I just have a quick question regarding how your GP’s and your caree’s GP’s handle long term health conditions.
If you or the person/people you care for have long term health conditions requiring monitoring either due to the medications they take or because of potential complications, do you have to chase the GP for follow ups, or do they contact you?
For example, with diabetes that requires a blood test every six months (at least) do you find they contact you to schedule such appointments or is it entirely on you to remember?
Also, if you or your caree has ever been prescribed medication that requires a follow up appointment in x amount of weeks, and you’re like me, with a surgery that doesn’t book appointments in advance, do you find the GP’s ever chase you to see how things are going, or again is it entirely your choice to check in again after the allotted time?
Does anyone know if there’s any kind of requirement under the GP’s duty of care to remind a patient with a long term condition to book in for a follow up?
Just curious because one of my relatives has long term health conditions, and currently doesn’t have any formal care package in place and is pretty much housebound at this point. His condition causes cognitive impairment, so remembering to book appointments is near impossible without support. The GP’s know of his memory problems but do not make any effort to send reminders or what not when he’s due for check-ups.
Wondering what other people’s experience is with this kind of thing, and if we should be annoyed that he’s not being supported through the GP in such a way.
Hi Aj,
Our surgery contacts us when a meds review is required (every 6 to 12 months), for a learning disability health review and for an epilepsy review. They aren’t efficient though as they get in a muddle re when things are due also it can be difficult to book an appointment in advance as they only book up a few weeks ahead and those appointments go quick. GPs are paid extra for performing certain reviews e.g. Learning disability health review.
I have a number of long term health issues, one should have a regular blood test to make sure there isn’t a problem brewing, and I take one lot of medication, also requires a regular blood test.
The online ordering system used to block me having more that a certain amount of medication, until I’d seen the doctor, but that doesn’t seem to the case anymore.
The GP on This Morning, Chris Steele, was saying everyone should know their numbers, for Blood Pressure, and Blood Sugar, both require regular checks. I’ve now bought my own BP machine, so I know that’s lowered significantly since lockdown, but I can’t check my own Blood sugar.
Our GP practice is useless since lockdown. You have to ring up first, and speak to a locum GP, no way of speaking to your own. The locum I spoke to sounded like he was down a well, although I adjusted the volume right up I struggled to hear him. I was then told to collect a sample container at the surgery.
Then get to the surgery and push a button to call the receptionist, with a sign saying ring ONCE and wait up to 5 minutes before they answer. Twice, the intercom buzzer has been ignored when I’ve tried to use it. Finally, I was given the container. I asked what I had to do with it? I MUST get it back by 2pm - not previously mentioned - so another day wasted. I took it back, again the intercom buzzer was ignored. That dealt with another issue I had, no opportunity of discussing the two regular blood tests with a GP I knew. I must be one of the longest serving patients at this practice, 52 years now!
The GP is responsable and has a duty of care so should be contacting like you say for diabetes reviews and a yearly review of medication.
There is normally a message that you cannot have any more medication until a review is done, a review, is the medication working?, blood pressure and blood test, takes about 20 minutes to carry out.
There should be a diabetes nurse who is responsable for looking after patients and does all the diabetes reviews or sometimes its the hospital.
But things go wrong, mistakes are made, people drop off the lists, someone presses the wrong button, post gets lost etc.
There are in most towns, a community care team who look after elderly/disabled people with long term conditions in their own homes especially housebound.
Might be worth trying to get them involved with your relative, just a bit more support, can check on them every week or something, supposed to keep an eye on people prevent them ending up in hospital.
I don’t think its all the GP’s fault, in my town a lot of elderly and disabled and the gp surgery is just overwhelmed too many people not enough doctors or not enough social care which leads to people getting worse which again falls back on the GP, the hospital and the NHS.
I don’t know if your relative can do this but often you can sign up for text services, sends you a text when an appointment is due, or you can get apps on a mobile to remind you.