How do hospital waiting lists work ? (e.g being moved onto an urgent list)

[chandlersagirl]

I’ve been on a urology waiting list for a long time for diagnostic cystoscopy and potentially treatment, although I’m not sure what treatment exactly . Been waiting since 2016 for treatment (I’ve been on a waiting list twice and taken off for further tests and moving house in that time period) and problems are getting worse and worse , I’ve had a UTI , and acute retention on and off since June and been back and forth to hospital countless times for treatment .

Consultant has written me a letter saying I’m now on an urgent list which is 6-8 months long ... however I would have been put on the routine list about 3-4 months ago - I’m sure it was back April/May I was put on it . Routine list is about 3 years long ...

Am I right in thinking they would take the first 4 months into account , and I’d be quite far up that urgent list , or would I be just stuck at the bottom of the urgent list ?

The silly reason is I’m going back to uni after a year out (because of this), and going back in January .. uni have warned if I go back and take time off again I’ll have to leave , doctor has said if I go back to uni I won’t get the surgery ...

So I’m hoping hoping hoping I would be halfway up the urgent list ... I’m not sure though and just wondering if anyone has any idea how it normally works ? I’m probably best ringing the secretary but scared she’s sick fed up with me !

What do you mean the Dr has said if you go to uni you wont get surgery?
I really don't think that is right, and I'm a nurse!

Because I’d be moving house and health board I think , certainly the first time I went down to uni (2017) I was taken off the waiting list and told that the surgeons in (uni city) hospital needed to agree to do the op, and home surgeon wouldn’t do it as I’d had to change GP surgery . So was back to square one whilst consultant at uni insisted on doing more outpatient tests ...

Then when I was advised to take a year out, GP and consultant at home put me back on the waiting list again - but back at the bottom .

So they said if I move again back to uni, same will happen again ... v frustrating but probably ultimately my fault .

You're best deferring uni for another year. I had to do this as I was on the list knowing my surgery would be at some point in the next year but no idea when.

Uni have said they can’t accommodate a further year off though and I can’t financially afford another year off either, it was hard enough taking this year out for quite a few reasons .

I’ll ring the secretary and ask , they maybe have a cancellations list even that I could get on .

I really can’t bear another year of this either, every time I’m off antibiotics I’m straight back on them within a fortnight .

That's a really awkward situation but yes, you'll go to the bottom of the list if you move health boards. It would be worth asking about cancellations, after a follow up didn't happen for my DH he was rung and offered an appointment by the consultant's secretary at very short notice so I would definitely give that a go if you are able to go at a day or so's notice.

Phone the consultant’s secretary every morning to ask about cancellations. They’ll end up finding you one just to stop you asking.

I'd speak to the disability team at uni regarding deferring. They should be doing everything in their power to help you stay on the course given that you've already completed a year. Unless they're no longer running the course after this year there's absolutely no reason why you wouldn't be able to defer again other than they don't want you to which they can't just decide as the basis of it is your illness. Worst comes to worst, leave the course and reapply after the surgery. You get a gift year from student finance so as you've only completed one year it would still be funded for another 3 years, and in extenuating circumstances they sometimes even put aside the extra years fees.

HOPEFULLY MY PARAGRAPHS WILL SHOW BUT IF NOT HERE'S A NEW ONE:

In terms of cancellations there usually isn't a list, the only reason I had my surgery when I did is because I rang twice a day every day for about a month to ask if there had been any because I was in major pain and it was seriously affecting my life. One Thursday I begged and explained I couldn't cope anymore and they said there had been one for the following Monday and could I be there. I handed my notice in that day, went in that last Friday and went on sick for my notice period. At this point I was suicidal, I couldn't do my job properly, my son had to stay with my mum or his dad as I couldn't stand for long enough to cook him a proper meal. It was horrific. It was extremely hard for me when I was ill as I desperately needed the surgery due to my symptoms but my tumor wasn't dangerous so I couldn't go on the urgent list. Every time I got closer to the top of the list more urgent cases were added ahead of me for almost 3 years. During that time I did my a-levels but after that I had to work as I couldn't claim anything (or go to uni as I knew I'd be having the surgery as I mentioned before) but really I was too ill to work, all supported by my GP and neurosurgeon and neurologist but not by DWP 🙄. I really had no choice. It's shit but it may be that you have to do that if financially it would be a struggle.