Changing GP

Strumms

Folks, anyone done this or know what’s involved? What i have read seems to indicate that you choose a new GP they will request your file or a copy from the previous surgery / doctor. Is there anything in addition that I’d need to complete ?

I’ve been with my current GP for about six years and up to this point have been more than happy but had a rather ‘strange’, unprofessional and unpleasant consultation with them during the week, even allowing for them having a bad day I’m not really of the want to continue in their care after it.

Graces7

i have changed GPs a few times when I have moved. Just went to the new one and registered.

Strumms

Graces7 wrote: »

i have changed GPs a few times when I have moved. Just went to the new one and registered.

Ok, thanks, from what I can tell from further reading the new doctor would request from the old doctor

Page 13...

https://www.medicalcouncil.ie/News-and-Publications/Reports/Working-with-your-doctor.pdf

splinter65

Strumms wrote: »

Ok, thanks, from what I can tell from further reading the new doctor would request from the old doctor

Page 13...

https://www.medicalcouncil.ie/News-and-Publications/Reports/Working-with-your-doctor.pdf

Hi Strumms
Have you a medical card?
If you have, you will go to the GP of your choice, if they agree to take you on then you fill in this form
https://www2.hse.ie/file-library/medical-cards/medical-card-and-gp-visit-card-change-of-gp-form-english.pdf
Your new GP fills in his bit, you send it off to medical cards and wait to hear from them.
Be warned, medical cards do not always approve these moves.
Good luck.

Graces7

splinter65 wrote: »

Hi Strumms
Have you a medical card?
If you have, you will go to the GP of your choice, if they agree to take you on then you fill in this form
https://www2.hse.ie/file-library/medical-cards/medical-card-and-gp-visit-card-change-of-gp-form-english.pdf
Your new GP fills in his bit, you send it off to medical cards and wait to hear from them.
Be warned, medical cards do not always approve these moves.
Good luck.

Last time I had to change because of a long distance house move, card reg got into a total tangle for various reasons and it took many months literally to sort it out. Also for some reason the new GP never got my notes so there was a total chaos re my essential meds. Never had an issue before when it was a change of address/county etc. I finally had to contact my previous GP now retired to sort it out.

splinter65

Graces7 wrote: »

Last time I had to change because of a long distance house move, card reg got into a total tangle for various reasons and it took many months literally to sort it out. Also for some reason the new GP never got my notes so there was a total chaos re my essential meds. Never had an issue before when it was a change of address/county etc. I finally had to contact my previous GP now retired to sort it out.

It’s very complicated if you move Graces. It shouldn’t be so difficult for people. It’s very badly run the whole thing.

Gatling

Graces7 wrote: »

Last time I had to change because of a long distance house move, card reg got into a total tangle for various reasons and it took many months literally to sort it out. Also for some reason the new GP never got my notes so there was a total chaos re my essential meds. Never had an issue before when it was a change of address/county etc. I finally had to contact my previous GP now retired to sort it out.

But Practices don't have to accept new patients on medical cards this is where an issue might arise and does frequently

splinter65

Gatling wrote: »

But Practices don't have to accept new patients on medical cards this is where an issue might arise and does frequently

We have 7 GP practices in our town (pop. 10000approx.) currently.
None are taking any new patients, 2 single GP practices are retiring by the end of the year.
The last GP to retire (a famous pop stars father) was forced to literally walk out and bang the door behind him and leave his patients there abandoned eventually as the HSE spent nearly 2 years searching for a replacement and the poor man was done in.
A Spanish GP was eventually secured.

Gatling

splinter65 wrote: »

We have 7 GP practices in our town (pop. 10000approx.) currently.
None are taking any new patients, 2 single GP practices are retiring by the end of the year.
The last GP to retire (a famous pop stars father) was forced to literally walk out and bang the door behind him and leave his patients there abandoned eventually as the HSE spent nearly 2 years searching for a replacement and the poor man was done in.
A Spanish GP was eventually secured.

I seen it in tallaght a while back when 3000 medical card patients were transferred to one practice alone ,
It took weeks for long term patients to get appointments even with longer opening hours

Strumms

Thanks all for the information. The document especially ill mull it over again and see.

Graces7

Gatling wrote: »

But Practices don't have to accept new patients on medical cards this is where an issue might arise and does frequently

well no; they accepted me just the notes were never transferred. Took me a long while to realise what was going on. I have permanent disability needing meds. They kept refusing. Then when light dawned I contacted my former GP and he sorted it. 15 months it took...

when I was moving to Mayo from kerry, my excellent GP was retiring. an inexperienced Spanish dr took over the practice. A kind Boots pharmacist explained to me that when a new GP takes over a practice all medical card patients are automatically assigned to him for 3 months..so he has a patient base..

so my card had gone from kerry to mayo then back to Kerry even though they were sending it to a mayo address.

The new man cottoned on to the codeine phobia... which he passed on to mayo without reference to my previous GP ; I have been on a stable dose for over a decade for severe pain.
so until my former GP contacted them? A painful time

And he posted letters to my kerry address...

Finally I wrote to him saying I was too ill to attend surgery and was asking for a house visit, " It will take over 6 hours driving then a ferry. here is the address of the ferry company."

Mayo medical card arrived within days. I had stopped taking it seriously. Only way to cope.

GP Here is waaay past retirement age and works one day a week. No replacement. One nearby GP is running a double practice anyways

Hard times ahead but you need a GP you can trust as the OP knows. Good luck!