GPs deregistering patients

russet there is already a thread on this up and running.

Where, Aka?

The article I read blamed not just a recruitment crisis, but also the increasing number of patients registering with NHC practices (including immigrants attracted by the availability of agricultural labouring jobs).

It highlighted the plight of a 95 year old woman who had been with one surgery all her adult life but had recently been told she was to be de-registered and must attend another surgery some miles away. An NHS spokesperson said their decisions on who to de-register were based on geographical criteria so there could be no question of 'targeting' certain groups or individuals.

The geographical (or catchment) area thing affected me in 1998. The surgery I was registered at was just as convenient for me as a nearer one because I passed it daily on my cycling commute to and from work, but when I moved house by a few miles, they told me I needed to register with a different practice. I did that.

It is a shame that there always seem to be people, like the woman ana mentions, who are badly affected when what appear to be reasonable rules are applied without care.

I'm finding that report fairly scary.

When we moved to this village from town, I told the GP I wasn't looking forward to moving practices as I didn't like one of the GPs. He said he would ask the rest of the partners if we could stay with them. We were so pleased when they said yes.

Unfortunately, all the partners from our practice are now retired or have moved on to other things and I am worried that someone, who doesn't know us, will insist we move.

The practice in our village has recently become 'affiliated' with Leicester University as a GP training practice BUT, since the village has recently, and is currently, growing by 1000 houses, and the practice has no room for expansion, I doubt they will be taking any more patients on the downward slope either.

If GPs are deregistering patients I hope they start with the ones who make appointments and then don't turn up. I don't attend my doctor's surgery very often but every time I have been there I have seen a notice about how many people missed appointments. I know there has been talk about charging people for GP appointments but instead of that why not charge people for missing appointments.

Haven't attended a surgery in 10years.

sunseeker - patients don't always intentionally miss an appointment. I have received, this morning, a 'further' appointment (6 months from now) for an appointment I missed last Thursday with a consultant; I never received a letter informing me of that appointment. I hadn't questioned why no appointment had been sent yet as it wasn't supposed to be until late-July. I will still appear as a no-show though.