SLEEP APNEA

[DukeAmirOften]

Hi everyone. just a question regarding sleep apnea. If you are diagnosed with it does it stand you in good stead for getting NHS funding or not? I personally think i have it as i snore terribly (since i have got heavier) i am tired all day and when i wake in the morning my head and throat hurts. My application for funding has been sent in, so if i go get tested will it cause problems?

Thank you xx

 

[Neen]

Depends what the criteria is in your area..but if your PCT take that into account and you do actually get diagnosed with it then yes it can count towards helping you obtain funding. Not sure if you can guarantee getting funding with any area or circumstance unfortunately.

Here you can have a look and see roughly what's done in your area x
BOSPA - The British Obesity Surgery Patient Association

 

[DukeAmirOften]

Yeah i found this link the other day and mine (Central Lancs) follow NICE guidlines. My BMI is 41 so under NICE i fit, so i am keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for your response x

 

[Neen]

Hope it all goes well then! xxx And hopefully the process won't take too long either

 

[dolly48dd]

Hope it all goes well for you.xx

 

[DukeAmirOften]

Quick question to NEEN....Just reading over the list again that you posted the link on above and i only just noticed this criterea list was dated 2007/8. Therefore wont the criterea have changed now and if so shouldn't BOSPA have updated it? Thanks again x

 

[bobsbigboy]

Sleep Apnoea

About 18 months ago I went to the docs about sleepless nights, but my reason was because I am diabetic and pee for England at night. He gave me a pill to help this problem but at the same time referred me to The respiratory clinic. The doctor there said I didn't have a lot of room down my throat, so without listening to my reasons why I could not sleep he assumed I had sleep apnoea. I also snore for England too so my Mrs tells me, but she says I have never stopped breathing or had any other signs of apnoea. Anyway the doctor at the hospital wanted me to have the tests, now came the crunch.... if it was found to be positive it meant I could no longer drive, it's an instant no no. So I never went back again. Since then I sleep better and the peeing has decreased significantly. It was put on my application about the clinic, but whether it had any bearing on their decision I don't know, on my pre op assessments it was mentioned and I did the Howard(?) test again, this is the criteria they use to assess you. The Consultant asked me and I told him the truth as I did to the Anesthetist just before my op was cancelled. This was a hospital admin foul up nothing to do with me.

Hope this helps a little.

Bob

 

[Jen1961]

[QUOTE="I also snore for England too so my Mrs tells me, but she says I have never stopped breathing or had any other signs of apnoea. Anyway the doctor at the hospital wanted me to have the tests, now came the crunch.... if it was found to be positive it meant I could no longer drive, it's an instant no no.

Bob


I was diagnosed with severe Sleep Apnoea in March and I informed the DVLA and my insurance as it's a legal requirement to do so once diagnosed. I was worried that I might loose my licence but the DVLA wrote back to me to say that now I am established on CPAP I was ok to drive. I think it helped to inform them once I was established on CPAP as this then meant (in my case anyway) that while using the CPAP equipment I didn't have any Apnoea.

Just my experience anyway.

 

[bigbob]

i do know if you have a hgv license they can take that off you if you have sleep apnea do not think the do if its only a car licence but i could be wrong

 

[Peterborough Guy]

If you drive in general, you have to tell the DVLA and once you start the CPAP etc, they should write to you to confirm you are ok to drive.

If you don't tell them, and have an accident, then you will not be insured.

 

[DukeAmirOften]

So let me get this right...if i have it, i tell dvla/insurance co but i will be able to keep my car licence? And if i have it will i still get funding for surgery?
Thanks x

 

[Jen1961]

So let me get this right...if i have it, i tell dvla/insurance co but i will be able to keep my car licence? And if i have it will i still get funding for surgery?
Thanks x

Once/if you get diagnosed with sleep apnoea and are established on a CPAP machine, you can down load a form from the DVLA website to print off and complete. I did this and sent it off to them. They must review the information and then contact your doctor who will verify the info on the form you submitted. I got a letter from the DVLA to say they were happy for me to continue to drive.

I have heard of people phoning the DVLA to request the form and have been asked not to drive until the form has been returned and the info checked which has been many weeks for the lady I was talking to. This is why I chose to inform them once I had become established on CPAP.

Sleep Apnoea is one of the Co-morbidities that are usually accepted as part of the criteria for NHS funding as it is a quite serious condition. There are other co-mobilities too but having a 40+ BMI plus one or more co-mobility is usually enough to meet most PCT's criteria.

HTH

 

[DukeAmirOften]

Thats great thanks, i do know though that BMI of 40 plus is accepted here so i am keeping fingers and toes crossed I was diagnosed with asthma in 2005 and i will speak to gp about sleep apnea on my next appointment x

 

[Jen1961]

So let me get this right...if i have it, i tell dvla/insurance co but i will be able to keep my car licence? And if i have it will i still get funding for surgery?
Thanks x

Thats great thanks, i do know though that BMI of 40 plus is accepted here so i am keeping fingers and toes crossed I was diagnosed with asthma in 2005 and i will speak to gp about sleep apnea on my next appointment x

Sorry I meant to say 40+

 

[bobsbigboy]

When I had my appointment with the respiratory consultant he told me that I could not drive, period, so of course I believed him. As I chickened out of going back for another appointment I never got as far as the CPAP. I am still driving and have never felt tired at all while driving, even on long trips for visits to rellies or holidays. It s been 18 months now and through my GP giving me a pill to slow down my bladder I sleep fine at night. I did watch an episode of The Fat Doctor and a guy on there from Dorchester who was a bus driver had to stop immediately from driving anything. It took him 5 months to get the CPAP to benefit him, then he lost his job poor bloke.

 

[novamay]

I was thought to have SA but had the test and it came back negative. I had all the symptoms and scored over 15 on the test. I don't sleep well at night; am tired in the morning and most of the day - I could easily just put my head on my desk and fall asleep, or lie on the floor!!!

I have a nightly routine and have tried bath, milky drink, etc at night - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - it can take hours to drop off to sleep and I can wake up at the smallest noise. I have been like this most of my life - I worried a lot as a child mostly about being bullied at school, and worry now about the usual money/family stuff. Plus my OH snores, I have cats that wake me in the night, and diabetes so I am up peeing too. The consultant thinks I have chronic insomnia and I have another appointment this week to chase this with him.

Glad I don't have SA. I don't think I could wear the mask at night as I don't like things on my face. I was told that they test you for SA prior to surgery as they need to adjust how they treat you in surgery and in recovery - plus the anaesthetist can refuse to put you under if he thinks there's any risk.