Aardvark
Non-gamer
Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Feb 10, 2023 16:27:04 GMT 1
After being with my doctor for about 20 years I tried to get a RDV for my usual repeat prescription and found his answerphone not working, just giving a loud screeching noise. I drove to his surgery to find a notice stuck on the door, "cabinet ferme". No explanation. I then went to my usual pharmacy near the doctor's office and luckily I got a limited quantity of my usual stuff. I asked why the office was closed and she said she didn't know, but that it was permanently closed and I would have to find another doctor. She suggested trying one in another town she had heard might be taking new patients. We have been trying for three days now to make contact without any luck. By what I can find online, the doctor is secteur one which I think means it is the usual €25 fee for a RDV. Apart from that, there is no email address to make contact. Why oh why won't they drag themselves into the 21st century? We tried to phone for a first RDV but can't make heads or tails of the message. Having found the surgery hours online we tried going there but they were shut. We waited an hour an a half but no show. A passer by said the doctor should be there at the time we were waiting outside.
Just bloody great!
How does one find a new doctor? I'm still peeved about our doctor just dumping us without warning. An I assume all my previous records that I paid to get from my old doctor in UK is now lost and/or unavailable.
What do people think should be my next move? And please try, if you can, to refrain from criticising my lack of language skills.
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suein56
Member
Southern Morbihan 56 Brittany
Posts: 7,482
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Post by suein56 on Feb 10, 2023 16:55:53 GMT 1
On Doctolib they will give you a list of the medics around you - affiliated to DoctoLib of course, tho most are - and their contact details and whether thay are Conventionné 1 or not.
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Post by tim17 on Feb 10, 2023 18:39:42 GMT 1
When our doctor retired (without any warning) it took us six months to find another willing to take on new patients.
My advice would be to keep looking starting from the nearest cabinet to you and working outwards, eventually you'll find someone. This is a national problem which is going to take until 2035 to fix according to the government not that helps you or anyone else in the same position.
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Post by mangetout on Feb 10, 2023 18:42:31 GMT 1
He/she might have fallen ill.
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Aardvark
Non-gamer
Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Feb 10, 2023 19:13:44 GMT 1
When our doctor retired (without any warning) it took us six months to find another willing to take on new patients. My advice would be to keep looking starting from the nearest cabinet to you and working outwards, eventually you'll find someone. This is a national problem which is going to take until 2035 to fix according to the government not that helps you or anyone else in the same position. Thanks for your input, everyone. My original doctor is/was a 45 minute drive away. He was the nearest. Looks like going to be a bit tricky to keep up with our meds. Mine are pain killers for a spinal problem and the Mrs. needs heart regulators. I might look for an online supplier if there are any. |
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Post by pcpa on Feb 10, 2023 19:28:59 GMT 1
How long are your ordonnances valid for? An on line pharmacie will only be able to dispense if you have a valid ordonnance, your pharmacien will be able to stretch things for a while but you will need to get a new ordonnance to cover their backs. That is effectively the point at which it becomes urgent and there is the Médecin de garde service for you in those circumstances. www.ch-stbrieuc.fr/Maison-medicale-de-gardeThey will decide whether to see you if need be or organise a new ordonnance, the médecins who assure these services are usually the new ones who still have the time to do so and hence are looking for new patients themselves so it will probably work out well for you. I had to use the Dentiste de garde at the beginning of the confinement, it was one in my town with a good reputation that was not accepting new patients but after treating me he took me on as a patient, I would never have otherwise got past his receptionist to ask him myself. This seems to be the way, most are not taking new patients but if an existing patient who knows them well asks on your behalf and puts a good word in for you that will often open the door. Otherwise its phoning around those listed on Doctolib. |
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Post by pcpa on Feb 10, 2023 19:33:33 GMT 1
A Maison Medicale is more likely to have one of the newer médecins that is accepting new patients, the theory did not work out in practice for me but I think thats because around here they find it easy to get grants to build new medical centres but dont have a clue how to attract practicioners.
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Aardvark
Non-gamer
Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Feb 10, 2023 19:47:34 GMT 1
I will bookmark your link. It may well come in handy. St.Brieuc is an hour's drive away for us but it works as a last resort.
The pharmacien we always use gave us a renewal the other day but only for a month's supply so going somewhere new will still not be an easy solution. Doctolib shows loads of doctors but finding one (secteur 1) that is taking new patients is going to be a long hard task. None of them seem to have an email address anyway so there is no short cut.
Getting stressed about a few things lately and this latest issue isn't helping.
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exile
Member
Massif Central
Posts: 2,682
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Post by exile on Feb 10, 2023 20:20:15 GMT 1
I found my doctor through pages jaunes where you might find some allow you to make an appointment online - which with my language skills on the telephone at the time was a real advantage. Maybe that will work for you too.
Email - forget it. They would be inundated with mails - real, spoof and spam. So in the main, they don't - and won't - do it.
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Post by pcpa on Feb 11, 2023 0:43:36 GMT 1
Agreed, plus loads of patients trying to bypass the secretariat.
Every practicien on Doctolib would have E-mail but would not want the world to know what the address was.
Aardvark you will have to phone them or get someone to do it for you or go in person, if you ring the Médecin de Garde service they will give you an appointment (if appropriate) with the nearest one, it may not be St Brieuc but it sounds like that is a dedicated one staffed by volunteers and by médecins as they have introduced in my old département.
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Post by houpla on Feb 11, 2023 8:11:40 GMT 1
As a very last resort, if you haven't got a new MT by the time you need another prescription, go to your nearest hospital's A&E. More and more often nowadays, people are having to resort to that for what should be routine appointments with MTs, ophtalmologues and dentists. At the very least, they'll issue you with a prescription.
It seems to be current practice to close a cabinet by leaving a note on the door, without warning. As my OH found out last year.
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Aardvark
Non-gamer
Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Feb 11, 2023 12:02:59 GMT 1
Hard to get my head around that one, but that's certainly what happened to us.
File that under "non professional".
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Post by jardiniere on Feb 11, 2023 13:13:53 GMT 1
Aardvark, there is always the option of having a one-off online consultation with a doctor elsewhere in France and they can supply an ordonnance. Several pharmacies local to me offer this "téléconsultation" and it is priced and reimbursed just as if you were having a physical visit to your local doctor. At least this would tide you over as it's such a worry when meds are running out. Ask the pharmacist's help to either find you an English speaking doctor or to help you explain during the consultation. But find out which times are quietest. When I had to resort to this, there were 12 people ahead of me online so quite a wait.
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Post by cernunnos on Feb 11, 2023 13:45:38 GMT 1
As a very last resort, if you haven't got a new MT by the time you need another prescription, go to your nearest hospital's A&E. More and more often nowadays, people are having to resort to that for what should be routine appointments with MTs, ophtalmologues and dentists. At the very least, they'll issue you with a prescription. It seems to be current practice to close a cabinet by leaving a note on the door, without warning. As my OH found out last year. My docter, that I had for 25 years , did the same 5 years ago , just retired . One more docter in the village , that took on all her patients but it won't be long before he retires without replacement . So then it will be a much longer trip to get a new one.
Basically it is only for prescriptions , we make our own apointments with specialists and just ask the docter to write a letter of recommandation, which he does , without an apointment.
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Post by mangetout on Feb 11, 2023 14:02:56 GMT 1
As a very last resort, if you haven't got a new MT by the time you need another prescription, go to your nearest hospital's A&E. More and more often nowadays, people are having to resort to that for what should be routine appointments with MTs, ophtalmologues and dentists. At the very least, they'll issue you with a prescription. It seems to be current practice to close a cabinet by leaving a note on the door, without warning. As my OH found out last year. My docter, that I had for 25 years , did the same 5 years ago , just retired . One more docter in the village , that took on all her patients but it won't be long before he retires without replacement . So then it will be a much longer trip to get a new one.
Basically it is only for prescriptions , we make our own apointments with specialists and just ask the docter to write a letter of recommandation, which he does , without an apointment.
Do you really tell your doctor what is wrong with you, and what specialist you need to see? How does he know what to put in the letter, does he ask you for the medical analysis? Never come across a doctor like that before. |
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