Issue with GP

starbaby2003

I’m wondering if someone can help me here. A relative whom has a GP card is being forced to sign a form every time she visits the doctor saying the visit took place outside of hours. It never has but she feels intimidated into signing. I am furious but not sure what exactly we can do here. She is reluctant to get him in trouble and says she will just try and change doctor. I am furious as I’d doubt she is the only elder patient being forced to do this.

YellowLead

Contact The Medical Council, the governing body for medical professionals in Ireland, and see what they have to say.

lawred2

Does that mean that the doctor gets paid extra?

Rodin

Report the doctor.

P2C

It’s fraud. Send the details to the medical card section of the HSE or contact the info service. It will be confidential

starbaby2003 wrote: »

I’m wondering if someone can help me here. A relative whom has a GP card is being forced to sign a form every time she visits the doctor saying the visit took place outside of hours. It never has but she feels intimidated into signing. I am furious but not sure what exactly we can do here. She is reluctant to get him in trouble and says she will just try and change doctor. I am furious as I’d doubt she is the only elder patient being forced to do this.

Big Bag of Chips

I'm not really sure 'elder abuse' is the correct term here. Your relative has a GP card, like many many other people in the country. Not just the elderly.

You could ring the GP surgery and ask them what your relative was asked to sign, as she's not sure. Your relative could be there to give permission to speak to you if they claim they can't discuss it due to GDPR.

Changing GP might not be that simple at the moment.

Contact the GP first. Ask the questions. Then go further if you think it is necessary.

Big Bag of Chips

Thread title changed to be more appropriate.

starbaby2003

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

I'm not really sure 'elder abuse' is the correct term here. Your relative has a GP card, like many many other people in the country. Not just the elderly.

You could ring the GP surgery and ask them what your relative was asked to sign, as she's not sure. Your relative could be there to give permission to speak to you if they claim they can't discuss it due to GDPR.

Changing GP might not be that simple at the moment.

Contact the GP first. Ask the questions. Then go further if you think it is necessary.

The reason I’m saying elder abuse is because she is being intimidated into signing something that is a lie. She is extremely upset over it. I’m pretty certain the doctor would not be acting in this way to a young 20 year old.

starbaby2003

YellowLead wrote: »

Contact The Medical Council, the governing body for medical professionals in Ireland, and see what they have to say.

It’s not a medical issue, I checked it.

starbaby2003

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

Thread title changed to be more appropriate.

You can just delete the post. I don’t agree with your censorship. As explained in another post, you can be sure they wouldn’t be intimidating a 20 year old to do the same thing. Some things happen solely to people based on age.

Purple Mountain

What is the advantage to signing this?
She gets free treatment anyway and gp I presume gets paid anyway?
I think the advice to contact the surgery is best route.
Near impossible to change doctors at the moment it anytime actually.
Ring the secretary, play dumb. Sau you're confused as is your relative but you need an explanation as to what s/he is signing and ask that secretary gets gp to call you back.

micks_address

I think the gp gets more money from the government for an out of hours visit. They already get more from the government than a private fee. It’s morally wrong and probably fraudulent behaviour

starbaby2003

Purple Mountain wrote: »

What is the advantage to signing this?
She gets free treatment anyway and gp I presume gets paid anyway?
I think the advice to contact the surgery is best route.
Near impossible to change doctors at the moment it anytime actually.
Ring the secretary, play dumb. Sau you're confused as is your relative but you need an explanation as to what s/he is signing and ask that secretary gets gp to call you back.

Presume they get paid more. A doctor won’t talk to you on behalf of a patient. There is privilege there which I wouldn’t expect them to break. Additionally they know what they are doing is wrong as she wasn’t comfortable signing it and they insisted she did.

Purple Mountain

micks_address wrote: »

I think the gp gets more money from the government for an out of hours visit. They already get more from the government than a private fee. It’s morally wrong and probably fraudulent behaviour

Ok thanks, I didn't know that. I still say phone the surgery before you do anything drastic like looking for a new gp because the patient might be left in limbo without care.

Big Bag of Chips

starbaby2003 wrote: »

you can be sure they wouldn’t be intimidating a 20 year old to do the same thing. Some things happen solely to people based on age.

You simply don't know this. You are getting second hand information from someone who doesn't know anything about how other GP card patients are treated in the same surgery. The only thing you can do is question it with the surgery. If your relative doesn't want to do that there is very little you can do. Without their permission the surgery staff will not discuss anything about their patient with you.

gctest50

Probably not in this case but it does happen - sometimes a patient gets the hump with a GP because they won't hand over a prescription for the medication the patient thinks they need

freshpopcorn

I don't know the situation here I'd just make sure the person has their facts correct.
I know in the past some of my relatives got everything arse ways when dealing with doctors, hospital, etc.
I'm not sure how much a doctor gets paid when somebody attends using a GP/Medical card but try and research it.
I would have being under the impression out of hours appointments would only be for emergencies, south doc, etc.
Also, try and calm down a little it's not worth being furious about.(I know that's belittling)

starbaby2003

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

You simply don't know this. You are getting second hand information from someone who doesn't know anything about how other GP card patients are treated in the same surgery. The only thing you can do is question it with the surgery. If your relative doesn't want to do that there is very little you can do. Without their permission the surgery staff will not discuss anything about their patient with you.

I asked you to delete this. Is there any reason you haven’t?

YellowLead

starbaby2003 wrote: »

It’s not a medical issue, I checked it.

You contacted them?
Fraud/dishonesty is listed as a legitimate type of complaint on their website.

HSE would be next step then I imagine if the doctors office itself offered no explanation - little you could do without any proof but they might be able to advise what proof might be needed.

starbaby2003

YellowLead wrote: »

You contacted them?
Fraud/dishonesty is listed as a legitimate type of complaint on their website.

HSE would be next step then I imagine if the doctors office itself offered no explanation - little you could do without any proof but they might be able to advise what prior might be needed.

Thank you.

sullivlo

micks_address wrote: »

I think the gp gets more money from the government for an out of hours visit. They already get more from the government than a private fee. It’s morally wrong and probably fraudulent behaviour

It depends on the form.

Some forms are for things that are not covered by the card that if they arise in the course of the consult, such as ear syringing or whatever, they get you to sign a form.

GPs get a nominal amount per patient per year, not per visit. So if I have a GP card and my friend also has one and we both go to the same GP, the GP will get the same amount for each of us. It is a sliding scale - the fee is higher for the older folk - but they get no more money for more visits. Taking the example of me and my friend- we both have the card, the GP gets €120 each for us. I have a chronic condition which requires me to go to see the doctor 6 times a year so the doctor "makes" €20 per consult. If my friend only goes once, the doctor makes €120 per consult.

It could be a case that your relative is getting additional treatment each time, and it is the same form as the out of hours one.

Ring the doctor and see.

noodler

The GP does actually have to prove some of its claims to the State.

Our of hours, special items of service etc.

Some of the claims.of.abuse.are bizarre given the facts OP has reported.

theballz

starbaby2003 wrote: »

I asked you to delete this. Is there any reason you haven’t?

Why are you being so aggressive about this? Chill out son

starbaby2003

noodler wrote: »

The GP does actually have to prove some of its claims to the State.

Our of hours, special items of service etc.

Some of the claims.of.abuse.are bizarre given the facts OP has reported.

I’m sorry this isn’t enough for you to consider abuse. For me intimidating someone to sign a form that states untruths is abuse. Especially now that the person is afraid they are breaking the law they have stopped going to the doctor until they find another. Given they have a terminal illness that requires to be actively managed you might understand some of my anger.

Big Bag of Chips

starbaby2003 wrote: »

I asked you to delete this. Is there any reason you haven’t?

Mod Note
Yes. We don't usually delete threads just because a poster doesn't like the answers they are getting. And as you continued to engage with other posters I assumed you didn't actually want the thread deleted at all.

I will however lock it as you don't seem to want to hear advice other than your relative is the victim of elder abuse by being asked to sign a form.

Thread locked.