the worst.

You do NOT need to give the receptionist any info.
If you feel ill, and need an appointment urgently .. and they cannot offer one v soon, ask for a home visit... they soon seem to find a space in their day.
If you are unhappy, just request to change... is he the only one at that practice?? If area dirty in appearance - complain.
Changing difficult if you have no other in your area. Look around, you are entitled to.

 

[REDWOOD]

Could start with not calling him a quack..
.

I did and was not pleased with myself for saying so but It got the good doctors attention and agreed to send my wife for a brain scan after two years of her complaining to him

You do have a right to complain you are paying for the health service and entitled to your rights to be seen and treated for your illnesses

I must say being in the public service there are huge financial restraints that this government has put on us and when you here stories like there isn't an ambulance available because they are all queuing out side hospitals with patients in waiting for a bed is quite appalling

 

[dpearce4]

I find that the locums are better than my doc, they are more willing to listen and they also don't seem to worry so much about budgets and have referred me to the departments I have needed instead of just giving me more painkillers.

 

[Ziggymole]

Hi Pete,

Like most people when I moved I just registered with the nearest practice that was taking on new patients. After realising my mistake I put up with the situation until I was expecting and then went out and visited ALL the GP practices near my home until I found a surgery that suited me with a GP I could relate to. You could also ask your neighbours and friends for recommendations. Hopefully whoever you choose will have space on their list.

Changing Dr's was a simple as giving the new practice my white NHS card. They don't even ask why.

Don't settle for second best - you only have one life and a good GP will help you keep it healthy.

Ziggy

 

[drstitson]

as above - just chose another practice locally and register with them.

if enough people voted with their feet it'd soon hurt the practice finances.

feel free to provide feedback on the surgery online.


avoid private GPs - they're just for the foreign money up in the smoke.

 

[Nige.Coll]

just change doctors.

paying for it will cost a lot . the last private consultant i saw charged £150 per appointment not bad for 10 mins lol.

i had an operation done privately through health insurance in a private hospital £11500.. i got mrsa ... then the same consultant treated me under the NHS for the mrsa . he does all his private work at the nhs hospital now as they have a private ward set up.
i have had several more operations done under the NHS and never had another infection (touch wood) last op was 5 weeks ago.

changing your doctors is very easy . register at the new one and they request your notes from the old one . job done.
just make sure if you ever go to hospital to tell them your new GP and surgery address.