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I just dont know what I have done wrong!.

Deleted User

Hi all.

I got a warning from the GP surgery not to email them and to try and engage.

However today I received a text as the email wouldnt work (I know the irony) telling me they are removing me from their list and I have to find a new GP.  TBH I dont know what I have supposed to have done wrong? I mean yeah they did call last week but didnt ask me to call them back, they say I am difficult to engage, yeah I have autism. A couple of times I couldnt make an appointment tha was booked, I always let them know. My phone might had rang when I were asleep, on the bus, away from my phone etc. So I calmed down, and called the practice I asked to speak to the manager, the receptionist wasnt very friendly which made matters worse, she said the manager's decision is final, she dont want to speak to me, thats the end of it.

Now my mental health isnt the best and I was hoping to hear from the GP and CMHT regarding voices, my mental health has had a hard knock from this, is there anything I can do? The British medical council says only a GP can remove you as a last report, not a manager.  I do feel this is maybe discrimination ?? any advice?

BTW re my mental health am trying to keep a lid on things, but this had made me very angry. I was hoping to hear back from the CMHT too as the voices have started again.. I called the out of hours service last night and they were going to call the CMHT today and as per usual theres been no communication.

  • I don’t know enough about the health care system in the UK so I can’t really give any advice except from filing a formal complaint (that probably won’t do anything sadly). Let me just say that I’m very sorry you’re not getting the help you need right now. I hope you’ll be able to figure something out! Keep your head up and best wishes!

  • I'd suggest making a formal complaint to whoever is in charge (probably the practise manager, but could also be a senior doctor). They will have a published complaints policy which mirrors the nationwide NHS complaints policy - make sure you follow it and make sure they follow it too! Check your surgery's website to see if they have an online copy of the policy. Also check your local area's "Healthwatch" organisation for general advice on NHS complaints.

    There are various reasons why a GP can remove you from their list. Usually, they have to give you multiple warnings. So for example, they could remove you if you repeatedly fail to attend appointments without cancelling and without good reason, but they would have to warn you about this first. The only time they can remove you from a list immediately is if you have been violent (do bare in mind that some practises seem to have a VERY broad definition of violence - just raised voices at the reception desk might be included in this definition - you don't really know until they moan about it).

    A 'good reason' for not attending etc could be that you have an unreliable bus service, or your health makes attending on time difficult. But these are things they ought to be able to work with you to sort out rather than removing you from the list.

    If you make a complaint, make it clear what you *think* has gone wrong, and what could be done to fix it. So if you aren't around to answer the telephone, tell them that you'd prefer a letter/email. If you struggle to get to your appointment for whatever reason, try and figure out what they could do to help. If the receptionist has been rude or unhelpful, make this clear and ask them to explain things to you simply.

    They are obliged to respond to your complaint letter in a certain time scale, so make sure they do. They might want to telephone you to discuss it. If you are happy with this, fine. If not, it may be helpful to mention in the complaint that you will only deal with it in writing, as it will give you time to read it and seek independent help.

    If you don't want to complain directly to the GP surgery, you can complain to the "Integrated Care Board". ICBs are the authorities which commission GP services and they can deal with a complaint on your behalf. This may be a good option if the complaint concerns you being removed from a GPs list as they will be able to decide whether the surgery was in the wrong.

    I hope that helps. Do let us know how you get on.

  • in reply to Iain

    Some years back my grandparents got kicked out of their GP surgery (after being patients for decades), because one of them was overheard by another patient as saying something mildly offensive, and they complained to the practise manager. We all think the surgery was in the wrong here - they should have sent my grandparents a warning letter instead, but they chose to remove them from the list immediately. 

    I'm not accusing LR1998 of saying or doing anything wrong here but it does go to show how misunderstandings (especially with people who are a bit blunt and who speak their mind) can get on the wrong side of overzealous managers.

  • in reply to Iain

    Absolutely not. I've always been polite. They did say the emergency services previously who put in referrals had added extra pressure. I can't be held for what other agencies do. This is because im autistic. 

  • Unknown said:
    they say I am difficult to engage, yeah I have autism.

    I think this will boil down to whether you were deemed to be abusive to them during the "difficult engagement".

    Was there any shouting at them, calling names or abusive behaviour on your part?

    I think they will have a zero tolerance approach to this regardless of whether you are autistic or not so it could have been the trigger.

  • in reply to Peter

    Thank you.  I have contacted the surgery, no luck. The icb I did earlier however they say it will take up to 60 days. Is there anything else I can do now to get the ball rolling?

  • Well to start with you can complain to PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) and the ICB (integrated care board). GPs are not free to do what ever they want. They have to answer to the NHS and ultimately to the courts too in cases of discrimination.