"New GP due to house move wants to change my prescription."

Background, 54 year old male right leg and hip disabilities since birth, recent left knee replacement, along with strong painkillers for my disabilities I also take 1 x 20mg piroxicam anti inflammatory per day due to arthritic joints.

Recently while being house bound due to the knee op my partner took over my prescription collection and decided the Boots service would be better for me as I would no longer need to collect it from the doctors.

Since she done this the doctor has phoned me to tell me they can't prescribe me with piroxicam any more and I must switch to something else! Now this worries me as it took a long long time for my previous doctor in another county to find this combination of tablets as when I was on others I was in a mess with stomach and bowel problems enough for them to check my insides out with a camera to see how bad the damage was. I do not wish to be in that state again!

After checking with Boots, Piroxicam is stocked and available so all I can think the problem could be is price and post code but as I prepay for my prescriptions price should not be an issue should it?

Before I arrange an appointment to discuss this with my new GP at the new surgery can anybody tell me if I can insist on not changing my anti inflammatory or must I take something else they do prescribe?

This problem is only because we have moved from Hexham to Whitley Bay due to my partners work. If I was still in Hexham Piroxicam would not be a problem so why is it a problem in Whitley Bay?