Do we really need our GP's 'permission'?

Hello, I'm new.

I am coming towards the end of my second week on the CD, doing the SS plan. Everything's going extremely well so far, and I wish I'd done this years ago. I lost 12lb in my first week and I feel fantastic - full of energy.

My CDC wants me to give the 'Medical Record Form' she had me complete to my GP for them to sign. She wants me to do this because my BMI is very high. Fortunately (miraculously!) I have, and have had, NO medical issues whatsoever, despite being so big. I am taking no medications, not even the conrtaceptive pill.

However, a covering letter my CDC has given me to hand to the doctor with the form, states that she will not continue to sell me the products if the GP 'witholds permission'. This concerns me hugely, because it occurs to me that a GP might decide to exercise their power of veto for no other reason than that they simply don't understand about VLCDs, or because they think I ought to go about dieting the 'old fashioned way' (a lot of good that's done me in the past!). You know how dismissive GPs can be.

I have read the Medical Record Form, and apart from some stuff about reducing some medications, which obviously is not relevant in my case, all it does is asks the GP to confirm that I have supplied the correct information on the form (i.e. that I do not have any of the medical conditions listed above). It says nothing about 'seeking permission' from the GP for their patient to go ahead with the CD.

For this reason, I am more inclined to hand over the form to my GP with a covering letter of my own, which does not 'seek permission', but instead politely requests that he/she sign it as a matter of record (I will probably have to pay a fee, of course!) and to be advised that I have started the diet. The covering letter my CDC gave me is not printed on official CD letterheaded paper, so I am assuming it is a letter she devised herself, but possibly using CD guidelines.

I am going to talk to my CDC about this later this week when I see her as a matter of courtsey, but meanwhile I wonder what your thoughts are.

Thanks in advance.
 
I booked an appointemtn to see my GP and she was amazingly fine about it. I was dreading it at first but the general opinion is it was good that I was trying to cut my weight.

Also the form isnt about giving permission they just have to state that you dont have any existing condition that will contravene the diet.
 
Doctors permission

Hi Eleanor

I had to get my form signed because I am taking antidepressants. I had spoken with my doctor about my weight long before I contemplated the CD. I told her how unhappy I felt and how I had failed to stick to other diets.

When I sent my form in I put a cover letter in saying 'as I previously discussed with you I wish to lose some weight and after researching CD on the internet feel this would work for me. I hope you will support me in doing this and ask if you would kndly sign the form for my councellor'.

I left it with the receptionist, with a stamped addressed envelope, and she said, in a very sharp tone, ' I doubt she will sign it and there will probably be a charge'. I left in a bit of a huff.

How little she knew, my doctor signed it the same day and posted it by return of post and there was not charge!

When you think about it; there are lots of illnesses related to being overweight and so if the doctor encourages you to lose weight by signing a form then in the long run it will save them a lot of time and money.

Send it in and put you own note in as well explaining why you want to do this and ask for their support. I don't think you will have any problem as the CD diet is the one that doctors recommend to overweight patients before undergoing surgery.

Good luck
 
make an appointment with your GP to get the form signed rather than leaving it with the receptionist. That way you will have the opportunity to tell your doctor your reasons for starting VLCD. Most doctors would be happy that you are doing something about your weight before you start to get any weight related health problems. You can tell him about your 12lb loss already (congratulations) and ask for his support.

As you pointed out, you dont need his "permission" anyway, you just need him to confirm that what you have stated on your form is correct.
 
My GP was very supportive about me going on this diet, infact she had mentioned it to me before.

There was a book for doctors that my CDC gave me to take and they were really interested and showed no hesitation in signing the form.

I would make an appointment as they may charge you to sign the form if you just leave it
 
Just to confirm if your BMI is above 40 then you must not be doing Cambridge SS or 790 in anyway shape or form without your GP having signed the medical record form. I am unsure why you are on the diet without that form already being signed as that is not the way it should be done.

At the end of the day if you pop along to your GP with the medical form, the 2 booklets and the information for doctors and explain that you are very keen to lose weight then they should support you.

The new NICE guidlines on Obesity state that VLCD's are an effective way of losing weight and also states the GP should support the patient in their choices and therefore you should be asking for his/her support as opposed to their "permission".

But also remember that your GP is a clinician, he/she has a complete picture of your medical history that a Cambridge counsellor hasn't. I may know the diet like the back of my hand but I am not medically qualified and hence it really isn't up to the diet counsellor to give you the product without GP consent.
 
Fantastic! Thanks everybody.

I feel much better about it now and will make an appointment, rather than just handing it in to the rather fearsome ladies who run the GP's reception.
 
Back
Top