> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Hendry [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 21 December 2004 08:17
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Mental Health
>
>
> That would remove the patient from your denominator, thus diminishing
> your payment.
>
> Our policy is to invite the patient in for a physical checkup, using a
> letter that points out that it is all too easy to miss out on physical
> problems when mental health concerns are uppermost in
> patient's and GP's
> mind. If the patient comes for this, he'll have consented to
> inclusion.
Will he?
How informed is the consent process?
This reads as if the patient is agreeing to attend the surgery for a
physical review, but that agreement is extrapolated to mean consent to
inclusion on the mental health register which includes those "who require
and have agreed to regular follow-up" - has he agreed?
This review "includes a check on the accuracy of prescribed medication, a
review of physical health and a review of co-ordination arrangements with
secondary care". Clearly this description does not mention reviewing
symptoms attributable to the mental health disorder so your process could
arguably be described as appropriate, but I'd still be concerned about the
depth of consent.
> The registration and the examination take place at the same time, and
> your job has been done for a year.
>
> It seems most unlikely that a patient would bother to ask to
> be removed
> from the register after the initial consent.
>
> Next year, the patient will be invited to come in up to three
> times, and
> failure to attend on the third occasion will cause us to
> remove him from
> the register.
>
> Michael
>
Brian
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