Saturday, July 24, 2004
My Doctor
Although I generally try and avoid going to the doctor's whenever possible (typical British man I hear all you women cry) phases of ill health such as when I got hepatitis and glandular fever (the effect on my immune system also leading to other ilnesses at the same time including chickenpox and scarlet fever) have required treatment from time to time.
I have always had excellent service from my surgery, even when my doctor has changed the locums have been great. My wife and kids are all registered at the same surgery, although with a different doctor, and have nothing but praise. Their doctor is particularly good and makes things happen eg she'll pick up the phone and call the hospital whilst you're there to make sure you get a priority appointment when it's required, rather than just sticking you on a waiting list.
In fact, although we probably shouldn't, we have stayed registered at the same surgery despite having moved out of their catchment area, just because they have always been so good (we still own our previous house and have the mail forwarded so we have been able to {almost}legitimately do this, or at least get away with it). Incidentally, we are now in the process of changing over to a mroe local surgery.
However, with my recent back problems (see my NHS whinge) my doctor has caused me problems, and indeed pain.
I started a private healthcare policy a year or so ago, but there is a five year moratorium on pre-existing conditions meaning I cannot claim for any treatment for a condition I already had before I took out the policy. And rightly so, otherwise you could just buy into a policy when you needed some treatment. My problem is that I had a back problem four and a half years ago but I was re-assured when my doctor told me that the latest incident was entirely unconnected with the previous one. This conformed my own thoughts as the apin was in a different part of my back.
BUT...when it came to completing my healthcare form he entered the previous episode as a pre-existing condition thus ruling out any possibility of treatment. I returned the form to the surgery, along with my request for a repeat prescription (for the morphine he had put, and left, me on for over two months - without considering alternative forms of pain relief eg referring me to a pain clinic etc) and note pointing out that he had told me that he considered the previous episode to be unrelated.
When I collected the prescription there was no form with it. The admin lady at the surgery rang me the following day asking if I was sure I had handed it in as they had been unable to find it. Whilst she was very nice, and apologetic, she said that the only thing I could do was to get another form.
As you will see from my AXA PPP Healthcare whinge, getting a form is not the speediest process. When the form finally arrived I took it straight to the surgery with a set of notes as an aide memoir for the doctor, obviously including the word "NO" where it asked if this was a pre-existing condition.
A few days later the admin lady called me up again to tell me my form was now ready for collection and because of the inconvenience with having lost the form previously there would be no charge. I was thankful for this as until this point nobody had mentioned anything about this "service" being chargeable. I'd have thought that unburdoning the NHS by paying for my own healthcare was to be encouraged. that's a whinge that I needn't start on because I was getting a freebie.
And a good job too as he'd once again filled in the pre-existing condition bit, in the process stuffing my chances of cover. Just to add insult to injury, my original (lost)form was also in the envelope. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!
So my doctor either lied to me in the consultation, or was lying on the healthcare form, or didn't understand how to fill it in. What can I do about it? Well I suppose I could take it to the medical council but what I really want is just to be able to get treatment to relieve the pain I've been suffering for months.
Ultimately, this whinge is probably the only thing I can do about it, and you know what? I'm feeling better already.
I have always had excellent service from my surgery, even when my doctor has changed the locums have been great. My wife and kids are all registered at the same surgery, although with a different doctor, and have nothing but praise. Their doctor is particularly good and makes things happen eg she'll pick up the phone and call the hospital whilst you're there to make sure you get a priority appointment when it's required, rather than just sticking you on a waiting list.
In fact, although we probably shouldn't, we have stayed registered at the same surgery despite having moved out of their catchment area, just because they have always been so good (we still own our previous house and have the mail forwarded so we have been able to {almost}legitimately do this, or at least get away with it). Incidentally, we are now in the process of changing over to a mroe local surgery.
However, with my recent back problems (see my NHS whinge) my doctor has caused me problems, and indeed pain.
I started a private healthcare policy a year or so ago, but there is a five year moratorium on pre-existing conditions meaning I cannot claim for any treatment for a condition I already had before I took out the policy. And rightly so, otherwise you could just buy into a policy when you needed some treatment. My problem is that I had a back problem four and a half years ago but I was re-assured when my doctor told me that the latest incident was entirely unconnected with the previous one. This conformed my own thoughts as the apin was in a different part of my back.
BUT...when it came to completing my healthcare form he entered the previous episode as a pre-existing condition thus ruling out any possibility of treatment. I returned the form to the surgery, along with my request for a repeat prescription (for the morphine he had put, and left, me on for over two months - without considering alternative forms of pain relief eg referring me to a pain clinic etc) and note pointing out that he had told me that he considered the previous episode to be unrelated.
When I collected the prescription there was no form with it. The admin lady at the surgery rang me the following day asking if I was sure I had handed it in as they had been unable to find it. Whilst she was very nice, and apologetic, she said that the only thing I could do was to get another form.
As you will see from my AXA PPP Healthcare whinge, getting a form is not the speediest process. When the form finally arrived I took it straight to the surgery with a set of notes as an aide memoir for the doctor, obviously including the word "NO" where it asked if this was a pre-existing condition.
A few days later the admin lady called me up again to tell me my form was now ready for collection and because of the inconvenience with having lost the form previously there would be no charge. I was thankful for this as until this point nobody had mentioned anything about this "service" being chargeable. I'd have thought that unburdoning the NHS by paying for my own healthcare was to be encouraged. that's a whinge that I needn't start on because I was getting a freebie.
And a good job too as he'd once again filled in the pre-existing condition bit, in the process stuffing my chances of cover. Just to add insult to injury, my original (lost)form was also in the envelope. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!
So my doctor either lied to me in the consultation, or was lying on the healthcare form, or didn't understand how to fill it in. What can I do about it? Well I suppose I could take it to the medical council but what I really want is just to be able to get treatment to relieve the pain I've been suffering for months.
Ultimately, this whinge is probably the only thing I can do about it, and you know what? I'm feeling better already.
