Sick note... Or lack of one!

[Phil3822]

More of a rant I guess because unless I am wrong there is nothing I can do.

 

I've been off sick for 5 months now due to spinal surgery. My local surgery is looking after my sick notes. All I have to do is request one. This is the third time this has happened now. Ring surgery a good 4 plus days before stating I need my sick note. They say no problem, be ready in 48 hours. I go to pick it up and not ready. They tell me on 5 seperate occasions to come in as it's ready but it's not. In total it's 8 days late and work are on my back.

 

Went in this morning, and the same mess again. Was meant to be ready yesturday but it's not. They tell me to come back this afternoon but I bet it will not be ready again.

 

I'm fed up of keep calling them, paying to travel there and it not being ready.

 

I've compained to the practice manager who seemed not really to care, also complained in writing and got a short standard letter explain they're sorry simply.

 

Rant over! Anything I can do?

[auto98]

Dunno about any legal options, but why not make a "proper" appointment to see a doctor, and once you are in with the doctor tell him you need the sick-note, and refuse to leave until you get one

[Phil3822]

If it were that easy to get an appointment, I would! I know how hard it is to get an appointment at our surgery so I'm not keen on wasting time and making other people wait etc. To nice I guess lol.

[breadline]

If it were that easy to get an appointment, I would! I know how hard it is to get an appointment at our surgery so I'm not keen on wasting time and making other people wait etc. To nice I guess lol.

 

You must live up the road from me..

 

I hate using up time that a person could be ill and need and im to soft..

 

But The surgery have a duty to give you what you need..and sometimes i have to make an appointment and teh docs stress please dont make appointmnet for repeat perscriptions or sick notes.

 

I find the problem at my surgery is teh main desk receptionists. ( not the doctors receptionists)

they are trained like pitbulls and i could request a liver blood test yesterday and tehy tell the treatment room, like next week.

 

now if i have a request i ask to speak direct to teh doctors secretary who are great and efficient.

 

Hope this helps.

BL

[cazziej]

Hi, I work for a GP, and agree that this really should not happen. All that I can suggest is that you either DO make an appointment with the GP, ring up a few weeks before you know your sick note is due to make sure you get an appointment and take it from there, or after ordering your sick note, when you are due to collect it, ask the receptionist to go and physically check that the note is there, they may just be presuming that because you have ordered it will be there. If all else fails, and it happens again, tell the Practice Manager that you want to make a formal complaint. She should then investigate what has happened and tell you what the Practice are going to do to ensure it doesn't happen again. From my point of view, if we had a patient that this had happened to once, we would go out of our way to ensure it didn't happen to them again, so I really can't understand what is happening with them.

 

Good luck!

 

Carol

[mechs]

Change your doctor would be my first reaction what a shambles ........my surgery are fantastic, sick note when i was off work for six months just phone for one and sure enough it was there waiting for me ......have to have a blood test and want to see the doc (same day asking for both) I usually get you like making life awkward for me but ......... certainly and both are within an hour of each other and if a patient before me is late i go in before them

[puddled fairy]

Hi I work in a surgeryas well - we're not all bad! Just agreeing with cassiej that you should write in with a formal complaint - I wouldn't wait for the next time, sounds like you've been messed around enough. The surgery has to investigate. If you don't get an improved service you could also write to your PCT (Primary Care Trust) - then I'd change doctors!

[maybelline]

I think if you look on the GMC website under guidance there is a section on providing sick notes and under what circumstances. I used it to insist on backdated sick notes for my son becuase he had a lifelong condition that was late diagnosed. sorry dont know how to do a link direct, good luck actually it could be the BMA site you want.

 

might also want to look at http://www.dwp.org.uk/medical

[Phil3822]

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