If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Watch out.....there is a move afoot to remove people from a GP's list if they have not needed to see thier Gp in the last five years.

It seems that this is a cost saving measure which is aimed at removing 'ghost patients' from lists.
GPs get £136 per annum for every patient on their list regardless of whether the patient requires treatment.

A private company (Capita) are being enlisted to do the administrative work on this cost saving exercise....so that is going to eat into those savings that are hoped this scheme will provide.
They will send out two warning letters and if there is no response to these you may be removed from your GP's list.

You will then have to re-register with the practice(if they have room for you)provide proof of identity and you may have to wait up to three weeks to get an appointment.

Now, I have not visited my GP for a fair while...it might even be five years.
I do not believe introubling a doctor for minor ailments(and especially as by the time you get an appointment the problem has usually cleared up).
So should we...the healthy people, be clogging up the GP's waiting room just to let them know we are perfectly healthy?( and in the process making it even more difficult for someone who is genuinely in need of medical help, to see a doctor)

Surely to goodness there is a better way.
If I had moved and no longer needed to be register with my GP....would they not realise this when they received a request for my notes from a new GP?

If ( god forbid) I was to snuff it, surely there is some mechanism with in the NHS/DWP of letting this be known to the GP( i guess himself could always pop in and tell them that at last I had got my wings/shovel).

It is a farce and it may remove services from the most vulnerable in our communities.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

I can figure out why they have come up wi this idea, aint rocket science.;)

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Yes, Cashy...it is all bout money...and they think this will save it...well...I bet it doesn't save anywhere near as much as it will eventually cost.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

As I understand it patients will be contacted and only if they do not reply will they be struck off. I would think it would be common courtesy to reply as I think it would be to inform the surgery of any change of address. Obviously some doctors are not as good as others at looking after their patients. My other half and myself have 6 monthly check ups with blood test and blood pressure check as well as a review of medication as a matter of course.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Sounds fair enough if when you respond you are kept on the list. I wonder how many people are registered but have left the country or moved away or even died and the surgery don't know.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

If people move away surely they will register with another GP and the new GP will want access to their previous records, when I worked in the NHS if a patient died then the GP was notified........when someone dies other than in hospital there are a series of people who have to be notified...why can't the GP be one of these.
Why does it need a private company(set up to make money) to administrate this process...at goodness knows what cost.

I have no problem with responding to a letter, but feel that it is not going to be a cost effective way of doing what the process is supposed to do...which is save money.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Well you are not going to be in the category that will be the target group.

For myself I really have to be very sick to go and see the Doc.......in fact I doubt if my doctor would know me from a lump of soap.

Yes you are right the onus must be placed on the service user, to let the practice know of any change of circumstances...which I would reckon most people do. It may be that the GPthinks he can continue claiming the £136 and do nothing...but if that is the case then it is the GP who should be investigated not the service user.

The people who are taken off lists...where will they go for their health care?...It is bound to be some overworked A&E department

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

pretty lousy doctor if he cant spot a dead patient lol

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

We do not go to the doctors unless we are very sick either. The check ups are a routine that our doctor's surgery carries out. A nurse does the checks and the doctor sees the results. The people who are taken off surely should have responded to the letter they were sent and if they did not they have only themselves to blame. I agree Margaret that some GPs could be claiming to have more patients than they actually have and that certainly wants stamping out.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

I would put another reason along with saving money.;)

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

I do not go for any check ups at the GP's. I don't believe in poking a hornets nest with a stick, besides that many GP's think old age is a medical condition.


Yes Cashy, I think you might mean seeing off the coffin dodgers(?)...except they won't be struck off because many of them are not in the best of health.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

No margaret i mean they will save money by the many people of differing nationalities that clear off home without a bye or leave and never return,

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

I don't see the check up as poking a hornets nest . My view is prevention is better than cure. There are some conditions patients are not aware of till its too late.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Well, if it works for you, then that is good.....but not for me.
I do go for my mammograms, dental check ups but nothing else.
I do not want to be told that because of my age I should be on statins...or anything else for that matter.
Many of the older population are on lots of different drugs.....which cause other problems for which they need yet another medication.

I take no prescribed meds. I just take the odd paracetamol for some of the wear and tear on joints.....I take responsibility for my own health.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

You are very lucky if you do not need any medication other than the odd paracetamol.Some of us do need monitoring due to hereditary illnesses and taking medication to prevent me suffering the same illness is fine by me. To get back to your original post, anything that can help save money in the NHS is welcomed but I understand your doubt that this idea will save more than it costs.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Yes, I know that some people need ongoing support.
I am just glad that right now that is not me...even at 69 I can run up Riley's Hill without getting out of breath......I am very active and fill my day full to the brim......but do not wish to be sitting in some GP's surgery to hear them tell me that I am fit. I know my body, I listen to it and if it were to let me down then I would have to call on the medics..but please lord...not right now I have far too much to occupy myself with.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Surely the problem that needs addressing is not the healthy people who don't go to their GPs in five years or more, nor the people who've moved, died or otherwise disappeared.
The problem is that GP's (private businesses contracted to, not part of, the NHS) get £136 per name on a list that's obviously not kept up-to-date by GPs (and why would it?).
Why not simply pay these private medical practitioners for every consultation they undertake? Every visit to a GP requires an appointment, that's recorded somewhere, so how difficult is it to count up the appointments and pay an agreed sum for each? Keep the GP registers based on a rough target of a certain number of patients per doctor, so patients have some certainty of getting an appointment. But there needs to be some incentive for GPs to keep 'their' lists of patients up-to-date.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Your solution would not compromise the patients. The additional advantage is that it would cost less to administer too.
This news may make healthy people seek an appointment that they do not really need just so that they have been seen by a GP in the last five years....thereby depriving those who need medical care.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

if you need on going support and monitoring you wont come under the not been to the doctors in 5 years grou anyway as yo will need to see the doctor regularly and if you see a specialist teh specialist sends a letter to your doctor to put on your medical file so it keeps your account active for the lack of a better name for it

this idea is just stupid nonsense to make it appear that things are been done to tackle the shortage of doctors places at minimal cost


even doing nothing of worth costs a little money but its better than spending a lot of money and addressing the problem propperly

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

As far as I know Having ghost patients on their lists also makes it harder for people to register as the practice will have a set number of patients that it can have on it's books.

So by being able to remove non responding patients who they have not seen in many years will enable new patients who do need to see a doctor to be taken on, thus being more efficient and saving the NHS (and us) money that could be better spent on other things.

If you rarely see the doctor or want to remain on their books you only have to contact them to say so, that's not too hard is it? If you have moved, left the country, died or are as fit as a fiddle and have no need of a doctor then you lose nothing.

I see this only as an efficiency measure, keeping their records up to date with current patients - nothing wrong with that.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

There is nothing wrong at all in making sure that GP's are not claiming for patients who(for whatever reason) are no longer using the service...what is wrong,however, is the method by which this is being done.

Paying a private company(whose aim is to make a profit) to do the work of sending out letters...which in itself is an expense, is not, in my opinion, the way to go about it.
Surely it is an easy job to find out if someone is still residing in the borough(electoral roll will provide evidence)....and if there has been no request by another GP for records then that patient should not be sent a mail shot.

If I were no longer living in Accrington, or had decided to change my GP...surely to goodness my new GP would want my records......this request should be flagged up by the administrative staff of the practice.......I have to say the cynical part of me thinks that GP's who are being paid what amounts to a retention fee for each patient, are not letting on when patients leave their list.
Why would you elect to lose money if you didn't have to?

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

yes margaret as soon as you register at a new doctors the new doctors requests your entire medical reord and history from you previous doctors so they know to take you off the books

no one should have to keep checking they still have a place .If you fall ill you should be able to turn up at your doctors knowing you will not be turned away because it was assumed you are too healthy and will never need a doctor

like cars as humans get older they develop faults i wouldnt buy a new car and assume it will be in the same condition in 5 years time

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

I've met a couple that I wouldn't let near the dogs

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

You are assuming everyone is on the electoral roll and they are not. You are assuming people haven't moved away and informed the GP they have changed address or have even registered elsewhere. Many forgot to register with a doctor after moving until they are ill. You are assuming everyone is as intelligent as yourself, sadly many are not.

It is quicker and cheaper to send a letter to those patients who haven't been to the surgery for 5 years than it is to start trying to find out details in other ways

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

There will be more than 1 letter, they are sending 2 letters.
The practices are overworked as it is, they will not have time for the receptionists to go through all the records - this is something that can only practicably be done by a sub contracting outside body.

How else, if not 2 letters should they identify people? perhaps you would like them to go visit each patient on the list? :)

Neil has pointed out the flaws in the new practice listing, which if someone had registered at a new practice, they would then be able to point this out to the old one when they send them a letter!

Margaret, you seem to just complain against anything and everything - next the knives and forks will be out to get you! :)

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Being of a certain age we're on the annual review thing and have much praise for our nurses and doctors who have looked after us in sunny Accy. Keep well all!

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Neil...I assure you that I assume nothing.
If a patient moves to another area..or even another practice, then their new GP will reqire the past notes of all the conditions that the patient has been treated for...surely it is not beyond the admin staff of the practice to realise that if notes are being asked for by another GP, itis because that patient is no longer with their practice...and they should then be taken off the register.
i know that not everyone is on the electoral roll...but there will be more peole on it than off it...so surely that is a good place to start.
GP's must have some sort of database of patients to work from too.

Yes, a letter is a cheap way to find out if a person is still in the area...but the cost of the letter is being inflated by a private company(a company that is in the market to MAKE money) is being used to do this work.

This work should be done by the admin staff of the practice.......it needs to be done on perhaps a yearly basis(or maybe every three years)...if the admin staff do not have the time to do it then surely they could either pay their own staff overtime to do it(I am sure they would be glad of an opportunity to earn a bit extra) or they could bring people in just to do this job.
Better still patients who haven't visited for five years could present themselves at reception and sign a computer printed form to say that they still wish to be registered with the practice.
I am averse to seeing a GP now while my health is good, but would not like to think that should the need arise I could not see a doctor.
I would be quite happy to fill in a form obtained from reception....and it does not even need to be posted...it could be dropped in a box at reception.
Better even than that is to be able to state your intention to stay with the practice on a computer screen...tap the box and it is logged...no paper, no waste and even cheaper.
This would be cost effective and it would fulfil the aim.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

I have met dozens that I would not let cut my toenails........and worst of all they are still about.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Rainbow six...your opinion of me is of no consequence. I do not need your approval for my self esteem.

And putting a smiley after posting what I suppose you hoped would be a stinging comment in order to make it seem less insulting is defeating what you are trying(and failing) to do.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

I`m not even sure of my doctors name it`s been that long since I`ve been, it used to be doctor Hipwell but he left ages ago, I think i`d better call in and check they have right address.
I do think this is a good idea though, I doubt the surgeries own admin doing it would work, no real incentive for them to find out who they are getting free money for.
There must be loads of people come to the UK, registered with a doctors then gone back home and not told the surgery.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Ahem...
:confused:

What if someone is not able to go to reception for something that could be dealt with by a letter? There is nothing to stop you going to your doctors and ensuring that you are not on the check & remove list.
But for others who are not in your situation they could be more than happy to respond to a letter - which may eventually point them to a web page even.

All this about if people move and change doctors is just a miniscule bit, I don't know why your harping on about it so much. If someone does register with a new practise then they are taken off the old ones lists - if the old practise does not then that's likely fraudulent and they should be dealt with accordingly.

your not happy replying to a letter, others are.
Simples.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

It should not be down to incentive..it should be down to having the books up to date...the correct database.
But in a sense....you are right...it is in the interests of the practice to keep ghost patients on their books as it means money for doing nowt......but surely that is defrauding the NHS.

GPick...when you go in to the practice i reckon there will not be many of the names of Doctors that you will recognise...certainly of the era of Mike Hipwell( a great GP and a thoroughly good chap - I know because I worked with him at QPH way back in the late seventies).

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

A useful link -
http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/...0&isNational=0

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Please will you point out my post where I have said that I am not happy in replying by letter?
Do not put words into my posts that I have not said.

For those who cannot get into the practice......well, if they cannot get in because of health reasons, then they have no real need to worry because it is likely that they are still on the books because they have visited during the last five years.....Why else might they not be able to get into the practice....work ?
I am sure that I would be able to find time to go to the practice to let them know I still lived in the area.

If the aim of the NHS is to save money and free up spaces with GP's then getting an expensive private firm to do this is(in my opinion - which I know is worth little) is not the way to go about it...and that is my point.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

How the hell did Dr. Death get 4 stars?:eek:

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Thank you Margaret...I have just spent an interesting few minutes reading some reviews.Seems like some of us would be better getting struck off some of the practices.
Pals comes out of it pretty badly.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

The Pals are abysmal in my experience, some of the receptionists reminded me of the "Waffen S.S." when we moved and i changed from them i could not believe the difference.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Cashy I would hazard a guess that you are now with the Rhyddings Practice
Ma is with this group. I NEVER have difficulty getting her an appointment...and it is almost always with the same doctor - ensuring continuity of care.
The Pals Practice has become too big and impersonal. It could learn some valuable people skills from the Rhyddings Practice.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Is that the one on union Rd Margaret? if so then yes.:) just higher up than bubble factory,

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Yes Cashy it is...and it is a great place to be looked after(from what I have seen of my Mum's care).

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

Yep me and paris have never had a better surgery than that un.;)also the receptionists treat yeh as human beings.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

I've been with Clayton Medical Centre since it opened, in fact I moved there when my doctor started it.
Its a long way to go but I'm able to drive so at present that's not a problem.
The doctor has always come to me or my late wife when I have requested a home visit and will call back if I request a call back from the doctor or nurse.
The receptionists have always been polite and tried to oblige with an appointment the day I ring for one.
The online prescription request service works a treat and I usually get my medication the day after I sent it in.
They ring me if a blood sample or health check up due and I'm completely satisfied with the service.
Others may disagree but those are my findings.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

You can only speak as you find.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

It sounds as though you have the same care from your surgery as we have from ours. I think we are lucky as I hear bad reports from other folks about their doctors and surgeries.

Re: If you have not seen your GP for five years....
 

someone new to the area was asking people on facebook about a good doctors in accy as her partner had a serious illness.She said she was thinking about the PALS doctors

Thankfully enough people warned her that her partner would be dead within a week if he was already ill at the PALS