Using a Private GP Service

[Deleted User]

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

My friend was declined a Blue Parking badge and it appears that it was due to a GP report understating their difficulties.

They have M.E. and due to the pain and fatigue experienced a Blue Badge would be beneficial.

She has now found a private GP practice and I went with her today. What a difference to the screaming kids, moaning old fogeys and old harridans on reception that are so prevalent in the NHS surgeries.

A cup of coffee and some biscuits was order of the day while we languished in a comfy sofa in air conditioned surroundings and watched the TV that was on the wall.

The receptionist was the opitomy of politeness and she had a choice of appointment times with short notice.

The GP was absolutely fantastic, had lots of knowledge of M.E. and fibromyalgia. The 30 minute appointment was unrushed.

The upshot is a positively produced medical report which truly reflects her difficulties.

We were both so impressed that we are thinking of dumping the waste of space NHS GP and using this private service more regularly.

the air conditioning must have been a real comfort in march !

seriously if anyone is unhappy with their NHS GP all they need do is find another one

Richie-from-the-Boro

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

I found your remark hard to follow to be honest. But I will let you know if my friend's Blue Badge Application is successful this time by using a Private GP!

Thankyou, A Flock Of Sheep

I would be interested to know the outcome

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

Brassedoff wrote: »

I agree with GlasweJen and Tanith, I think what your friend has done is wrong. A bit like a kid being told no by one parent and then asking the other without the first party knowing hoping to get the answer you want. I hope this back door attempt fails and so does any claim for DLA.

Your GP and Consultant know your condition. If they feel you are not in their experienced and in depth knowledge about the condition bad enough, then tough! It gets every other genuine claimant a bad name.

Boro, I don't think 99% agreed it was OK to swindle the system. Their attempt is wrong and the paid for report that would have only been submitted if it said the "right" thing should be taken and dismissed. Any paid for report or research is always tainted. After all, "he who pays the piper, calls the tune". The majority of us have all or are tax payers!

I sincerely hope the OP's attempt fails and that of anyone else who tries to follow suit.

I don't get your attitude on this.

If you have bad service from say Tesco you can then go elsewhere to say Waitrose.

My friend merely took her business elswhere, where she got a better level of service.

I also find it highly funny that people moan about ATOS because their reports are "tainted" and are often "no relation to what was said at a medical" are moaning because an individual has chosen to operate in the same way. The DWP hire a private medical service. Why can't the claimant! However, the report she obtained wasn't tainted. It reflected her situation in a thorough and comprehensive manner.

sardine

woodbine wrote: »

the air conditioning must have been a real comfort in march !

seriously if anyone is unhappy with their NHS GP all they need do is find another one

That is a rather sweeping statement to make. It is not easy today to find a GP practice that will give a good level of service, provide an environment that enables an honest & open relationship at the same time as not feeling rushed. That used to be the case only a few years ago. I myself have seen a dramatic change in my GP practice over the past 14 years. I always found that I felt that the GP was taking an interest in me, knew what my problems were and gave me confidence in dealing with my condition.

Now the first few minutes are taken up with telling the GP why I am there (told to come back for results), then he has to find the relevant paperwork on his VDU & read it all.

Then he asks how am I feeling? - For goodness sake I saw him not more than 7 days ago and told him the same answer - Oh I see, yes that's right. By which time I get the results and hey presto, 'BING' 8 minutes are up - if there is nothing else, come back in 3 months - goodbye!.

Where do you find a GP that suits me? Try another practice - there isn't one in the catchment area.

So no, now it's knowing that they aren't interested in me, so why bother? I look at it as that is how it is today. One stop shop now, repeat prescriptions, blood tests, CT scans, xrays, results.
And they wonder why the health of the nation is failing.

So the only way to get anywhere now is to pay for it, which is what I do - private GP's and private consultants and of course private hospitals if needed - (well I should say that Benenden pay for it thank goodness)!!

Richie-from-the-Boro

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

I don't get your attitude on this.

If you have bad service from say Tesco you can then go elsewhere to say Waitrose.

My friend merely took her business elsewhere, where she got a better level of service.

I also find it highly funny that people moan about ATOS because their reports are "tainted" and are often "no relation to what was said at a medical" are moaning because an individual has chosen to operate in the same way. The DWP hire a private medical service. Why can't the claimant! However, the report she obtained wasn't tainted. It reflected her situation in a thorough and comprehensive manner.

ATOS is ' tainted ' - it's purely money - for a service.
Your fiends medical, by that very same rule is tainted for the exact same reasons- it's purely money - for a service.

""" The report she obtained wasn't tainted """ , are you qualified as a medical practitioner ?, can you make that professional judgement ?

Richie-from-the-Boro

Sardine - Benenden """ THE ship was first sighted off Dungeness. She was labouring heavily. Her paint was peculiar and her rig outlandish. She looked like a golden ship out of a painted picture """ THE MIXED MINE.

sardine

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Sardine - Benenden """ THE ship was first sighted off Dungeness. She was labouring heavily. Her paint was peculiar and her rig outlandish. She looked like a golden ship out of a painted picture """ THE MIXED MINE.

Yep that is where I live, not Benenden, but close proximity to Dungeress. In fact that quotation from those stories by Eliz Nesbit were written when she lived in 'West Hall' in Dymchurch, Kent. In fact I live not more than 200 yds from that old house.

What a small world

Richie-from-the-Boro

sardine wrote: »

Yep that is where I live, not Benenden, but close proximity to Dungeress. In fact that quotation from those stories by Eliz Nesbit were written when she lived in 'West Hall' in Dymchurch, Kent. In fact I live not more than 200 yds from that old house.

What a small world

God you are so lucky, what a very beautiful place to live, I read the Nesbit book many years ago.

jetta_wales

On what grounds are there to decide that a private GP must be corrupt and willing to be fraudulent and risk being struck off for what is a relatively small amount of money to them?

TOBRUK

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

We had coffee and biccies and sat in a big comfy sofa in this thickly carpeted quiet waiting room.

At the NHS GP it is hard seats ...
At the private surgery we arrived nearly 30 mins before the appointment but went in early.

Yes, very nice ... but your friend paid for it! It really doesn't matter whether your own GP surgery has hard seats ...

FleurDuLys wrote: »

They can request your consultant's notes too if they need specialist info about your condition, but NHS GPs do have their own comprehensive notes. ....

My NHS GP has my entire medical history on the computer when I go to appointments, dating back to when the records were first put onto computer - and before that, they have the paper notes going back to my birth.

Exactly.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

My friend went specifically to a Private GP to discuss specifically her ME/Fibromyaligia and also her application for a Blue Parking Badge. She told the Private GP everything the NHS GP knows. Therefore the records pretty much reconcile where her chronic condition is concerned.

The difference is the service at the Private GP was much better than the NHS GP. Her medical report from the private GP was far more comprehensive and true to her difficulties despite her banging on to her NHS GP several times. Why is it the private GP can take on board what she says in 30 minutes yet the NHS one clearly hasn't been listening to a word she's been saying for years.

The private GP won't have details of her influenza's of many years or tummy bugs though. But anyone you go to for a specific medical service won't have that. But those conditions are not relevant to her Blue Badge application. Since when has the flu given anyone a right to a Blue Parking Badge

I understand completely what your friend is going through, although not to what degree she is affected, as there are different degrees of M.E. I am a sufferer of M.E. and I do receive DLA.

As to your friends' GP, if she is not satisfied that the GP understands or is treating her adequately, she can ask for a referral to a specialist. I saw an M.E. specialist years ago! I am also lucky that my own GP knows a great deal about the illness and requests to see me every 4-6 weeks!

You state that the private GP was fantastic and the service was first class - even having biscuits! All this is fair enough, however, your friends' GP (as has been stated earlier) has all your friends' medical records, test results, hospital appointments etc.

I saw my GP yesterday, I ended up in hospital on 14th Feb after falling down stairs with fractured skull, broken right wrist (in many places) and broken finger on left hand and a big blackeye! My GP had received this information from the hospital with results of the scans, tests and when I was discharged etc

Regardless of the report your frienod was given (paid for) by the 'private' GP, the DLA form asks for the GP's (NHS) name and practice on the DLA form, and whether your friend gets a report from a private GP, they may still send for details/report from her NHS GP!

I don't see anything wrong in anyone visiting a private GP, but, I'm not sure that for benefit purposes they will take any notice - I'm not saying they won't because I really don't know!

The private GP doesn't have her medical history and only goes on what she tells him/her, and although that GP can understand her exact difficulties and has great knowledge of the illness - her own GP should know exactly how her illness affects her! Does she visit her own GP on a regular basis?