# NHS waiting times grrrrrr



## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

I have a ruptured disk in my lower back which occured in late April. 
I had an MRI in late May the results took another 3 weeks to come back. Saw the doctor again in early June and they wrote for an urgent appointment the same day.
The reply has taken 2 weeks (after a phone call by me to the hospital) and the appointment is for August 28.
I have been unable to sit for 2 months and I can only manage a few mins on my feet.
Glad they put urgent on the letter or I might have been here till xmas.

Does anybody know the cost of seeing a consultant these days.

Andy


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

I know you are my neighbour Andy :wink: So go to the Doctor and ask him to sort an earlier appointment.
If he is unhappy with August 28th he will deal with it.
Are you at Whitstable Medical Centre??


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## Invicta (Feb 9, 2006)

I suggest you ring and ask the Chaucer hospital, Canterbury for their charges and if the consultant you are under NHS wise sees private patients there.

My friend recently saw a 'back' specialist there and was charged £150 for a 30 min consultation. From there she went into the NHS WH Hospital at Ashford for an epidural injection that incidentally has done no good.

Can I suggest that you join the Benenden Healthcare Scheme for the future. Too late for this time as there is a 6 month qualifying period but covers situations you are now in, all for £6.50 per month. Look it up on the net, (www benenden.org.uk), meanwhile get back to your GP he/she should be able to get an urgent appointment. Ask about 'choose and book' if they haven't mentioned it to you.

There is also another possible method of getting seen earlier (NHS) that I won't post here, PM me for the details!


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

inkey-2008 said:


> Does anybody know the cost of seeing a consultant these days.
> Andy


When I saw one it was under BUPA and was £80 for a consultation visit. I do not know if this is a lower price than than would be charged for a completely private consultation.

The problem comes after he has seen you. If he were to recommend an operation how would you fund it without medical insurance?
Would it be any advantage to go to a Chiropractic clinic for a consultation?


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## Jented (Jan 12, 2010)

Hi.
Had a "Trapped nerve?",in my back,went to see a GP who practised whatever bone manipulation is called,(Had to have my own GP's blessing),and a fortnight later was back at work(loading/unloading)bags of limestone with no pain at all. However,i had been to a chap before,and 10 mins. after leaving was back to square one,so do your homework first. Best of luck.
Ted


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

Jented this is not a trapped nerve. The disk hs ruptured and is pressing on the nerves. 
It needs either injections or an op to sort it.

Andy


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

I saw a Consultant privately for a lump on my neck which is the sort of thing one NEEDS (for your own peace of mind) to have seen as soon as poss. He used an endoscope thingy to go up my nose and down the back to have a little lookie at it. The bill came to £243 for 30 mins worth of visit 18 months or so ago. At least I knew much sooner than later that it was nothing to worry about.


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## Invicta (Feb 9, 2006)

rayc said:


> inkey-2008 said:
> 
> 
> > The problem comes after he has seen you. If he were to recommend an operation how would you fund it without medical insurance?
> ...


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## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

Andy
I had the same problem last year and ended up being admitted to hospital in Oct for a week before being discharged to await an op and couldn't even sit up to eat meals.
If I had waited for the NHS it would have been late July but luckily work paid and I had the op on Jan 18th and back to work on 1st Feb.
It cost £240 for first consultation, £395 for new MRI as he wouldn't use NHS one, £120 for pre op consultation, £6763 for op and follow up consultation, £120 for 6 month check up which will be in July just about the time I would have had the op on the NHS.
I hope this helps.
James


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## tattytony (Jun 29, 2009)

I know this is nothing to compare but I had minor surgery to my left foot in Oct 09 with the right being put on the waiting list I was told in writing that it would be within 18weeks as per the the Goverment guidelines but yes not op yet and all planned for the 23rd of this month so went for my Pre OP on Tuesday gone at the end of the Pre Op assesment the nurse told me that my Op had to be cancelled as I have a heart condition all this while the notes were in front of the nurse all the time :twisted: :evil: :twisted: :evil: why even go through taking bloods wasting a nurses time for 1 hr then to tell me something they all knew anyway I HAVE TO OPERATED ON BY THE CONSULTANT NOT THE REGISTRAR so now I have to wait another 18 weeks that really means 34weeks :evil: :twisted: :evil: :twisted: venting over the nursing staff generally are great and putting up with me must be a trying affair :wink:


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

Thanks jp & tattytony I will be going back to the doc on Monday morning to see if it can be arranged any ealier else where. 
Do't know that I can afford nearly 8k but if I have pay to get an earlier consutation to get things moving.
What annoys me the are paid a full wage at the NHS and then clear off into private pratice.
My mum was forced to borrow alot to have a galstone op by the NHS consulatant then he turned around and said "if I had realised how bad you where I would have done now on the NHS". AFTER TAKING HER MONEY.

Andy


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## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

inkey-2008 said:


> What annoys me the are paid a full wage at the NHS and then clear off into private pratice.


I too thought that they were getting paid twice but my consultant explained the situation. 
He works all the hours the NHS can give him in the operating theatre and this is what limits him seeing more patients not his time. 
All my consultations were after 6pm and often nearer 9. 
On the day of my op he came rushing in at around 2pm after finishing his NHS ops which are always in the morning to get as many people as possible home on the same day. 
He saw me at around 9.30pm on his way home. 
He was back at 7.30am to check things were ok before he returned to the NHS work. 
I was happy he was working for his extra private work. 
James


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

I have called my GP this morning telling her I was very unhappy with the appointment I have for 28 August.

She was not pleased either and is going to contact the consutant and either get it brought forward or rebook with another consutant. 

Andy


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## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

Andy 
Be careful and ask around for people who have had a similar op, they don't always go well and the best surgeons have the longest waiting list. 
My op was down for 1 1/2 hours but took 3 1/2 as it was calcified and very hard and the nerve had embedded itself inside and had to be "peeled off" and fixed with some nerve glue?. 
My doctor recommended only 2 of the 5 surgeons in our area and said she wouldn't let the others anywhere near her back as she had seen so many people operated on by the others with a lifetime of pain after the op. 
Good luck. 
James


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

So pleased to hear that Andy Good Luck.


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

I have already had it done 15 years ago and been living with the aftermarth of a botched job but there is no tellings how will go even with the best.

I just cannot keep waiting I have now fixed abode and it is worring my wife.

Andy


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## BwB (Dec 5, 2009)

I hope you sneak in for your op before the new rules come into play.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/10364566.stm

That's progress for ya!


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