GP registration while travelling.

Mar 14, 2005
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Like many of us of a certain age, we like to escape the winter by taking the caravan to Spain from Christmas to Easter. Due to cost of ferries etc. we usually try to stay as long as we can thus reducing the effictive cost per day. This has worked well, reducing UK fuel bills during the most demanding time and keeping us healthy.
Also like many others we need to take prescribed medicines to stabilise common conditions which we obtain from our GP in the usual way.

This year, however, we are told that the maximum prescription can be for 2 months (in practice less as the tablets are in units of 28) and that if we are out of the country for more than 90 days we shall be de-registered by our GP practice and have to re-register on return.

The reasons given are that GPs are paid a fee per patient but only for an absence of the patient for up to 3 months, and that if they failed to de-register us they could be accused of fraud by taking money for 'non-existant' patients. This is clearly a nonsense in most cases but presumably there have been instances of GP's taking money for 'ghost' patients.

I believe I saw somewhere that the 90 day rule does not apply to those of us over 65 but can find no reference to this.

I would much appreciate any feedback or leads to other information sources (I have trawled the official NHS pages without result) and also any recent experiences on obtaining prescription medicines in Spain e.g. whether the patient copy of the NHS repeat prescription form is accepted without having to see a Spanish doctor, how easy it is to reclaim money from NHS when back in UK and any other useful tips.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Ray
My understanding is that UK pensioners can spend up to six months in another EU country before they need to re-apply for free hospital treatment and I would assume the same rules apply to GP's. Your doctor is a bit mean with the supply of medication, we are allowed 12 weeks supply at a time. We tend only to be away for a couple of months at a time so its never really an issue. If we knew we were going away for longer we would tend to start harvesting pills so that we had enough by applying a little earlier each time! Getting medication in EU would not be a big problem but you are likely to have to pay.
Have you actually spoken personally to your doctor on the matter, rather than reception? Perhaps you should write to your local Health Authority to get some clarfication on this matter, or change your doctor!

David
 
Apr 1, 2010
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Like David we get 3 months supply for our 12 week holiday in Europe in the Spring. Normally our Surgery will only supply 1 month at a time which is Government ruling. But will prescribe 3 months when being out of the country for that length of time. No idea what would happen for longer period.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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What we have done for the last few years is to renew our prescription a bit earlier each month we are home, then by the time we go we have enough "harvested" medication to last us for a few months. Our GP knows that we go away for 3months or more and has never suggested that we would have to de-register.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Greetings,
Ten years ago we emigrated from Yorkshire to Cornwall and the first problem that we incurred was the refusal of the Health service to give us a repeat prescription for more than a month. Up to then we had received a three monthly prescription.
The reason given was that Cornwall is full of pensioners and the local family practitioner health committee couldn't afford the prescription bill.
We had to go onto a yearly prescription contract.
Now that that is no longer a problem, we then faced the problem of getting sufficient medication for three monthly trips. I did as others do (apparently) and 'shave' a few days off the repeat prescription in order to build up a stock.
I have even had a request for two months refused because I had the temerity to refuse to state on my request the reason for my request (as if all and sundry have the right to know when and where I am going on holiday.) My next request for a 'double dose' was met with more than a raised eyebrow when I declared I was "trekking in the jungles of Borneo" Actually I was visiting my daughter in Brunei.
 
Nov 12, 2007
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I have never heard of being de-registered after 90 days either!

Like others, we now stockpile medication so we always have plenty in hand when it's time to go away. We had no problems getting the required supply until 2008, when the doctor said they wre now only allowed to issue a prescription for 2 months at a time. He then suggested we shouls start stockpiling and immediately issued a prescription. We were then able to get another one before we left, giving us plenty for 3 months.

Now, it just takes a little planning to accumulate sufficient supplies. Last year we managed 4 months away without problems. Best plan is to tell the practice as little as possible!
 
Mar 14, 2005
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The problem arose because there has been a general tightening up of repeat prescriptions to avoid waste - e.g when you pop your clogs still having a cupboard full of drugs, or your GP changes your medicine. Returned drugs have to be destroyed, not just put down the pan, and the bill last year to our 5 doctor practice was around £75,000 - money which could obviously be better spent. Wehn I asked for extra supplies, the question was asked why a standard repeat would not be sufficient, but, have just had one for 2 months, I could only have one more month now. Month usually means 28 days so in a year you actually need 13 packs not 12.
With hindsight, I should have just shut up, ordered my repeat on-line from Spain, and got a friend to collect and re-dspatch to me. Unfortunately ( but fortunately for them) the freinds best sorted to do this will also be in Spain, and there is no one else close enough. In any case, I do not see that medicine which would be freely and easliy available in UK had I stayed home in the bad weather should not be available to me in small quantities to enable me to travel freely - almost a 'uman rights' matter I would have thought.

Having failed completly to find anything useful on NHS or CAB websites, I wrote to my MP and am please that he has sent the question on to the Minister of Health. Since our MP is Deputy Leader of the Commons I trust he and I will receive a consdered answer. When such a reply will arrive is, of course, another question, but if possible I will post the reply here.
In the meantime thank you all for your replies and a Merry Christmas !
 
Mar 14, 2005
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now heard from NHS:

Dear Mr Smith,

Thank you for your correspondence of 13 December about removal from your GP practice's patient list. I have been asked to reply.

I should clarify that a GP practice is obliged to provide NHS primary medical services only to those on its list of NHS patients.

Primary care trusts (PCTs) are required to remove from GP practices’ lists the names of patients who either intend to leave the UK for at least three months or who have been out of the country for more than three months at a time when the PCT becomes aware of their absence, regardless of their age. The individual would then need to re-register on their return.

I hope this reply is helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Walker
Customer Service Centre
Department of Health
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Ray S said:
now heard from NHS:
Dear Mr Smith,

Primary care trusts (PCTs) are required to remove from GP practices’ lists the names of patients who either intend to leave the UK for at least three months or who have been out of the country for more than three months at a time when the PCT becomes aware of their absence, regardless of their age. The individual would then need to re-register on their return. I hope this reply is helpful. Yours sincerely, Sarah Walker Customer Service Centre Department of Health

Ray
I suppose this is the key part of the letter. How would they become aware? We are rarely away for more than 2 months at a time so its not really a problem for us. Could be worth sending a copy of the letter to your MP explaining why people might want to be out of the UK for longer than 3 months but at the same time not intending to stay abroad. It seems a complete nonsense to me.

David
 
Dec 14, 2006
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It's hardly inspiring, as regards providing continuity of care is it - if you have to re-register each time you have a holiday longer than three months!
Imagine what might happen if you couldn't re-register with the same practice on your return? It wouldn't inspire confidence if each time you were away on holiday you had to get to know a new GP!
I would hope that most practices treat this requirement with a pinch of salt, but that Ray's is 'sticking to the letter of the law'!
 

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