Cutting out the middle man

[usandthem]

It has always surprised me - after hearing that pathways to recovery and the new initiatives being thrown on to the service user wanting to stay maintained. It seems the new initiative has no respect for maintenance. Also hearing of users being bullied and coerced into coming off their lifeline and throwing them into some form of employment is a form of harrassment isn't it?? We are assuming with the new initiative that all users are motivated and are impatiantly waiting to have their lives turned around and disrupted by these bullies in the 'recovery' service. So I was wondering. In these cases. Why would it not be sensible to go straight to the doctor to pick up their methadone. Could a user do that cutting out the DAAT service. I know some GPs do it if you are already in MMT provision. I just want to say too many users are being pushed into reducing and now are smoking heroin to top up. Can we not get our prescriptions straight from the doctor if this system isn't working for the user. Is this about care provision or probation. Shouldn't the user of the service have the choice or a say in how their own treatment should go? I hate being pushed around and I can not put up with this service for much longer. I would rather reduce down under the doctors care and get away from this nasty service which is making money off my misery. Thoughts? John

[simon]

I think most GP's would be involved in a shared-care type scheme and it would be unusual but not impossible the practice I work for prescribe outside a DAT commissioned service.

[usandthem]

Thanks Simon. I have NHS Direct looking in to it for me. I am already in shared care which is half the battle I suppose just seeing if my doctor will have me as a special case, after all he has treated me for depression. John

[usandthem]

Simon,

I look forward to hearing replies from other keys on the new 'what this is all about' thread. My key actually thrives on the new climate but I do understand that some keys ,like yourself,are against this nonsense.

[simon]

I'm a Nurse and I don't see myself as a 'key-worker' as anyone could be one of them. I focus on health outcomes and not political targets. I'd rather look at a patients health in general and not just one tiny part of it but I do draw the line at doing smears.

[usandthem]

That is why then. My mistake. You are more professionally informed.

[OP8S]

Sounds similar John. I'm in shared-care & live in quite a rural area in Scotland. I see my GP once a month because he does the prescribing for our CDT, it really just means that instead of visiting him at his surgery I go to the meth clinic at the hospital. He's been my NHS GP for longer than I've being seeing him at the meth clinic & is aware of any other health problems like depression that I suffer from. I've been stable on the same dose for years & am not changing in the near future, he respects this desicion because he see's the benefit from me being on a stable dose. So he knows me very well.
Due to the nature of my job sitting in the waiting room for what is obviously the meth clinic I find very uncomfortable as I often see Nurses & other healthcare professionals who I may have to deal with through my job. There are other clinics on at the same time & it's just one big waiting room but it's not a hard game to play spotting which person is going to which clinic.
So I've asked him if I can just see him at his surgery once a month instead, of course the decision doesn't lie with him. The practice manager shifted all the drug-dependants out of the surgery & we were taken in by the local hospital, not that I think they were very happy to fill their waiting rooms with drug-taking riff-raff ! But the service has to be carried out somewhere & for the best part people don't cause a carry-on.
I don't consider myself to be given any more consideration than anybody else, but because of my work worry about the confidentiality. So I'm using that as my main reason. As for key, had a meeting at the start of week & told key that I saw very little point in continuing going around in circles as I was a self-aware person & gave him a list of reasons why I wanted to stay maintained on my current dose for the time being. He appeared a little down-trodden, but I left without anymore appointments for the time being & I told key I would phone if I had any problems. I have no doubt that I will be contacted at some point in the future by key. I assume that I'm still on their books as I still go to the meth clinic & at some point paperwork will have to be carried out.
It'll be interesting to see if any problems do arise surrounding my script, now that key / CDT have been given the cold shoulder ? There shouldn't be as I get the GP to give me my script to take myself to the pharmacy. The only times that there may be a problem is when he's on holiday, the sneaky little shits will try anything then.
So I await the answer to whether I can see the same GP just at his surgery rather than the hospital. It'll be up to the practice manager I expect, don't want none of those dirty junkies in his waiting room! Surely one that wasn't dirty & very quiet wouldn't make the difference ?
Let me know how you get on ?

[usandthem]

I agree OP mate. I am in to see the prescribing GP next week. I will beg him to let me have my care under his professional direction and beg him to take me away from these vultures of CRI as it is very dangerous to leave me with them. My mind is ready to do something stupid if I am left to these under educated bafoons who see failure as their win.