Doctor rant
… and not the usual “stupid doctors” one either 
A few weeks ago I posted about how we could no longer stay registered with the same GP, because we’d moved. And I mentioned that one of the GPs in the old practice had recommended another practice, near to where we live now, that she felt would be a good fit.
Well, there is an issue that I’d quite like to discuss with a professional - not necessarily a GP, but I’d need a GP referral to get to the appropriate professional. So I decided to get registered and make an appointment, and phoned the practice near where we live now.
Except it isn’t near enough, it seems. We are just outside their catchment area, so they won’t/can’t take us (I don’t know which, and the result’s the same). There are two practices which are closer to us (by about … oh, it must be a whole mile), but I’ve asked around and they don’t seem to be the kind of practice that is very keen on patients who don’t swallow whole everything the doctor says. Apparently one of them is “okay about breastfeeding” - not sure exactly what that means, but it doesn’t tell me much about how they’d feel about nursing toddlers. No idea where they stand on things like no vaccines, home-education, etc. (Yes, I know home-ed is not a medical issue, but I’ve heard about enough GPs who’ve made it their business, so would really rather avoid having to justify it to them.) And I’ve irritated enough GPs in my life by asking questions, researching stuff myself etc; it’s not that I mind irritating GPs, but it’s nicer to have a GP who just accepts that that’s how you are, and understands that it’s nothing personal.
What kind of system decides it’s not okay to be registered with a doctor 30 miles away, but it’s just fine not to have a GP at all, even when you want one?
So what do I do? Do I register with one of the local practices and hope for the best? Do I walk into Children’s Casualty and say “I know this can’t, however stretchy your imagination, be considered an emergency, but I’d like to speak to someone” (and then wait until all the other, more urgent, cases - that is, everyone else there - has been seen)? Do I just give up, consult the library and the internet and hope I’m not missing anything?
Bloody stupid system.
In: family, life, rants and moans
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Register, try them out, then unregister?
Or ring NHS Direct? Do you have any drop-in centres?
I saw my doctor, who i really like, the other week. BFing came up and he asked when i was going to stop. I said “Well when she wants to i suppose, but she doersn’t seem to want to.” and his reply was “Well, if you canvas the opinion of infants…” at which point i jumped in with “Well, i do have four children and i’m only breastfeeding the 10 month old, so i guess i’m capable of weaning them.” He looked ruefully at me and backed off, while i marvelled at how assertive i can be these days!
Ooooh…Merry getting assertive, whatever next? ;~)
No drop-ins around here, and it’s not really a NHS Direct kind of thing. I think I’ll start with the homeopath, and if she can’t do anything for us, then I’ll seek other options.
(I do like the idea of canvassing the opinion of infants re bf btw!)