Access to medical centre

[Moody]

My mobility is very limited due to poor circulation. I struggle with the walk from the car into my G.P.s surgery, use lift to 2nd floor and the walk from waiting area to consulting rooms. This has gotten worse year on year. The doctors will not do home visits.

Have I no choice but to change practice or are the practice obliged to do more to accomodate me? My dentist has a bariatric wheelchair that my wife uses to collect me from the car and wheel me into the surgery. The dentist even carries out routing inspections with me in the wheelchair for comfort.

I'm not the type to make a fuss

[Lighttouch]

You need to register with a new doctor.

Go on NHS Choices website - select 'Doctors' and put in your postcode. SA list of Doctors and where the practice is will be shown. This means you are within their catchment area. Ask the GPs surgery for an admissions pack to fill in. You'll need a passport/bus pass / driving licence with your photo on it plus a gas/water or electric bill that proves where you live.

I'm also in the process of changing Doctors as mine has now retired.

[vantage]

Changing doctor is one option but you may face a similar situation.

Is not the issue more to do with your struggling to walk? I've had similar issues in the past when I was still able to walk, a distant memory now. Is the use of a wheelchair, for just when you need it, an option.

When I started to use a wheelchair, which I was reluctant to do, it did open up new horizons.

[Moody]

I have since the post discussed the wheelchair suggestion with OT and am waiting for a referal. There is no way I would change doctors unless I really had no choice. I also suffer from social anxiety so change and new faces is a big issue for me.

I was interested to know if the practice had any legal obligation under the discrimination legislation to make provision for me. However a wheelchair I can keep in the boot of the car for any destination is a better option.

Thanks for the suggestion Vantage

[Caley]

Would a mobility scooter be an option? We have one that fits in the boot of the car and has a decent weight limit as my husband is over 20 stone. Obviously if it wouldn't fit in the lift at the doctors surgery it wouldn't be practical, and a wheelchair would probably be your only option if you don't want to change doctors.

[jdtaylor]

I'd say a wheelchair would be your better bet, or do you and I hope this is not offensive tried one of the walking frames, with a seat so you can use that for extra support and take breaks where needed, or is your mobility too bad for that? Itt's only a thought that would though only work if you have the muscle to push it in front of you.

It's just a thought but it may be worth getting the width of the lift doors measured, this would mean you can find a solution that caters for your needs, some mobility scooters wouldn't fit in the smaller lifts, I know that from what I've seen myself, wheelchairs are normally fine, but do ask your doctors surgery for the lift diminesions so you can go to a mobility store, and say I need to access this doctors surgery, the lift is x size what can you do to help. I understand lifts are all different sizes, this is why you should ask, I'm not even sure whether they'd have included that in an access staement, or the disability access plan document which they should have available.