Best approach for highlighting concerns re doctor

mrkdips

My family and I have grave concerns about the standard of care my local gp gives to my parents. Could write pages of detail but instead here are the bones of concerns.
Instead of completing proper root cause analysis if issues, doc just prescribes another cough bottle or posts them an antibiotic script without any visit. Around ten years ago my father was hospitalised with severe pernicious anemia and was told he needed b12 injections every quarter for rest of life. The doc only continued these injections for about six months after the hospital event. There has been ongoing symptoms with past few years of b12 deficiency but yet doc says there is no need for blood test etc. my father is very poorly at the moment having been prescribed over 9 different antibiotics, anti inflammatories and loads of cough exputex cough medicine in past month. We believe he is run down and has the symptoms are for b12 def and not colds.

My question to you is how do we approach this. Our parents would not want us to 'interfere '. We have been thinking of meeting the doctor and discussing our concerns calmly and professionally but the same doctor does not appear to be happy with suggestions from patients or their families. We also want to meet her to explain things which my parents may have taken as literal from her but continue to do now e.g. Mother takes two parcetomol every four hours cause she said the doctor told her she needs them. My mother thinks she needs to take them to prevent pain and not only if pain is there. She would not be considered to have very bad arthritis and when asked says it doesn't bother her at all.

Our local chemist we know isn't happy filling a script when she knows the doctor hasn't seen them. She mentioned it recently.

We have discussed with parents changing doc but they won't do that. That generation has such a high regard for doctors. They really have the doc on a pedestal. The doc cannot do any wrong. It is so frightening.

As you can imagine, we are at our wits end - any advice is appreciated.

spurious

Change doctor. Even just once to get your father checked soon.
Or find out when the regular doctor is on holidays and see the locum?

RobFowl

If you're not happy with a a doctor then best option is to change.

Mrs OBumble

OP, take no notice of the "change doctor" crowd - they clearly have no idea of how besotted some older people can by by white coats, and how resistant they are to change.

I had to deal with a similar situation (eg the GP had no idea that my mother had a CABG some years earlier, depsite the highly visible scar on her neck - she blatantly had not done a physical exam for a long time). Nature intervented in our case, forcing a change of GP which my mother had to accept, though was uphappy about.

In your case, I would seriously consider a complaint to the medical council - details here: http://www.medicalcouncil.ie/Public-Information/Making-a-Complaint-/

Also, I wonder would your father consider getting a 2nd opinion from another doctor? You could say he's a "specialist" in someting to make it more palatable to your father.

Maybe contact your local Age Action or similar, to see if there are other families they know of who might also make a complaint. Similarly make subtle enquiries at your local primary health-centre: it may be that the people there won't tell you about actions they take, but possibly if they start looking harder at the same time the medical council gets a complaint, wheels might turn upon wheels.

Good luck.

RobFowl

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

OP, take no notice of the "change doctor" crowd - they clearly have no idea of how besotted some older people can by by white coats, and how resistant they are to change.

I had to deal with a similar situation (eg the GP had no idea that my mother had a CABG some years earlier, depsite the highly visible scar on her neck - she blatantly had not done a physical exam for a long time). Nature intervented in our case, forcing a change of GP which my mother had to accept, though was uphappy about.

In your case, I would seriously consider a complaint to the medical council - details here: http://www.medicalcouncil.ie/Public-Information/Making-a-Complaint-/

Also, I wonder would your father consider getting a 2nd opinion from another doctor? You could say he's a "specialist" in someting to make it more palatable to your father.

Maybe contact your local Age Action or similar, to see if there are other families they know of who might also make a complaint. Similarly make subtle enquiries at your local primary health-centre: it may be that the people there won't tell you about actions they take, but possibly if they start looking harder at the same time the medical council gets a complaint, wheels might turn upon wheels.

Good luck.

No offence but what you're saying is change doctor by subterfuge and make a complaint at the same time?

Mrs OBumble

RobFowl wrote: »

No offence but what you're saying is change doctor by subterfuge and make a complaint at the same time?

Pretty much.

The current one is clearly useless, but a direct approach will fail. God love stubborn order people.

locum-motion

RobFowl wrote: »

No offence but what you're saying is change doctor by subterfuge and make a complaint at the same time?

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Pretty much...

But yet your first contribution (to which Rob was responding) was...

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

OP, take no notice of the "change doctor" crowd ...

Make up your mind!

Nonoperational

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

OP, take no notice of the "change doctor" crowd - they clearly have no idea of how besotted some older people can by by white coats, and how resistant they are to change.

I had to deal with a similar situation (eg the GP had no idea that my mother had a CABG some years earlier, depsite the highly visible scar on her neck - she blatantly had not done a physical exam for a long time). Nature intervented in our case, forcing a change of GP which my mother had to accept, though was uphappy about.

In your case, I would seriously consider a complaint to the medical council - details here: http://www.medicalcouncil.ie/Public-Information/Making-a-Complaint-/

Also, I wonder would your father consider getting a 2nd opinion from another doctor? You could say he's a "specialist" in someting to make it more palatable to your father.

Maybe contact your local Age Action or similar, to see if there are other families they know of who might also make a complaint. Similarly make subtle enquiries at your local primary health-centre: it may be that the people there won't tell you about actions they take, but possibly if they start looking harder at the same time the medical council gets a complaint, wheels might turn upon wheels.

Good luck.

Why has she got a highly visible scar on her neck after a CABG?

Gongoozler

OP the doctor cannot and should not discuss anything with you regarding your parents treatment. They're adults and if they're not getting the right treatment they should be able to go say something to him or change doctors. By all means if you think the doctor is being neglectful then make a complaint but the complaint will not go anywhere without input from your parents.

Mrs OBumble

Gongoozler wrote: »

OP the doctor cannot and should not discuss anything with you regarding your parents treatment. They're adults and if they're not getting the right treatment they should be able to go say something to him or change doctors. By all means if you think the doctor is being neglectful then make a complaint but the complaint will not go anywhere without input from your parents.

Ahh, that's not strictly speaking true.

Firstly, the parents can give the doctor permission to discuss things with anyone they (the parents) want them discussed with. And the parents can discuss things with anyone they like (eg telling an adult child that the doctor has discontinued treadment which a specialist recommended).

And different rules can apply in certain circumstances (personal power of attorney, or whatever it's called here).

Also, a doctor should listen to concerns from other family members, even if they cannot respond to them directly.

Adult children who are attentive are one of the best defence mechanisms protecting older people from medics who are not suited to working with older people.

Nonoperational wrote: »

Why has she got a highly visible scar on her neck after a CABG?

I have no idea. She's long since dead now, so it's not an issue any more. But it was no surprise to the nurses who looked after her at the time.

Gongoozler

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ahh, that's not strictly speaking true.

So what part of what I said isn't true? Obviously, if the patient gives permission it's a different thing, but it didn't sound to me that the OPs parents were giving permission as he/she said they don't want him/her interfering. And the doctor is not necessarily going to talk to the OP even if permission is granted. Power of attorney does not seem to be with the OP in these circumstances.

HeadPig

Gongoozler wrote: »

So what part of what I said isn't true? Obviously, if the patient gives permission it's a different thing, but it didn't sound to me that the OPs parents were giving permission as he/she said they don't want him/her interfering. And the doctor is not necessarily going to talk to the OP even if permission is granted. Power of attorney does not seem to be with the OP in these circumstances.

Nothing, it's all true. It seems the response was seemingly just a long-winded attempt to seem clever.

Xeyn

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Also, a doctor should listen to concerns from other family members, even if they cannot respond to them directly.

Adult children who are attentive are one of the best defence mechanisms protecting older people from medics who are not suited to working with older people.
.

They most certainly should not. They should only listen to family members if they require additional information that they feel seems pertinent. Doctors have no insight into family dynamics of people they have only recently come into contact with and there are too many subjective variables that could be at play when a family member tells you something.
Infact it's one of the most distressing things I've witnessed from quite a number of consultants in Ireland that they take family members word as fact which can have drastic moral and legal consequences especially when wills are concerned.
Worse I see consultants listening to the wishes of adult children on 'what is best' for the patient. Typically: 'my dad is old and a very anxious man, there is no need to tell him his diagnosis.'

I am not saying doctors should ignore family members, but it should be guarded advice taken and clinical judgement should be of primary concern.

Mrs OBumble

One of us has had to cope with a situation where an elder relative wanted to stay with a GP whose behaviour left a lot to be desired (eg refused to do a home visit because it was cold outside - I'm not kidding, the patient had to be brought out instead!) ... Oh, that's right, it's me.

I'd love it if we could all trust doctor's clinical judgement all the time. But we can't: Doctors, like bankers, nurses teachers, priests, cleaners, bus-drivers, etc come in pretty much all levels of professionalism and competence. That's why there are complaint mechanisms, and that's why family members need to keep a watchful eye on what is going on for their loved ones - old and not so old: eg someone I know had a first ever seizure. After the initial crisis was over, the hospital doctor's response was to minimise the seriousness and send her home saying "keep an eye on her, its probably a one-off". It wasn't until a family member with a medical background said their piece that the proper tests were done, diagnosis made and medication prescribed.

RobFowl

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

One of us has had to cope with a situation where an elder relative wanted to stay with a GP whose behaviour left a lot to be desired (eg refused to do a home visit because it was cold outside - I'm not kidding, the patient had to be brought out instead!) ... Oh, that's right, it's me.

Asking for a house call because it's cold out side would be refused as a reason by any GP's I know !

Gongoozler

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

One of us has had to cope with a situation where an elder relative wanted to stay with a GP whose behaviour left a lot to be desired (eg refused to do a home visit because it was cold outside - I'm not kidding, the patient had to be brought out instead!) ... Oh, that's right, it's me.

I'd love it if we could all trust doctor's clinical judgement all the time. But we can't: Doctors, like bankers, nurses teachers, priests, cleaners, bus-drivers, etc come in pretty much all levels of professionalism and competence. That's why there are complaint mechanisms, and that's why family members need to keep a watchful eye on what is going on for their loved ones - old and not so old: eg someone I know had a first ever seizure. After the initial crisis was over, the hospital doctor's response was to minimise the seriousness and send her home saying "keep an eye on her, its probably a one-off". It wasn't until a family member with a medical background said their piece that the proper tests were done, diagnosis made and medication prescribed.

A GP is perfectly within their rights to not do house calls, there is nothing wrong with that.

his_dudeness

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

One of us has had to cope with a situation where an elder relative wanted to stay with a GP whose behaviour left a lot to be desired (eg refused to do a home visit because it was cold outside - I'm not kidding, the patient had to be brought out instead!) ... Oh, that's right, it's me.

Was it the doc or your relative that had said it was too cold?

Clinic visits will always be optimal from a doctor point-of-view - more equipment, more medications available to hand. There's only so much that can fit in an on-call bag.

Not to mention time lost to other patients from preparation and travelling to the house call.

echo beach

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

One of us has had to cope with a situation where an elder relative wanted to stay with a GP whose behaviour left a lot to be desired

Being elderly, being sick or being dependent is not the same as being unable to make decisions for yourself. Even if somebody isn't fully mentally competent (which doesn't seem to be the case for these people whose health is being debated on the internet, perhaps without their knowledge or consent) they still have a right to have their wishes taken into consideration.
If somebody wants to continue attending a GP they like and trust have their children a right to tell them not to? The older person may have decided they don't want lots of tests and loads of medication. That is their choice. You don't have to like it but you do have to respect it

Mrs OBumble

Gongoozler wrote: »

A GP is perfectly within their rights to not do house calls, there is nothing wrong with that.

Firstly, let's be clear that it was the GP who said it was too cold to go outside. It wasn't that cold. But it was a hell of a lot more difficult for the elderly woman with double knee replacements and various other medical problems to go out than it would have been for the doctor to do so.

Frankly, a GP who totally refuses to do house-calls is in the wrong job. There are times when they are required, due to clinical need And as for the idea that there's more equipment and medication available in a clinic - don't make me laugh: with elderly people, a single home-visit gives far more insight into the patients actual living conditions and support systems than any clinic-based conversation ever will.


(And fyi, this incident happened in a country where the subsidy scheme which GPs operate under actually requires them to do house calls where required. Not only was the doctor's response pathetic, it was actually illegal.)

echo beach wrote: »

If somebody wants to continue attending a GP they like and trust have their children a right to tell them not to? The older person may have decided they don't want lots of tests and loads of medication. That is their choice. You don't have to like it but you do have to respect it

Sure - provided that the doctor's practise is considered to be acceptable by their peers. That's why I suggested that OP make a complain via the Medical Council, so that the doctor's peers can review the situation and act if necessary.

Gongoozler

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Firstly, let's be clear that it was the GP who said it was too cold to go outside. It wasn't that cold. But it was a hell of a lot more difficult for the elderly woman with double knee replacements and various other medical problems to go out than it would have been for the doctor to do so.

Frankly, a GP who totally refuses to do house-calls is in the wrong job. There are times when they are required, due to clinical need And as for the idea that there's more equipment and medication available in a clinic - don't make me laugh: with elderly people, a single home-visit gives far more insight into the patients actual living conditions and support systems than any clinic-based conversation ever will.


(And fyi, this incident happened in a country where the subsidy scheme which GPs operate under actually requires them to do house calls where required. Not only was the doctor's response pathetic, it was actually illegal.)





Sure - provided that the doctor's practise is considered to be acceptable by their peers. That's why I suggested that OP make a complain via the Medical Council, so that the doctor's peers can review the situation and act if necessary.

OK well you didn't say what country, so naturally I assumed Ireland, where it is not a requirement that a doctor makes a home visit for any reason. It seems very odd to me that any country has a legal obligation on a doctor to make house calls. What country are you talking about?

his_dudeness

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Firstly, let's be clear that it was the GP who said it was too cold to go outside. It wasn't that cold. But it was a hell of a lot more difficult for the elderly woman with double knee replacements and various other medical problems to go out than it would have been for the doctor to do so.

Frankly, a GP who totally refuses to do house-calls is in the wrong job. There are times when they are required, due to clinical need And as for the idea that there's more equipment and medication available in a clinic - don't make me laugh: with elderly people, a single home-visit gives far more insight into the patients actual living conditions and support systems than any clinic-based conversation ever will.


(And fyi, this incident happened in a country where the subsidy scheme which GPs operate under actually requires them to do house calls where required. Not only was the doctor's response pathetic, it was actually illegal.)





Sure - provided that the doctor's practise is considered to be acceptable by their peers. That's why I suggested that OP make a complain via the Medical Council, so that the doctor's peers can review the situation and act if necessary.

Does he refuse to do all house calls, or just THAT house call?

True, seeing the patient in her environment would give a better understanding of her issues; that is not an on-call job. That is a job for a properly resourced multidisciplinary team. An occupational therapist would be much better qualified to review the elderly woman's environment and provide recommendations as appropriate. The GP would still be able to work from his/her surgery with all the equipment and medications that they would have at hand, even if it does make you laugh.

By any chance, were you subsequently inconvenienced in having to bring the elderly relative to the doctor, instead of being able to wait for the doc to come to you?

mrkdips

Thanks everyone for the responses. I see my post caused a wee bit of debate.

Still same situation. But I have changed tact a bit and instead of getting upset and argumentative I am trying to explain things to my parents calmly and advice them of what to ask. They will never change doctors so I have to approach it differently. Being argumentative was just stressing us all so just trying to be calm and ensuring they ask all the questions.
I really frightens me that they can be so trusting. I think my approach did work a tiny bit. At the weekend, they admitted that when they went to doc to discuss a very bad rash that the doc gave a card of tabs and didn't even look. The doc only looked at the rash after three months of my dad having no sleep. My mother did say that the doc did do a blood test last week for my dad as he hasn't looked great. And it was only done when she said my daughters are worried and would like some more check ups done.

So if these little steps help, it is something. Still thinking of speaking to doc to ensure that she understands the full story of their nutrition bad habits and that perhaps my parents don't tell her everything Not confrontational. Just ensuring she has FULL facts

Still very worrying I must admit

Thanks all

echo beach

It is a very difficult situation for you but I'd say you are on the right track now. You may not find the ideal solution, because often there isn't one, but if you can find a middle way that is acceptable to both you and your parents you will have done very well.

Gongoozler

You could ask your parents could you sit in on their appointment with the doctor, that way you would be there to oversee it all. I don't know that the doctor would be under any obligation to agree to discuss anything with you even with your parents permission.

echo beach

Gongoozler wrote: »

You could ask your parents could you sit in on their appointment with the doctor, that way you would be there to oversee it all.

I don't know what the doctors on here would make of that suggestion but personally I don't think it is a good idea unless the parent is very confused or asks for assistance. It is a complete reversal of the parent/child role that can be difficult for both sides to adjust to.
Even when my mother was very ill and anxious and wanted somebody with her, most of her doctors liked to conduct at least part of the examination and consultation with her alone and then have the other person join to explain what the treatment and prognosis was and that usually worked very well.

Gongoozler

I know it's not ideal but she seems fairly insistent on being part of the whole thing.The doctor mmay not share any information about their treatment with her, so this is another possibility.

Mrs OBumble

his_dudeness wrote: »

By any chance, were you subsequently inconvenienced in having to bring the elderly relative to the doctor, instead of being able to wait for the doc to come to you?

No - I was not put out by it at all.

When I thought about it, I couldn't remember exactly how the problem was solved at the time. So I checked with my brother last night.

Turns out that the refusal to do "house" call actually happened the day after my mother moved into a nursing home. And it was in fact the best thing that could have happened: it meant that the head-nurse could go to my mother and say "Your doctor refuses to come here to see you. I need a doctor to work with. How about if you see one of the other GPs who comes here, for today anyway?" Mother agreed. Quality of primary care improved immediately.


I'm assuming that most of the doctors posting here aren't actually GPs, and have limited understanding of hour primary care works. I've never yet been in a GP clinic where they have medications on hand: they have prescription pads, and patients get the mediciation from a pharmacy. This page from Ireland's Citizen's Information service makes it clear that sometimes GP services are provided in the patients own home "as appropriate". And in this article, a comment from the IMO makes it clear that home visits do happen sometimes.


OP, I'm glad you're making some progress. It would be great if you can find out when the doctor will be away, and organise an appointment then when they see a locum. Also - see if any of your parents friends can possibly talk to them about how good 2nd opinions can be. Sometimes older people will take advice from an older person which they won't take from a younger one.

The period when your relationship with your parents changes from you being the child to you effectively being the "parent" is difficult, but pretty much inevitable as they get older/sicker.

Gongoozler

Firstly, the citizens advice are not a source of legal information. Secondly, they have been wrong in the past with my previous place of employment and we're asked to correct the misinformation. Thirdly what they're saying should be read in context, they're saying medical card patients are to be treated the same as private patients. They are not stating a doctor must see a patient at home.

And fourthly the imo is also not a source of legal information. They're a professional body nothing more. You can't find anything from the Medical Council tthat says they must, because it's not a requirement.

And you didn't name the country in which you say it is illegal.

Clark2014

mrkdips wrote: »

My family and I have grave concerns about the standard of care my local gp gives to my parents. Could write pages of detail but instead here are the bones of concerns.
Instead of completing proper root cause analysis if issues, doc just prescribes another cough bottle or posts them an antibiotic script without any visit. Around ten years ago my father was hospitalised with severe pernicious anemia and was told he needed b12 injections every quarter for rest of life. The doc only continued these injections for about six months after the hospital event. There has been ongoing symptoms with past few years of b12 deficiency but yet doc says there is no need for blood test etc. my father is very poorly at the moment having been prescribed over 9 different antibiotics, anti inflammatories and loads of cough exputex cough medicine in past month. We believe he is run down and has the symptoms are for b12 def and not colds.

My question to you is how do we approach this. Our parents would not want us to 'interfere '. We have been thinking of meeting the doctor and discussing our concerns calmly and professionally but the same doctor does not appear to be happy with suggestions from patients or their families. We also want to meet her to explain things which my parents may have taken as literal from her but continue to do now e.g. Mother takes two parcetomol every four hours cause she said the doctor told her she needs them. My mother thinks she needs to take them to prevent pain and not only if pain is there. She would not be considered to have very bad arthritis and when asked says it doesn't bother her at all.

Our local chemist we know isn't happy filling a script when she knows the doctor hasn't seen them. She mentioned it recently.

We have discussed with parents changing doc but they won't do that. That generation has such a high regard for doctors. They really have the doc on a pedestal. The doc cannot do any wrong. It is so frightening.

As you can imagine, we are at our wits end - any advice is appreciated.

This website may be of interest to you http://www.healthcomplaints.ie/

Mrs OBumble

Gongoozler wrote: »

Firstly, the citizens advice are not a source of legal information. Secondly, they have been wrong in the past with my previous place of employment and we're asked to correct the misinformation. Thirdly what they're saying should be read in context, they're saying medical card patients are to be treated the same as private patients. They are not stating a doctor must see a patient at home.

And fourthly the imo is also not a source of legal information. They're a professional body nothing more. You can't find anything from the Medical Council tthat says they must, because it's not a requirement.

And you didn't name the country in which you say it is illegal.

The country is irrelevant (though it's remarkably similar to Ireland in terms of health care service organisation - the GP subsidy scheme at the time even had the same name as Ireland does now).

I offered the anecdote to sympathise with the OP, and to make it very clear that sometimes doctors - yes even doctors, gasp! - behave in ways that fall short of their own professional standards, and society's standards for them. And to emphasise that IMHO adult children do have a responsibility to intervene on behalf of their ageing parents. Very often, even just having someone else keeping an eye on what is going on will get a vast change of behaviour from a health professional.

Whether or not home-visits are a legal requirement of operating a GP practise in Ireland is totally irrelevant. However it's clear that they sometimes do happen in practise, legally mandated or not.

spurious

mrkdips wrote: »

Still thinking of speaking to doc to ensure that she understands the full story of their nutrition bad habits and that perhaps my parents don't tell her everything

I would hope this is one of the first things potential doctors learn. It's not just your parents. People have all sorts of other symptoms that they often fail to mention as they think they are not relevant.

As House put it, 'Patients lie'.

Gongoozler

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

The country is irrelevant (though it's remarkably similar to Ireland in terms of health care service organisation - the GP subsidy scheme at the time even had the same name as Ireland does now).

I offered the anecdote to sympathise with the OP, and to make it very clear that sometimes doctors - yes even doctors, gasp! - behave in ways that fall short of their own professional standards, and society's standards for them. And to emphasise that IMHO adult children do have a responsibility to intervene on behalf of their ageing parents. Very often, even just having someone else keeping an eye on what is going on will get a vast change of behaviour from a health professional.

Whether or not home-visits are a legal requirement of operating a GP practise in Ireland is totally irrelevant. However it's clear that they sometimes do happen in practise, legally mandated or not.

But your very argument was that it was illegal. And it's not. It's a matter of opinion whether a doctor should do home visits and that's yours, not that of any body of importance. There are people who think a doctor shouldn't be allowed refuse to accept a new patient, but yet they are. Because it's only fair. Doctors have to have some rights themselves you know, as much as people would rather they didn't.

Mrs OBumble

Gongoozler wrote: »

But your very argument was that it was illegal. And it's not. It's a matter of opinion whether a doctor should do home visits and that's yours, not that of any body of importance. There are people who think a doctor shouldn't be allowed refuse to accept a new patient, but yet they are. Because it's only fair. Doctors have to have some rights themselves you know, as much as people would rather they didn't.

Ahh, no.

My comment was that the refusal was illegal - as well as unprofessional - in the time and and place where it happened. That is simply a fact. Even if I told you the country, you still could not do research to prove otherwise, unless I told you the month and year too. And even then it unlikely that the GMS rules from 10 years ago would still be on the Internet.

However. I'd like to think that even in Ireland
Ireland, today, if an existing medical card patient moved to a nursing home in the same neighbourhood, and the head nurse rang the patient's GP and asked for a consultation at the nursing home, then the GP would oblige.

Perhaps there are some practising GPs or nurses reading this who could comment on what happens in practice, because itcould be something that's useful for the op to know in the future.

Gongoozler

Often a doctor will do a house visit, but they are not obliged to, and it would have no bearing on their ability to practise.

Sorry, but you can't say you're not saying where this is supposedly a rule, and expect anyone to believe you.

And I'm not doing any research on the Internet, I'm just aware of the guides and rules.

Xeyn

I may be picking you up wrong but I get the impression that you feel that GPs should be at the beck and call of their patients at any time, anywhere.
GPs do perform house calls but it's less frequent especially with the huge patient lists and time constraints due to the massive doctor shortage in the country.
There are many reasons for not doing house calls. And just because a patient requests a house call does not mean it is indicated and the GP is well within his rights to refuse.
Some practices set aside slots for house calls and there are after hours services that you can avail of for local communities. Sometimes GPs may be on a rota to 'do rounds' or be on call for homes.

Abby19

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ahh, no.

However. I'd like to think that even in Ireland
Ireland, today, if an existing medical card patient moved to a nursing home in the same neighbourhood, and the head nurse rang the patient's GP and asked for a consultation at the nursing home, then the GP would oblige.

Can't speak about your particular experience, but here is some info that may be relevant.

Some nursing homes have contracts with GP practices. Patients can retain their own GP. However if there is a working relationship with a small number of GPs it improves consistency of service with less variability. The GP will attend the nursing home on set days during the week, review any sick patients and review medications. If a patient becomes unwell outside this time they can visit out of hours. The GP may have had commitments elsewhere and knew someone else has the contract for that nursing home.

Also a lot of patients are moved to nursing homes from hospitals, e.g. after an acute admission and the GP may have not been involved in recent care of the patient.