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16-11-2019, 02:34 PM
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Doctor not on call

GP's want to abolish home visits. The BMA think too many able-bodied people demand home visits when they are able to get to the surgery. Under the last Labour governmet BMA negotiated contract to stop evening and weekends working.

Frail and elderly must be exempt from this, surely, if living alone in remote area without transport. Might save a 999 call and unnecessary visit to A&E.
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16-11-2019, 02:45 PM
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Re: Doctor not on call

Although I hate the idea of Doctors not making home visits any more, I can appreciate that a lot of patients, in certain areas, might put it on a bit to save them going to the surgery. These are possibly the same people who go to the doctors because they have a cold. We know who they are.
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16-11-2019, 02:50 PM
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Re: Doctor not on call

It does not matter what system is introduced because there will always be dishonest and bad people out there that will abuse it which usually ends in it being abolished.

Everything that is designed to help and/or assist the less fortunate, the ill, the disabled, the homeless, is always abused by those who have a dishonest nature/attitude. Fit and able bodied people claiming disability allowance, these same people claiming they are too ill to work so claim unemployment benefit, housing benefit, child benefit, basically any benefit, designed to help all of us in the short time when he hit bad luck, say a death in the family or loss of job and need time to get back on our feet again.

Where i live I've seen people claim they are homeless when in fact they are not, they live outside the area, drive in, dress to look homeless then drive back to their own home, yes, a house they either own or rent (yes these people do get reported for being frauds). I've seen people who the locals know work full time, take home decent money but have been seen at our local church asking for food parcels (again these people get reported).

It is a disgrace that many humans behave like this and this is why i am in total support of the BMA over home visits by doctors because the system is being abused far to regularly by the dishonest and lazy people who cannot be bothered to go down to the GP's surgery.
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16-11-2019, 03:09 PM
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Re: Doctor not on call

I think doctors have a duty to obviously vulnerable patients, if they believe some are 'pulling a fast one' then it is acceptable to refuse. If a patient is housebound what are they expected to do.
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16-11-2019, 03:28 PM
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Re: Doctor not on call

In my new (temporary) surgery there are pictures illustrating what deserves a home visit, and what doesn’t. Top of the list of the latter is ‘lack of transport/no money’.

The first one for the former is ‘bedbound’. Well that still didn’t help me a few years ago when I asked for a home visit, as ‘I didn’t fit their criteria’. It was a further 4-5 days before I felt able to leave my bed.

I do believe they currently give priority to the elderly and infirm, and those who are terminally ill, and probably children, but sometimes, just sometimes, those of us inbetween need that help and support. And yes, a shame for those who abuse the system and spoil it for the rest of us.
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16-11-2019, 03:48 PM
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Re: Doctor not on call

Even though in my post i said i can understand the decision of the BMA, i am a very strong supporter of the need and keeping home visits because of the help and support it has given to various close members of my family, my grandparents, rest in peace and more recently my father who had major surgery back in April due to cancer and then getting an infection that resulted in Sepsis. His road to recovery has meant he has had to have a few home visits by the doctor because at the time he was not able to get to hospital. So yes, home visits are a must BUT at the same time there has to be some kind of system in place that prevents is from being abuse but that is extremely difficult due to all the protections and rights humans have. A surgery cannot ask this because it may cause discrimination, a surgery cannot ask that because it be a breach of the persons human right, so unfortunately, the genuine home visits are included in with the frauds.
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16-11-2019, 04:04 PM
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Re: Doctor not on call

Originally Posted by Dodge ->
Even though in my post i said i can understand the decision of the BMA, i am a very strong supporter of the need and keeping home visits because of the help and support it has given to various close members of my family, my grandparents, rest in peace and more recently my father who had major surgery back in April due to cancer and then getting an infection that resulted in Sepsis. His road to recovery has meant he has had to have a few home visits by the doctor because at the time he was not able to get to hospital. So yes, home visits are a must BUT at the same time there has to be some kind of system in place that prevents is from being abuse but that is extremely difficult due to all the protections and rights humans have. A surgery cannot ask this because it may cause discrimination, a surgery cannot ask that because it be a breach of the persons human right, so unfortunately, the genuine home visits are included in with the frauds.
It makes sense for those recovering from illness or injury to been seen at home, if that will benefit their recuperation.
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16-11-2019, 04:07 PM
8

Re: Doctor not on call

Home visits are incredibly important to the elderly particularly those who are semi or immobile and the mentally ill.. I think the service should be extended given hiw hard it is to get a gp appointment and the beds crisis. It should not be rationed and GPs should have on call in their contract.
 

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