Changing Doctor question

Hi, Im looking for some advice I guess. Ive been with my doctor for about 7 years now. I have found her very good in the past.
However, since I got my fibromyalgia diagnosis , I am starting to feel that every time I go to her for some other complaint, she thinks its all in my head.
For example, Ive been having pelvice pain since last febuary, she did forward me on to the hospital, thats another story.
A few weeks before Christmas I was in a lot of pain with my kidneys, and I went to her and told her, that I was in pain, and felt like my kidneys were ripping.

She pretty much said, it was my imagination, that kidneys dont swell. She didnt offer me a urine test.
Also another time, when I went for a scan, and they found nothing, she said it was physcosimatic(spelling?) A follow up scan revealed I have Adenymyosis, and as a result, I am due to have my ovary removed in march.

Cut a long story short, Im no longer comfortable going to see her. Im very annoyed about it the more I think about it.

I want to get a new doctor. Im curious, as to how would my new doctor get my old records?
Should I tell my current doctor first? Can I just switch? is there any legalities as to who owns my records?

Thanks in advance.

Jacqui

Olduvai

It's important that you have a good relationship with your doctor and that they listen to you and are not dismissive. You have the right to change doctors or seek second opinions if you are not happy with the standard of service you are receiving.

You dont say whether you are a private fee paying patient (you can change to any doctor) or if you have a GMS/Doctor's only visit card. If you are a GMS holder, you can only go to a doctor who is participating in the GMS system. The new doctor will also have to be accepting new persons onto their list. You can get a list of participating doctors from your local HSE office GMS section.

To access your medical records, this can be done in either of two ways. You can ask your new GP to write to your old GP and the new doctor will ask that your medical records be forwarded on. Normally, you will have to give written authorization for the release.

Alternatively, you do have the legal right to access all medical records held in hard and electronic format under the statutory provisions of the Data Protection Acts. You can then give the records to your new doctor. Information on how to put in an application can be got from the data protection commissioners office and there is usually a small charge of €6.30 to accompany the application.

There are no legal implications from changing doctors. Its up to you whether you want to tell your old GP of the reason why you want to change although you dont have a responsibility to tell them. It may however be constructive.

Olduvai

Olduvai wrote: »

It's important that you have a good relationship with your doctor and that they listen to you and are not dismissive. You have the right to change doctors or seek second opinions if you are not happy with the standard of service you are receiving.

You dont say whether you are a private fee paying patient (you can change to any doctor) or if you have a GMS/Doctor's only visit card. If you are a GMS holder, you can only go to a doctor who is participating in the GMS system. The new doctor will also have to be accepting new persons onto their list. You can get a list of participating doctors from your local HSE office GMS section.

To access your medical records, this can be done in either of two ways. You can ask your new GP to write to your old GP and the new doctor will ask that your medical records be forwarded on. Normally, you will have to give written authorization for the release.

Alternatively, you do have the legal right to access all medical records held in hard and electronic format under the statutory provisions of the Data Protection Acts. You can then give the records to your new doctor. Information on how to put in an application can be got from the data protection commissioners office and there is usually a small charge of €6.30 to accompany the application.

There are no legal implications from changing doctors. Its up to you whether you want to tell your old GP of the reason why you want to change although you dont have a responsibility to tell them. It may however be constructive.

Thank you so much for your very helpful reply. Its much appreciated. I am a private paying client, so thats good to know that I can switch to any doctor.
Also, thanks for mentioning the Data Acts, that will be most helpful to me.
I take your point, that it may indeed be constructive to let her know, why I am moving on.

Thanks again for taking the time.

Jacqui

kangaroo

I think some patients, particularly private patients, are not all monogamous with regard to their doctors. You could always start with a second one and not "break it off" with the first one at least until you knew you were happy with the second one. At least I get the impression some people do this. People can often have two doctors "on the go" e.g. people in college may use the free college doctor during term-time. Also in multi-doctor practices, some people sometimes switch (swing?) around a bit. One could get a doctor near work (if work wasn't next to home) and claim that was the reason if one wanted to have two on the go for a while.