doctors

[Neil Smith]

Hi all,

 

If you are a genuine continuous cruiser how do you see a doctor for illness even for repeat prescriptions, also register to vote, have post sent, and even get benefits if needed.

 

Neil

[Alan de Enfield]

I think in the past (there have been a number of threads regarding these questions) it seems to be "try to get everything done on line", don't use the postal system (unless you have them sent 'care of' a friend/relative, who can open them & read them to you, or scan them and email them to )

 

Regarding benefits - get these paid directly into your bank

 

Voting - you will need to 'of fixed abode' (apparently you can do it as an 'itinerant' but not easy) but beware that any land address you use could have implications for the person whose address you are using - example - you use you mothers address who is a single occupier in her house, she gets 50% council tax reductions for single occupancy, but, if you are registered there, it is no longer single occupancy.

 

Repeat prescriptions, these shoud be transferable to any Pharmacy - your Doctor can send them and then you pick them up. Try and get 6 months worth of prescriptions at once (my Brother in law manages it)

 

Seeing a Doctor - you can see any Doctor as a "visitor" to an area. Some Doctors receptionists will refuse you an appointment if you are 'itinerant' but apparently you have a legal right, as an itinerant, to a Doctors appointment.

 

Speak to some of the associations that are for CCers (Maybe the ACC for example- here is their page on 'healthcare' http://www.associationofcontinuouscruisers.org.uk/health-issues

 

Members of the ACC (and other organisations) are regularly on this forum and will give you chapter & verse.

 

CCing is not just as easy as 'selling your house and cruising into the sunset'

[Grebe]

Fiona Slee who has been c-cing on Epiphany for 8 years has a long-term health issue. Her blog has lots of information regarding health services when afloat.

 

http://nbepiphany.co.uk/extras/medical-tips

[Jen_P]

Fiona Slee who has been c-cing on Epiphany for 8 years has a long-term health issue. Her blog has lots of information regarding health services when afloat.

 

http://nbepiphany.co.uk/extras/medical-tips

 

That's really helpful. Thank you!

I have a long term health issue and am just about to move aboard. I won't be continuous cruising but I don't have a fullly residential mooring so probably can't register with a doctor. In any case, I need to keep my medical stuff in Yorkshire in order to stick with the same consultant.

Blood tests are the hardest as I might need these every week in January but then cutting back to fortnightly and then hopefully a lot less frequent.

I think I'll manage by regular trips to Yorkshire to see friends and doctor at the same time, but it'd be good to know of any more places - especially in the West London area - that will do blood tests for visitors. There's quite a lot on Fiona's site but none in the area where I'll be!

[jenlyn]

That's really helpful. Thank you!

I have a long term health issue and am just about to move aboard. I won't be continuous cruising but I don't have a fullly residential mooring so probably can't register with a doctor. In any case, I need to keep my medical stuff in Yorkshire in order to stick with the same consultant.

Blood tests are the hardest as I might need these every week in January but then cutting back to fortnightly and then hopefully a lot less frequent.

I think I'll manage by regular trips to Yorkshire to see friends and doctor at the same time, but it'd be good to know of any more places - especially in the West London area - that will do blood tests for visitors. There's quite a lot on Fiona's site but none in the area where I'll be!

I am on warfarin, which necessitate's my need for blood tests bimonthly, sometimes more frequently. I am registered with the clinic in West London, and have as yet not found a way of using different clinics.

I use the trains and try to collect my prescription when getting my blood test.

Luckily my Dr uses an online service to reorder my prescription.

[cotswoldsman]

I think in the past (there have been a number of threads regarding these questions) it seems to be "try to get everything done on line", don't use the postal system (unless you have them sent 'care of' a friend/relative, who can open them & read them to you, or scan them and email them to )

 

Regarding benefits - get these paid directly into your bank

 

Voting - you will need to 'of fixed abode' (apparently you can do it as an 'itinerant' but not easy) but beware that any land address you use could have implications for the person whose address you are using - example - you use you mothers address who is a single occupier in her house, she gets 50% council tax reductions for single occupancy, but, if you are registered there, it is no longer single occupancy.

 

Repeat prescriptions, these shoud be transferable to any Pharmacy - your Doctor can send them and then you pick them up. Try and get 6 months worth of prescriptions at once (my Brother in law manages it)

 

Seeing a Doctor - you can see any Doctor as a "visitor" to an area. Some Doctors receptionists will refuse you an appointment if you are 'itinerant' but apparently you have a legal right, as an itinerant, to a Doctors appointment.

 

Speak to some of the associations that are for CCers (Maybe the ACC for example- here is their page on 'healthcare' http://www.associationofcontinuouscruisers.org.uk/health-issues

 

Members of the ACC (and other organisations) are regularly on this forum and will give you chapter & verse.

 

CCing is not just as easy as 'selling your house and cruising into the sunset'

You do not need to be of fixed abode to vote. You fill out a form known as "declaration of local connection" but don't do this before 5 months before election.

With regard to benefits this can be more difficult for unemployment and housing but is possible better to speak to CRT Welfare Officer. For other benefits such as disability it is fairly easy including for us olduns Winter Fuel

[Neil Smith]

Well thanks for all the replies, will have to wait a few more years for winter fuel allowance.

 

Neil

[onionbargee]

You might find being a temporary patient the GP won't have your med records, and you get poor care. You will need to know what you need. Plus the standard of GPs is grim, my opinion is 1 in 10 is competent, its better to have one you trust, and travel there.

[Loafer]

In my case, I need repeat prescriptions. I register with one GP using a local marina address, although I don't use the marina (I'm gen CC). I can order my repeats online and then get a friend to collect and post them to me. Or I visit the surgery when passing, by boat. I have to do that for my annual checkup anyway.

 

I'd say one NEEDS a regular doc/surgery at the moment. Whenever I've tried to get repeat prescriptions 'off-piste', it's been an awful faff and I only ever got one month's worth.

 

I got 6 months once from my own surgery, but most of the docs there won't give me more than 3 (medicines going out of date etc).

 

It's workable, but usually requires help from someone else.

 

I don't dare tell the surgery I'm not actually a 'local', fearing months of arse trying to get me pills!

Edited December 30, 2014 by Loafer

[Grebe]

With regards to blood tests, I've had more than most in the last 16 months. The problem encountered has been 4 hospitals within 2 trusts plus a GP only connected to 1 hospital. Luckily my 'main' hospital was always helpful to my GP with faxes and printed copies.

 

However, my main hospital has now started to use ICE_OpenNet software for my test results and my GP can now see them. This means I can have less blood tests done. Yes I know there are some concerns about who can see records, but for me with my complex issues I need medics to know what I've got, what I take, and who to talk to becuse they do not really have much experience of my condition.

[NickF]

I am on warfarin, which necessitate's my need for blood tests bimonthly, sometimes more frequently. I am registered with the clinic in West London, and have as yet not found a way of using different clinics.

I use the trains and try to collect my prescription when getting my blood test.

Luckily my Dr uses an online service to reorder my prescription.

As far as INR tests for warfarin are concerned when I have taken my father (who is on warfarin) on holiday I have just gone to the local surgery and said we need an INR (warfarin) test.They normally give you an appointment within a few days. We then phone through the result to his own clinic and they give us the dose for the next week.

 

Self testing is also possible .... have a look at this (not a very exciting link but quite informative)

 

[jenlyn]

Cheers for that nick f.

[NickF]

I don't want to get too technical on here because it is for you and your Doctor to decide the best way forward but another possibility is to use one of the newer "NOAC" anti-coagulants which do not require regular blood tests. There are advantages and disadvantages to these but interestingly the NICE guidelines do suggest they may be suitable for patients who have difficulty in attending clinics for blood tests.

 

It may be worth discussing with you doctor.

 

Link to some information from NICE

 

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg180/resources/cg180-atrial-fibrillation-nic-consensus-statement-on-the-use-of-noacs2

[b0atman]

Good information in this post thanks to all.

I have made a few notes for my reference I hope to get 6 months worth of prescription forms from my Dr to cover my trip up T north.

[NickF]

Have a great trip!

 

If your GP is reluctant to issue six months at once ask him/her to issue forward dated prescriptions so you can get them dispensed on a monthly basis from pharmacies near the canal you happen to be on.

[floatsyourboat]

Hate to say it but would going private be any better?

Money talks and all that!

[gwenwhite]

if it suits you, you can send repeat prescriptions by post to your GP surgery. Include a stamped envelope addressed to a post office where you have already checked you can get poste restante. poste restante lasts 3 months officially, but many po's allow longer, specially if there's not much mail for you.

[Arthur Brown]

OK it's not easy, but find the pharmacies in your intended cruising area, lots of them have taken on doing warfarin blood tests, You should be able to go into the shop, get a blood test and learn how to chose your tablets according to the test result. A note book with your bloodtest book (yellow?) shoud let you write down all the pharmacies that you pass, but till you've been there you will not know who does blood tests for your chosen anticoagulant. If you have a pinprick test most pharmas will do the test, if the phlebotomist takes a sample then it has to go to a path lab to be checked -this doesn't usually happen in a shop.

[NickF]

OK it's not easy, but find the pharmacies in your intended cruising area, lots of them have taken on doing warfarin blood tests, You should be able to go into the shop, get a blood test and learn how to chose your tablets according to the test result. A note book with your bloodtest book (yellow?) shoud let you write down all the pharmacies that you pass, but till you've been there you will not know who does blood tests for your chosen anticoagulant. If you have a pinprick test most pharmas will do the test, if the phlebotomist takes a sample then it has to go to a path lab to be checked -this doesn't usually happen in a shop.

Good idea, but beware only a small percentage of pharmacies actually do the blood tests themselves and only in certain counties! It happens in Kent but not Nottinghamshire, (I don't know about anywhere else)