Gym on doctor's orders

laganuk

Is it possible to get a script from the GP to join a gym for free and if so what circumstances does it cover etc?

x12yhp

Ha I wish! No private organisation is going to waive their fee because some misc. medic says it should be so. However, I do believe that there are schemes run by certain health insurance providers which partially do as you say. You do have to be insured by them but you can get reduced membership since they have large corporate memberships and they consider their risk is reduced by having a fit, rather than fat, policy holder.

VfM4meplse

Gym sessions are not prescribable, but local heallth boards are able to commission locally so it may be worth checking with them. For now it would be best to get walking...it's free after all.

Artofdookie

Yes you can on the exercise prescription scheme, not available in all areas thought. Sure you go and get fit and the rest of us can pay for it.

getzls

After a period of illness my wife got free for 3 months at the local leuisure centre fitness suite.

36square

Laganuk
Are you hoping to persuade your doctor to get you free gym membership at public expense? If you're just too fat, then walking, hopefully leading to running, would do you just as much, if not more, good as the gym. Why can't you just go along to your local leisure centre and pay for it like most people do?

Elvisia

It's not an entirely ridiculous notion, my friend who's a GP ended up giving a patient a subscription to a gym, not sure how he got the NHS to pay for it. Anyway she returned a few months later still fat, said she hadn't been because she had a fear of electricity and couldn't be near the machines.

Although apparently she also went up in weight because he gave her a diet plan which she ate ON TOP of her regular diet. She said she thought the foods he was suggesting (ie lots of vegetables!) would magically make her thinner on their own, and would cancel out the other food.

The mind boggles.

redped

36square wrote: »

Why can't you just go along to your local leisure centre and pay for it like most people do?

OP - If you walked to the local leisure centre, you'd be getting even more exercise!

Indo77

Elvisia wrote: »

It's not an entirely ridiculous notion, my friend who's a GP ended up giving a patient a subscription to a gym, not sure how he got the NHS to pay for it. Anyway she returned a few months later still fat, said she hadn't been because she had a fear of electricity and couldn't be near the machines.

Although apparently she also went up in weight because he gave her a diet plan which she ate ON TOP of her regular diet. She said she thought the foods he was suggesting (ie lots of vegetables!) would magically make her thinner on their own, and would cancel out the other food.

The mind boggles.

Does your mate also believe in Patient/Doctor confidentiality?

GinaG3

I am prescribed gym membership on prescription although not for weight loss but to try to reduce pelvic pain where all else including extremely heavy and expensive (to the NHS) painkillers and surgical procedures have failed. I have 12 weeks to see how I like it. Of which there are 4 insured sessions lasting 1 hour each a week I can attend at £1.60ph. There is also Pilates and Aqua Aerobics on my programme. If after the initial 12 weeks 'trial' I see improvement I can get a prescription membership for a year at £20 a month. This is the most subsidised membership available, even the membership available on benefits at our council run gym is just over £25 a month plus the £50 upfront deposit and induction fee. It's a massive saving. The criteria for gym on prescription cover more than just weight related issues. Check with your GP for more information, or even your local gym can possibly give you more information if they have this service available. I hear its not available nationwide. I'm in South East London, if it helps.

real1314

Indo77 wrote: »

Does your mate also believe in Patient/Doctor confidentiality?

Where did they mention the patient's name?

:cool: