7th September 2025
A parent has spoken out about their frustration with their local NHS GP practice, saying they felt “dismissed and unsupported” when trying to access care for their children.
They explained that although vitamin D tablets were eventually prescribed, this only happened after repeat blood test results came back. According to the parent, the GP’s clinic notes wrongly stated that they had requested the blood test themselves — despite the fact they had already arrived with a full report and recent blood results from a private source.
“I didn’t go in asking for more tests,” the parent said. “I already had the full results and plan. What I needed was for the NHS GP to act on them.”
The parent added that the private GP who reviewed the results onsite has since recognised the clinical links across the findings and actioned urgent referrals to various specialists — in contrast to the NHS GP, who focused only on the vitamin D result and, in their view, ignored the wider picture.
The situation escalated when, despite requesting not to have further contact with the same NHS GP, the parent was called by him again. During the phone conversation, when the parent asked to see a specific doctor for their daughter — who has an extremely rare and complex condition — the GP reportedly replied that another request could be made, “but she would see us next year.”
The parent described ending the call abruptly, saying the GP appeared uninterested in helping and aware of their previous complaint. The interaction left them upset and unsettled for the rest of the day. Within hours, they were contacted by school to collect their unwell daughter and once again had to arrange a private GP appointment to move care forward.
Adding to their distress, the family were previously registered with a GP they described as “fantastic,” who knew their children’s medical histories and had built a trusted relationship — something particularly important for their autistic children, who value consistency. However, after moving a short distance, they were told they could no longer stay with that practice, even though it was only a ten-minute drive from their new home. The parent argues this goes against NHS guidelines which suggest patients should be able to choose their GP if travel is reasonable.
The family say they have now been left with little choice but to rely on private care, despite their wish to remain within the NHS.
