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Original poster

TIA Referral

8 replies

Wiggles278 · 02/12/2021 13:50

My DP got taken to A&E last week with a range of weird symptoms including dizziness, confusion, awful headache and his left arm and leg going numb and weak.

He was in there all day and I wasn't allowed to be with him. At some point due to the confusion he walked out without being discharged and turned up at home not knowing how he got here. I called the hospital and they said he hadn't been discharged and they were going to refer him to a TIA clinic, but as he was home now he could stay there and they would send a letter to our GP to make the referral.

To cut a long story short, the 'letter' they've sent is not sufficient for the GP to make a referral, so we have to book an appointment with the GP and ask for a referral to the TIA clinic ourselves. The GP has a history of not taking my DP very seriously and these consistent disabling headaches have been brushed off as stress for months.

Needless to say the episode last week was terrifying and I want to make sure the GP makes the referral to the TIA clinic, but I'm concerned he'll refuse. Does anyone know anything about what warrants a referral to a TIA clinic?

OP posts:
CorrBlimeyGG · 02/12/2021 13:54

This link describes when a referral will be appropriate, there are other links with greater detail.

www.ouh.nhs.uk/services/referrals/tia.aspx

Note that he should not be driving until he has been seen.

Alltheblue · 02/12/2021 13:56

I'm sorry I can't advise but what on earth is our health care system coming to? Can you afford to go private?

choosername1234 · 02/12/2021 14:01

Have all his symptoms resolved? By definition a TIA must be completely resolved otherwise it's not a TIA.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
Original poster
Wiggles278 · 02/12/2021 14:05

@CorrBlimeyGG That link is quite helpful - thanks. He had a few of the symptoms that they say are likely to be a TIA but he has some amnesia (though this could be due to the stress of the event I suppose) so I hope they are still able to refer him.

Luckily (maybe) he can't work at the moment so no real need to drive.

@Alltheblue Not really, unfortunately. He can't work at the moment and my salary isn't huge. We could probably afford one consultation with a specialist but no real treatment.

OP posts:
Alltheblue · 02/12/2021 14:06

We could probably afford one consultation with a specialist but no real treatment.

That's all most people go private for. You get a diagnosis and skip the awful fencing around treatment.

Original poster
Wiggles278 · 02/12/2021 14:06

@choosername1234 All of the symptoms he had on the day have resolved. He has had an ongoing headache for months and months but all the 'new' symptoms that appeared on the day of the TIA have gone.

OP posts:
Alltheblue · 02/12/2021 14:08

When the consultant you see privately writes to the GP with their instructions, even if that be a referral for a scan, they have to follow it. Some consultants can put you into their own NHS list after seeing you once. That's been my experience.

Original poster
Wiggles278 · 02/12/2021 14:44

@Alltheblue I think that is going to be our next port of call once we have (hopefully) got a referral to this TIA clinic. The private neurologists in our area have 3 week waiting lists and really we need the TIA clinic referral before then.

Since our GP is usually useless I'm wondering if a private GP would be able to make the referral to the TIA clinic?

OP posts:
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