>15 refusals from doctors re medical card.

Not_A_Racist

As the title says, I've asked about 17 doctors to consider taking me on as a medical card patient and all of those doctors are full, and refuse me.

Approx 17 refusals from about 12 medical centers.

I've exhausted all of the options in my local village, and in my nearest three towns. Two of those towns are the 2nd and 3rd largest in my county.

I'm not even looking for medical treatment but I would like dental treatment. I cannot apply for a medical card without having a doctor accept me as a patient. The doctor has to fill in part of the medical card form.


Some doctors say their panel is full and they are prevented by the HSE from taking on more patients. If that is the case the HSE would be aware of the shortage of doctors.




One doctor would perhaps have considered me but he wanted me to fill in a large form, including medical details and he refused to explain how he intended to use the information. He would review the info and get back on to me.
When I pressed him on his intentions his secretary explained that if I lived too far away from him he couldn't do house calls. No explanation as to why he wanted medical info from me.
I expect doctors to take on patients on a first come first served basis. I'm also very unwilling to provide personal information if the receipient refuses to comply withh the Data Protection Act. The DP act requires that you explain how you intend to use peoples personal information.

You could perhaps criticise me here but I don't like giving sensitive personal info in these circumstances.
Is it reasonable to expect me to provide a medical history to each doctor?



What should I do now?
I don't think there's any doctors left within 20km of my house.

My application has been on hold for two weeks while I'm ringing around doctors.
This link is very good for finding doctors.
http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/maps/

etselbbuns

Contact the HSE and they will allocate a doctor to you

mikeybrennan

Why are you looking for Dental treatment?

Are they flat out refusing off the bat or are you being awkward

Not_A_Racist

I'm looking for dental treatment as I need an extraction. Extractions are free for medical card patients.

Most doctors are simply stating unambiguously that they are full, or that their panel is full. Medical centers with two or three doctors say the same thing.

One doctor I can't get an answer from, in the sense the phone isn't picked up.
One doctor didn't say no but his secretary wanted me to fill in a medical details form, and the doctor would review it. I refused as no explanation was available as to why he needed that.

Other doctors may have asked me for medical info if they intended to say yes to my request. I don't become a doctors patient until he accepts me as a patient and he shouldn't ask for medical info until that time. Unless he can explain why he needs it. But doctors don't need medical info from people who aren't their patients.

A decision to accept should not depend on my medical history.

I did say that people may consider me awkward here but this is only one doctor.

infogiver

You simply contact the Client Registration Unit either by e-mail at clientregistration@hse.ie or by post at Client Registration Unit
PO Box 11745
Finglas
D 11
Giving them all your details including your DOB, GMS no. Address, PPSN and the names and addresses of 3 GPs who refused you.
Medical Cards will assign you a GP.

Pretzill

AFAIK you should just go to your dentist with your medical card you'll fill out a form and they'll apply for your dental work through the medical card system. Explain if asked that you are waiting for a GP to sign you up.

2 fillings (per year)
And any extractions are all that's available on the medical card but with certain health issues you may get more. If your dental work is an emergency just go to the dentist would be my advice.

livedadream

im more stuck by the fact you think a doctor who would be taking you on as a registered patient is asking you to fill out a medical history form for ****s and giggles....
of course its reasonable to give your medical history to the doctor, especially if you are asking them to take you on as a patient.
sounds like you are being far to difficult to deal with and they are all busy enough already...

I get you dont want to fill out the form until they take you on but, their doctors, they ask you to fill out the form so they know what their facing and so they can fill our your application to the best of their knowledge.

Not_A_Racist

I don't agree.

Many of the calls went as follows.

Hello, Can I enquire please if the doctor is taking on new medical card patients?
No, the doctor is not taking on new medical card patients.
Ok, thank you for your help.

That's how the majority of calls went.

One call said.
Please fill in a form with medical history, the doctor will review it and he'll make a choice.

I asked if the doctor was cherrypicking patients?
None of the other doctors required any medical info at all.
It's not unreasonable for me to ask why this one doctor did require medical info.


The doctor is not entitled to refuse patients on the basis that they are sick.

This doctor was unable to answer the question as to why he needed a medical history.

Do you accept he is not complying with the data protection law by answering like that?
Do you consider that unethical at all?

.......

This post has been deleted.

January

When we changed doctors recently the doctor wanted to meet me before he took us on as patients, we had medical cards and were asking him to fill the change of doctor form. He made a point of asking if we had any drug issues as they were a family practice. He asked was there anything out of the ordinary in our medical history and then signed the form for us.

Not_A_Racist

I did say that people might consider me awkward.

Normal people don't assert their rights. They allow themselves to be walked on and they don't complain.

People shouldn't criticise me for being aware of my rights, and for having an expectation that my rights will be afforded to me, and for asserting my rights if professionals intend to deny me my rights.

My problem with the doctor was that he refused or failed to comply with the DP acts. He is required to tell me why he needs my info if I ask for an explanation. I did ask and he refused or failed to tell me why he needed the info.

People can consider me awkward if they wish but they cannot say that I am wrong. The doctor is failing to comply with the law and that is unprofessional to me, and perhaps unethical.

I understand the failure isn't malicious but it is still a failure.

I'll also concede that virtually no businesses in Ireland fully comply with the DP act.

.......

This post has been deleted.

infogiver

GPs and lots of public service providers are feeling the pressure of an increase in customers.
Working as a public service provider myself I can tell you how "awkward" customers are viewed.
GPs are being told that they should aim to take no more than 10 minutes with each patient.
Some patients need 2 minutes.
Some patients need 1/2 hour+.
If you have a query about administrative matters, the Data Protection Act etc you could really have that question answered by the Data Protection Commissioner, not the staff in your GPs surgery.
Any queries about medical cards should be directed at the Medical cards office, the GP or his or her staff can't give you any answers about medical card administration or your eligibility.
If you want to insist that the GP and his staff answer your questions about matters not concerning your healthcare, at the expense of someone else's "10 minutes " then you'll have to understand that they would opt not to take you on at all.
Threatening to report your GP to the DPC, the Ombudsman The Medical Council etc won't force them to do your bidding.
It's stressful and time consuming and most likely you'll be just passed on to someone else.
So you can exert what you imagine to be your"rights" if you like but I think your already discovering that it's not as straightforward as you think.

Not_A_Racist

I never did any of those things you suggest.

You are all being very unfair on me.

I have described the type of conversation I've had with the majority of doctors.

Many posters here are clearly bullying me by speculating and saying things that aren't true.



Everything in the following quote is false.

infogiver wrote:

If you want to insist that the GP and his staff answer your questions about matters not concerning your healthcare, at the expense of someone else's "10 minutes " then you'll have to understand that they would opt not to take you on at all.
Threatening to report your GP to the DPC, the Ombudsman The Medical Council etc won't force them to do your bidding.
It's stressful and time consuming and most likely you'll be just passed on to someone else.

Infogiver, stop making things up about me please.

Mods. please lock this thread. I'm not interested in speculation and bullying.

Icemancometh

Not_A_Racist wrote: »

I never did any of those things you suggest.

You are all being very unfair on me.

I have described the type of conversation I've had with the majority of doctors.

Many posters here are clearly bullying me by speculating and saying things that aren't true.



Everything in the following quote is false.



Infogiver, stop making things up about me please.

Mods. please lock this thread. I'm not interested in speculation and bullying.

Before the mods lock the thread, you should re-read post #5 by infogiver. It has the information you need. You can complete your medical card application with the HSE directly, and they will assign you a GP after that. You'll have your card then, and can seek your dental treatment. Good luck.

doctorjohn

The medical card system is a "choice of doctor scheme" but most people conveniently overlook that it is also a "choice of patient" scheme.

Before I would dream of entering into a longterm professional relationship to provide 24/7 care to someone, I would need to meet them, find out who they were, what their expectations regarding my services might be, and ascertain an approximate level of their needs, and consider if I could meet those expectations.

Any hint that someone at the front desk is ascertaining their rights before I have met them, will make me run a mile, and not accept that person as a patient.

That is not unethical, as I have no therapeutic relationship at that stage, and I do not owe a duty of care to individuals who are not my patients, despite people feeling I do.

If someone wishes me to become their GP, I think it is a reasonable expectation of mine , that they should ask me, via my delegated staff, but not demand or perceive some sort of obligation, where none exists.

GPs are not state employees but are self employed contractors just like plumbers and carpenters.

No one would contact a plumber that they have not met before, and demand that they take them on as client, whilst at the same time resenting the plumber trying to get some expectation of what their needs might be e.g. new build, demolish and repair, renovation, refurbishment for rental or sale, timescale needed regarding expected job completion, deadlines, out of hours expectations etc.

Methinks OP doth protest too much.

mp22

Closed