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Original poster

NHS Refuses to Offer Surgery

111 replies

AchatAVendre · 09/05/2022 14:50

Wondering what people's thoughts are on this. My NHS healthcare trust is point blank refusing to offer me surgery for a condition that is normally fixed by surgery that almost everyone agrees that all the clinical signs are present for. They want to "do nothing". The problem is causing issues and pain and there is no way forwards from this opinion. I have reached the end point with my healthcare trust.

I have asked to be referred through patient choices for a second opinion but the issue is now causing so much pain and physical damage that I'll probably end up paying for surgery privately because its taken so long to get to this stage. Around £6k. I can afford it, but obviously I'd rather not take 6k out of my savings for something that just about anyone else would get surgery for. I should also point out that I'm not a smoker and not overweight, and even my GP surgery can't understand it. But no-one is doing anything about it. My GP is quite frustrated but can't really do anything. I had a private consultation and the surgeon said that the surgery in my case has a 99% success rate and he can't understand why I wasn't offered it by the NHS. It affects my mobility and therefore my ability to work. Yes, I will complain to the Ombudsman but realistically it will be many months before they even look at my case, never mind do anything about it.

What on earth do you do in practical terms if your NHS healthcare trust simply refuses to operate? I do think its probably a bit sexist as it appears that statistically men are more likely to get this (non-sex related) surgery than women in my trust and some of the written responses I have had display quite a bias and stereotypical thinking about women and at a couple of points, delve into the realms of fiction in inventing reasons for the issue (it occurred due to a an accident, they wrongly claim its because I'm peri-menopausal and I should just accept fractures and complications arising from them).

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Pleasehelpmycat1 · 27/10/2023 19:22

Zombie post

hattie43 · 27/10/2023 18:00

It's only £6k. Get it done and get on with your life .

testedorgan · 27/10/2023 17:34

I had surgery in Turkey, the hospital I was in was state-of-the-art, exceptionally clean, and well-staffed. Surgeon spoke perfect English, although not many of the nurses did.

LINDAHOAD · 27/10/2023 17:27

it should not matter if the nhs has pressures or there are other people with different needs - you have paid into the scheme and are entitled to treatment - once we start the selection process it is wrong, everyones issues and medical problems are problems which they want treated

WeepingSomnambulist · 14/12/2022 07:50

@Untitledsquatboulder

This thread is from Mayand hasnt been updated since May.

Why are you resurrecting it, and why are you resurrecting it just to tell someone off for not reading all OP's posts? Maybe if you read all of OP's posts, you'd have noticed the date.

Untitledsquatboulder · 14/12/2022 07:41

...select "See all" from the bottom right hand corner to bring up the OPs posts.

Untitledsquatboulder · 14/12/2022 07:39

worriedaboutmoney2022 · 11/05/2022 18:14

What type of surgery is it for?

Read the thread or, if that's too much trouble, go yo the OP and choose "See all" from

Mindymomo · 11/05/2022 18:39

£6,000 seems excessive who gave you this price. My Son has had 3 knee operations totalling £15,000, 2 ACL repairs and one to take out a staple which had come loose, which was a day case and was a quick operation costing £850, although this was a couple of years ago.

worriedaboutmoney2022 · 11/05/2022 18:14

What type of surgery is it for?

Original poster
AchatAVendre · 11/05/2022 16:28

OverCCCs · 11/05/2022 16:08

Are you in generally good health otherwise OP? Not very overweight or with other underlying conditions that would make surgery be considered too risky by some experts?

I'm athletic, fit, not overweight, have never smoked and don't drink alcohol (don't like it, not even wine). I don't have any underlying conditions or take any medication.

OP posts:
OverCCCs · 11/05/2022 16:08

Are you in generally good health otherwise OP? Not very overweight or with other underlying conditions that would make surgery be considered too risky by some experts?

IrisVersicolor · 11/05/2022 15:43

Have you clarified the garbled notes confusion?

That would make sense.

Original poster
AchatAVendre · 11/05/2022 15:34

cuparfull · 11/05/2022 13:47

Sorry to hear your having so many problems accessing healthcare atm, but surely you can ask GP for more clarity.
Also, I'm confused, what did you mean by "cultural thing going on"? I'm aware of and have evidenced adverse ageism in the NHS.

I think I'm at risk at boring everyone to death with the ins and outs of this thread now, but I did speak to a GP today and they cannot refer me for a second opinion in my particular health trust. It has to go through the trust's specific team set up for this speciality. It also seems to be set up for fobbing people off and doing what they want...

The GP also read through some of my notes and I think theres some confusion between my right and left knees. They seem to list some issues which I suffered years ago in my left knee and all of what they said and indeed the refusal of surgery makes perfect sense if applied to my left knee (which is thankfully a-symptomatic now anyway but doesn't look it on scans) but not to my right knee...

OP posts:
cuparfull · 11/05/2022 13:47

Sorry to hear your having so many problems accessing healthcare atm, but surely you can ask GP for more clarity.
Also, I'm confused, what did you mean by "cultural thing going on"? I'm aware of and have evidenced adverse ageism in the NHS.

Original poster
AchatAVendre · 11/05/2022 08:21

Ahurricaneofjacarandas · 11/05/2022 08:12

Have they written your GP a letter explicitly stating this? If not they need to. I think your GP/surgical department would have a hard time justifying not at least getting you reviewed by a different surgeon if this is the case and yes I'd keep at them until you get this.

Show quote history

Yes, they have! They sent me a copy of the letter that they sent to the GP and it quite clearly states all that I have said above. The letter back from the NHS consultant also advises me to contact me for a second opinion outwith the area.

I'm beginning to wonder if there is some kind of cultural thing going on in my healthcare trust area.

Currently waiting for a callback from a GP. I might as well ask whey they are not referring for a second opinion before parting with thousands.

OP posts:
SkiingIsHeaven · 11/05/2022 08:20

OP. You have said numerous times that you don't trust the NHS so just go to Turkey and get it done.

Going on and on about it but saying you don't trust the NHS is just a waste of time.

You don't trust the NHS, you are in constant pain,you can afford the surgery. Just do it.

Ahurricaneofjacarandas · 11/05/2022 08:12

AchatAVendre · 11/05/2022 08:01

For the love of god, this is not plastic or vanity surgery. It is to remove a fragment causing irritation in a joint which is such standard surgery virtually everywhere else in the country that the consultant I saw privately for a second opinion was astonished it hadn't been done because in my case it would have a 99% chance of fixing the problem in my case and preserving the health of the joint.

I'm clearly in one of the worst, if not the worst, healthcare trusts for this in the country. Might explain why in my local town you see so many people literally hobbling about crippled.

I can see why the NHS gets away so easily with fobbing people off though!

Have they written your GP a letter explicitly stating this? If not they need to. I think your GP/surgical department would have a hard time justifying not at least getting you reviewed by a different surgeon if this is the case and yes I'd keep at them until you get this.

Original poster
AchatAVendre · 11/05/2022 08:01

For the love of god, this is not plastic or vanity surgery. It is to remove a fragment causing irritation in a joint which is such standard surgery virtually everywhere else in the country that the consultant I saw privately for a second opinion was astonished it hadn't been done because in my case it would have a 99% chance of fixing the problem in my case and preserving the health of the joint.

I'm clearly in one of the worst, if not the worst, healthcare trusts for this in the country. Might explain why in my local town you see so many people literally hobbling about crippled.

I can see why the NHS gets away so easily with fobbing people off though!

OP posts:
Ahurricaneofjacarandas · 11/05/2022 07:49

It's hard to say without knowing what's going on exactly but all I'll say is that surgeons love to cut people open 🤣 If they're refusing then they aren't doing so for fun. It's almost certainly because a) They think surgery is too risky for some reason or b) They think there's a good chance you won't get the desired outcome from surgery. Private surgeons will still follow these principles but let's just say they're probably going to be a bit happier wasting your own money than the NHS's money.... It's worth really pinning down your surgeon as to why they won't do surgery and what they think the chances of success will be and making a fully informed decision before you spend your own money. X

Ahurricaneofjacarandas · 11/05/2022 07:40

*going to ED will waste time I mean

Ahurricaneofjacarandas · 11/05/2022 07:39

Grumpybutfunny · 09/05/2022 17:17

Would your GP be happy to refer you out of area? Wouldn't recommend it right now, but wouldn't it be bad luck that the plate is causing you sudden pain and you attend A&E out of area and explain the situation? The waiting lists are crazy, I've currently just got over COVID should have had my repeat prescription as soon as I tested positive. Tried to ring my GP couldn't get through and when I did they had removed it from the system and I couldn't get an appointment for 6 weeks!

This will just waist everyone's time as almost certainly just ask you to see your GP to refer you to the relevant surgeon. I think you'd be within your right to ask your GP to refer you to a surgeon from a different hospital though or ask for a different surgeon at the same hospital to review your case. There's every chance they might decide surgery isn't in your interest though. Good luck xx

Matchingcollarandcuffs · 11/05/2022 07:28

OP for the love of all that is holy please just pay off you can. You will end up making yourself ill with the stress of trying to fight the system when the system is clearly not going to engage.

I had private ankle surgery last week in the centre of London. I stayed overnight as I was a complex patient, and had athriscopy, bone renouvellement, ligament resection with an internal brace. The whole lot, including 2 pre op consultations and an MRI will cost under £7k. Luckily I could see what would happen to the NHS so took private health insurance out at the start of Covid.

I only saw the consultant (leader in his field) 2 months ago and held out til May for my op, it coukd have been quicker. What astonishes me the most is how efficient it all is and hopefully how by not waiting for things to be really bad I will not only recover better but will have cost both my employer and the NHS far less money than if I was stuck on NHS timescales. And my mental health is not suffering.

TL;DR morally NHS should treat you, practically for your health and sanity just pay, you can afford it

QuebecBagnet · 11/05/2022 06:41

It’s always been the GP who has referred me out of area for a second opinion.

marthasGinyard · 11/05/2022 01:57

They can refer out of their area I would choose who you want to see and go from there.

Are they classing it as plastic surgery?

How did you get on in. MRI with a metal plate?

Hope you get it sorted.

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