NHS and choosing doctors

[AutumnAir]

The title pretty much says it. Any info appreciated.

We're moving to Liverpool in the next couple of weeks and will presumably be on NHS as DH's work doesn't do private insurance and we can't afford it. Plus we rarely use doctors anyway.

Do we need to register for it? If so how? Anyone have any idea what my status would be? (I'm Irish and DH is English so I'd assume he's okay) And do we get to choose a doctor/surgery to go to or do we get one assigned to us? We don't vax or do WBVs - is that likely to be a problem?

Anything else I should know?

BTW I've asked DH but he's been living abroad for so long he can't remember how the system works and says he hasn't seen a doctor since he was about 18 (he's 42 now )

[calpurnia]

this has clear information on the subject.

you do need to register. it's worth doing before you need to see a doctor, else it will hold up getting an appointment at a time when you need it. GP surgeries tend to work on catchment areas, so it's likely you will have to register with the one closest to you. depending on geography you may or may not have more than one option. it's worth asking around you for recommendations though.

at the surgery, they might ask for your husband & daughter (i assume she also has british nationality) NHS numbers - i assume you don't know them, in which case the surgery can find them out for you - i once lost my NHS number & the receptionist fished it out of the system somehow for me... they might also ask for proof of address eg council tax bill.

for you, as an EU citizen, you are entitled to the same treatment as a british citizen for conditions that arise during your stay.

i think. i get confused though

let me know about liverpool! we are thinking of moving up there in a couple of years. i'm from manchester originally so it's near home but not too near, kwim.

[orangefoot]

Even if you find that you don't like the doctors you originally registered with you can easily change to another one.

Baby and toddler clinics are drop-in and health visitors will only come and see you if you want them to at about 8 months and 3 years - I think. We haven't seen one for a while! They will send a letter to introduce themselves and you can call them if you need them but otherwise they won't bother you.

Ignore the red slips which you will get in the post about vaccinations 'due' no-one will chase you to attend vaccination clinics.

Your kids will get a Red Book to record medical stuff in but you don't have to do anything with it.

[flapjack]

You are asked to request child health surveillance when you register- just don't tick the box. Simple as that.

You'll be within catchment for several GP surgeries, so I'd suggest picking up patient information leaflets for several (in person, you need to check out the receptionists.) The things to look for:
Appointment booking systems, and number of DNAs (if that number is high, it's probably quite difficult to get appointments.) The best GP surgery I've ever had did a drop-in clinic in the morning where you stand in line and first come, first in to the doctor. My current surgery has online appointment booking. Both are good.
Services: midwifery, chiropody, counselling, blood tests, family planning all in the surgery. Some GPs are homeopaths, if that's something that appeals to you? You're looking for a member of the faculty of homeopaths, if so. Specialist nurse-led clinics for asthma etc, if that's an issue for your family.
Location.

[orangefoot]

Have you thought about dentists? Finding a good dentist without insurance (denplan for example) is another deal entirely.

I declined health surveillance but still had an introduction letter form the Hvs.

[Helen_A]

A quick word of warning though - its by no means certain that, even in an area 'covered' by more than one surgery/practice, you will be able to choose which surgery/practice you register with, or which doctor in that surgery/practise you end up 'on the list' of.

We were only able to register with the practise we are now with after the 'official' practise covering our postcode made it nigh on impossible to register with them (extremely unplesent, made demands for ID beyond that legally requested, would not register the children without their attendence - and only appt. for registration one hour a week at a time of day that would mean most children being taken out of school.... the list goes on). And we are all UK passport holders who were born here, had our NHS numbers etc etc etc.....

It is increasingly common that practises in an area will 'take turns' taking on new patients (especially when very full) and even then you will be allocated to the list of the GP they decide not you (we have the situation now that the children are on one GPs list, I am on another and DP on a 3rd, all with the same practise admitedly, but in a practise where you cannot 'choose' to see a GP other than the one whose list you are on.... and as it is common practise for a GP not to have read the notes of the patient they see until they are in front of them, a complete PITA when you are dealing with issues that could have a genetic component....)

[guestmama9920]

Originally Posted by flapjack

You are asked to request child health surveillance when you register- just don't tick the box. Simple as that.

You'll be within catchment for several GP surgeries, so I'd suggest picking up patient information leaflets for several (in person, you need to check out the receptionists.) The things to look for:
Appointment booking systems, and number of DNAs (if that number is high, it's probably quite difficult to get appointments.) The best GP surgery I've ever had did a drop-in clinic in the morning where you stand in line and first come, first in to the doctor. My current surgery has online appointment booking. Both are good.
Services: midwifery, chiropody, counselling, blood tests, family planning all in the surgery. Some GPs are homeopaths, if that's something that appeals to you? You're looking for a member of the faculty of homeopaths, if so. Specialist nurse-led clinics for asthma etc, if that's an issue for your family.
Location.

We didn't tick for child health but we got it anyway. I think with the new "safeguarding kids" thing you have no choice.

[Helen_A]

They cannot, in theory, register you for it without your express consent. However, should you leave the box blank without notation, practise managers are encouraged to assume that you missed the box and that you are therefore consenting by *not* marking the box either....

However - some (but not all) PCTs have opted their vaccination services out of CHS and therefore register for vaccination reminders based on the returns from your change of address against your NHS number. In this case you mutter at the surgery about a registration against your consent for CHS (because nominally they are the same 'system') and the surgery must then arrange to have that child removed from the PCTs system as well.

Clear as sodding mud isn't it :

There have not (yet!) been any changes within England, Wales and Scotland that allow them to use 'safeguarding' as a means to register you anyway. The situation is different in NI.

[calpurnia]

we never get any reminders about vaccinations at all

[guestmama9920]

Well they send us stuff all the time and we're told the only way to make it stop is to........ drum roll......... vax them

[AlexisT]

I got 1 reminder (I do vaccinate but I missed an appointment) but I remember it saying they wouldn't bother me any more, or words to that effect. And I did tick the box for CHS (I don't think I even knew what it was at the time).

WBVs are structured a bit oddly - there are fewer visits with the doc; mostly you just go to the walk-in clinic for height and weight. If you never showed up for ANY of the checks, that might be a red flag I suppose and you might get a nagging letter or something.

[flapjack]

Well, given that we requested CHS and River has yet to be summoned for any of his appointments, vax, anything : But then, that's Swindon for you : I don't know what went wrong, but as I know my health visitor knows I exist and where to find her (though not what her name is this week, we've got through three in 16 months) that suits me. With Skye, when we cancelled three appointments that the PCT made for us (for vaccinations, at 3.30pm in the afternoon. Yes, right, how much trouble is it to check your records and see she has two older brothers? I got a phone call from the HV. We talked about the fact that we were delaying indefinitely, don't call us, we'll call you, and the forms stopped.

[guestmama9920]

HV's vary so greatly from area to area. I do know with the whole "safegaurding" children stuff that is getting big though the HV's are being pushed to get more involved.

I've heard of people being forced to vax in the UK, it does happen.

[AutumnAir]

Really? How on earth do they justify that?

It's actually one of the reasons we moved here. We were living in the Czech Republic where vaxing is mandatory, regardless and you can face stiff fines/penalties if you don't vax. I wanted to come live in a country that has some understanding of the right to informed consent/refusal.

I still haven't sorted it out - we've been in the new place for 2 weeks now, but just now starting to settle in. My next project will be going to pick up information leaflets at the nearest doctors offices and see where that gets me.

[guestmama9920]

Vaxs are like anything else, if the doctor doesn't think your making the best choice for your child they can step in and make that choice for you.

The UK child protection laws are very different to many places and sadly are very awful at times.

The Uk is a lovely place to live but some of the laws make it VERY unfriendly to families.

[Helen_A]

*Forced* to vax in the UK only happens after court cases. Now if your child presents in hospital *without* you a doctor there may decide to vax first and deal with the fall out later, *but* (big but) unless the vax is 100% relevent to the presenting issues they are likely to be struck off for doing so (and some have been).

Other than this it is almost always confined to situations where custody is involved (i.e. disputes between parents and/or other carers).