Time waiting for surgery on NHS

[jaxx]

Hi I was just wondering how long you had to wait between your first GP visit where surgery was mentioned and your actual op, regardless of which proceedure you had. I seemed to have got mine quite quickly considering it was NHS funded and I didn't have to jump through the many hoops that most of you seem to have.

I saw my GP at the end of August last year which was when I asked to be referred for surgery and my op date was originally 6th of January but got delayed because of the snow to 18th of January. So 5 months between first visit and surgery. How long did you have to wait?

 

[yorkiegal]

5 weeks from asking my gp to refer me, to being seen for my initial appointment, which I'm quite pleased with. We'll see how long it is until the next phase though.

 

[Nightwitch]

i had a delay due to being told my BMI wasnt high enough by my GP originally.
my journey so far basically is

End March 09 - see GP...BMI only 58 so told i wont get funding...am referred for private consultation
End May 09 - pay for private consultation...actually have my height measured and my BMI is high enough...told to go back to GP and request funding and he will write to him.
End June 09 - funding request goes off, get ok in July 09
august 09 - have second NHS consultation and am put onto waiting list
Jan 10 - get phone call offering op date
march 10 - op day

so my journey so far has taken a year but from being accepted for funding it has been about 8-9 months

 

[yorkiegal]

58 too low for funding? It really is a postcode lottery isn't it? I thought my pct was bad with the benchmark set at 50.

 

[Nightwitch]

58 too low for funding? It really is a postcode lottery isn't it? I thought my pct was bad with the benchmark set at 50.

his agurment to not requesting the funding first was that based on BMI alone i was not inside PCT criteria....I am one of the lucky ones who does not YET suffer from any other co-morbidities....other than my weight i have been perfectly healthy.

Probably why going into hospital this saturday makes me REALLY nervous....i haven't been in hospital or seriously ill since i was 10...so almost 20 years lol

should get round to writing up a proper diary from March 09 to now shouldn't i hehe

 

[cah-ching]

58 too low for funding? It really is a postcode lottery isn't it? I thought my pct was bad with the benchmark set at 50.

I thought that too. 58 BMI is high. With you on the post code lotto.

 

[cah-ching]

his agurment to not requesting the funding first was that based on BMI alone i was not inside PCT criteria....I am one of the lucky ones who does not YET suffer from any other co-morbidities....other than my weight i have been perfectly healthy.

Probably why going into hospital this saturday makes me REALLY nervous....i haven't been in hospital or seriously ill since i was 10...so almost 20 years lol

should get round to writing up a proper diary from March 09 to now shouldn't i hehe

You'll be OK on Saturday

 

[Nightwitch]

lol yeah.
my GP took my word for what i THOUGHT my height was...i thought i was 5'4"....at the consultation when they actually measured me i was only 5'2" (and a half...a very important half! ) so losing those 2 inches shoved my BMI above 60

 

[candie]

I waited just under 12 months

 

[yorkiegal]

I'm planning to bend my knees and put some weights in my pockets at my appointment tomorrow, before she calculates my bmi.

 

[rybens]

From dr to bypass was 16 long months lol x

 

[Katastrophe]

Asked my GP for referral in Nov 08 and my surgery's on 12th April. So 17 months in all. There were a few c**k ups along the way though , notes lost for 5 months and not enough information given to the surgeon delayed it by another 4 months as well.

Nightwitch I'm sure you'll be fine, just make sure you come back and tell us all the gory details lol

 

[tiarasandtantrums]

Just about five months, start to finish xx

 

[dottychic]

Hi,
First GP appointment May 09, had all my tests done at hospital, got funding in Dec 09. Next appointment at hospital May 6 2010. So I'm already up to a year and not even seen the surgeon yet!
So sick of waiting! x

 

[jaynefrances]

I saw my GP in the autumn of 2007 and got my op Jan 2010 - about 28 months in total

 

[Janeywanttoloosealot]

I saw the doctor in April 08 and had my op March 09 felt like forever though. Janey

 

[ChrystalK]

I think I saw my doctor in October 2008 and my operation is scheduled for April 2010. So around 16 months for me. I too seem to have had a fairly easy journey.

 

[galm37]

I started my 6 months with the dietician in Oct 08, but she didn't refer me to the surgeon until May 09.

Had my 1st of 3 appointments in Aug 09 (one stop clinic) 2nd in Sep 09 (sleep study) 3rd in Oct 09 (psychologist). Went on the waiting list from the date of my last appointment (29th Oct).

Then had my lovely bypass on 1st Feb 2010.

 

[teen]

I was done and dusted in 16 weeks saw Dr think was sept 09 then had op on 2nd jan 10

 

[madstaffyblonde1]

Asked my GP to refer me May 09 my bmi 42
hospital refused saying my bmi was not high enough, went back to the GP and was referred again July 09 as they had my height wrong
1st appointment end July 09
2nd appointment Nov 09
Dec 09 funding requested and agreed 7 days later
1st pre op 31 March 2010 brought forward to 16 Feb 2010
2nd Pre op 15 April 2010 brought forward to 23 Feb 2010
Op date 15 April 2010 brought forward to 7th April 2010
so roughly 9 months but i have been very lucky in getting cancellations along the way