am SO SO annoyed, I started CD SS a week ago and I went to the doctors on the same day to get them to sign my form. The doctor wouldn't do it there and then and told me to give it in to reception - no mention of any fee. I have been on the plan a week and by my scales have lost 6-7lbs! (woo woo!!), weighing reminded me about the form so I phoned the doctors to see if the form was ready to pick up and was told "yes it is, you can pick it up any time - but it incurs a cost of £30!!"
I nearly fainted! £30!! There's no way I'm paying that out of principle! Thats nearly my weeks' supply of CD!!
I phoned my CD consultant and she said that she will email CD but as I have no other medical problems (other than a BMI of over 45) and that the surgery have admitted that the doctor has happily signed it, there should be no problem with me continuing with CD SS/SS+ until the problem with my form is resolved. She's told me to write a letter of complaint to the practice manager and wait for a reply. During which time I'm allowed to follow SS+. I only have a stone to go until my BMI is under 40 so here's to losing that over the next week or two so I don't even need that bloody form!!
SO SO annoyed!
Here's a sample of my letter of complaint!! (I have obvsiously omitted some of the personal details / names etc so it doesn't read as well! but hoping to get a suitable response from them!)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to complain about the recent information I have received upon telephoning the surgery.
I had an appointment with Doctor xxx on Tuesday 20th April to discuss my test results. Whilst there I discussed with Doctor xxxx my desire to lose a lot of weight in order to feel fitter and healthier. I also made Doctor xxxx aware of my decision to begin a new weight loss programme called the Cambridge Weight Plan.
In order to begin this plan I needed the signature of my doctor on the Medical Referral Form as my BMI is over 45. The MFR is not a “permission” or consent form for the doctor, it simply needs a signature to confirm that the medical details I have provided on the form are correct.
I asked Doctor xxxx whether she would sign the form and she said to give it in to Reception and she would have a look at it after surgery time that day and if I telephoned in the week it could be picked up.
There was no mention of a fee being charged and I definitely didn’t think to ask if there was one because I didn’t, for the life of me, think that there would be.
I telephoned the surgery this morning (26/04/2010) and was informed that Dr xxxx HAD signed my form and that it was ready to pick up but it would incur a fee of £30!!
I was asked if I had been pre-informed of the fee and I replied, most certainly not!
I asked what would happen if I could not afford to pay the £30 and I was passed through to someone else who told me that if I could not afford to pay then the form could not be released.
I find this absolutely ridiculous! I understand that in some surgeries they charge an admin fee for this sort of thing, but I have asked around and no one has ever heard of being charged £30 for a medical form to be signed!
I am a member of the Cambridge Plan Forum on the internet and no one else has ever experienced this cost for their doctors’ to sign their medical forms.
I am a mum who works part-time and there is no way that I can afford to pay that sort of money just to get a signature to embark on a weight loss plan!
Before turning to the Cambridge Plan, I was prescribed the prescription weight loss drug Orlistat / Xenical by one of the doctors at this surgery and even after following the low fat diet plan, I can honestly say that I did not lose any weight.
I understand that this prescription drug is very expensive for the NHS.
I am now spending my own money on the Cambridge Plan products and for the first time ever am experiencing a great weight loss (approximately 9lbs in the first two weeks).
Yet, the surgery is saying that they would willingly prescribe me Orlistat monthly at a cost far higher to the surgery and the NHS as a whole, and that would be free to me – but they want to charge me to start a weight loss plan that I, myself, am paying for??
As for the notion that if I can not afford to pay for the form it cannot be released – surely this is a double loss, both to myself and the surgery – as I do not receive the form which is already signed – yet the doctor has already taken the time to sign it!
I have tried other diet plans such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World, whereby I do not need a doctor’s signature on a medical referral form – and I have not lost more than a few pounds over a long period of time. I have tried just under 2 weeks on the Cambridge Plan and already lost 9lbs!
I have found something that works for me and I find it hard to believe that the NHS wants to charge me for that!
Surely if I continue to be obese I am putting more of a strain on the surgery’s and the NHS’ resources?
I would like you to consider the points I have addressed in this letter as I am a mum and I only work part-time so there is no way of me being able to afford £30 for a signature. I intend to stick to the Cambridge Plan 100% and get myself down to a healthy weight and BMI. I do not expect the surgery to PAY anything for me to do this, I am using my own money and my own commitment – I just did not expect to have to pay out any extra money than the Cambridge Diet plan costs!
And that's the letter I'm hand delivering for the practice manager today!! The bloody cheek of it!
I know my surgery was terrible but this is something else!!
I'm more determined than ever to do it now and to go back in a few months time for an appt with the same doctor and show her my before and after pics!!
Thank god I've got such an understanding CDC! She's emailing head office to explain the situation and cover herself and she's keeping a copy of my complaint letter on file until i get a reply from the surgery. I'm hoping that I will be under BMI 40 soon anyway and wont need the damn signature!
On a postive note, I weighed this morning before giving the scales to my sister and I've lost 6lbs by my scales! I WI with my CDC tomorrow night! So if my 6lbs is right then I only need to lose another 10lbs to get my BMI under 40! So if that's not enough incentive then nothing is!
xxxx