Need to see a Doctor somewhere on the Canals?

Still A’pottering the K & A Canal

I didn’t reply to this comment the other day because it was such an interesting comment from Tracy. I am sure a lot of people read the comment and maybe had concerns.  I thought I would just write a bit about it..

I was interested to read about how difficult it was for you to get a doctors appointment as a visitor in a village.
We head off on our boating travels on 1st April for 6 months and my mother needs Parkinson medication and our doctors will only give one months supply thereafter you have to find doctors on your travels to get repeat prescriptions. It is looking abit of a worry if you cannot prebook appointments especially if visitor moorings are only for 48hrs. Thanks for the pre warning we will now have to prepare early & in 14 day moorings incase we cannot get appointments or the chemist does not stock the drugs. The way you are spoken to at the home doctors makes you think that your mother is a medicine junkie ahhhh it makes you mad!
Regards
Tracy

Well Tracy, I might have given the wrong picture on my blog about the difficulties I had getting a Doctor to see me in Bradford.  To be honest I have never ever had a problem with Doctors while living on the canals for the last 3–4 years.  Having said that, I very rarely visit the Doctors, as you know I don’t often ‘do’ being ill, I don’t seem to have time for that!  I did not force the issue in Bradford.. just I wasn’t offered a Doctor when I could have done with one, most surgeries do in the same situation.

It is most important that you are registered with one Doctor maybe where you live or where friends/relatives live as a ‘base’ Doctor who holds all your records.  You may have to visit for an assessment (as that surgery demands) every 6 months or even every year. Vic and I have assessments just once a year at Xmas time.  when we are ‘dan saff’ for the break.  Vic gets his check ups along with flu jabs etc at that time.

What must be remembered is that everyone has a right to see a Doctor on demand.  So you can walk into a Doctors surgery and get an appointment if absolutely necessary.  What happens is that you register as a temporary patient, and get seen by a Doctor who will contact your own Doctor for information if needed. If an emergency then walk into a hospital casualty department.  I went to a NHS Walk in Centre where you can see a nurse without appointment who can, if you are ill enough send you to a Doctor.  You can also phone NHS Direct Clicking on those links will give you a ton of information.

For example, Vic was pretty poorly about this time last year in Banbury, and had to have some specialist treatment. I phoned for an appointment and we were given one for that afternoon.  The Doctor looked at Vic and asked us to come back in the evening because he wanted to phone our own Doctor for more information.  From there it was a hospital appointment at a hospital of our choice.. we could have chosen Oxford, Cambridge or anywhere else.. knowing how long the waiting lists were we could plan around that on our travels and choose.

Tracy mentions repeat prescriptions.. Tracy those you would get from your own Doctor.  In your case Tracy, I would discuss with your Doctor the possibility of having 3 months worth at a time, telling him why. 

There are a couple of ways of getting those.. You can either send the repeat prescription to the Doctors and ask them to send the prescription to a Poste Restante Post Office address, sending them a stamped addressed envelope, then go to the chemist and collect.  Or ask your family to collect for you and forward the bits of paper for you to get at a chemist.. they could even collect the prescription for you if you are very rural and need it.  Always check with the chemist that they have the complete prescription before asking them to dispense it, otherwise you will have to go back, and like you say if you are on visitor moorings you may not have time to wait for a few days.

While I am on this sort of subject, it is important too that you remain on the electoral roll/bank accounts at a ‘permanent’ address while you are away even if it is a family address or not.  Do get whoever is doing that for you to check that it will not effect their household insurance to have you on the roll at that property though.

I am happy to answer any comments anybody may have on this issue, there is a lot to cover on this subject I may not have covered it completely.