NHS wait times .. really!

[rockingbird]

I've had this knee pain since late May (half term) quite painful and no fall so no injury as such. It just went! I've tried all sorts of medication for the pain and nothing seems to touch the sides. Rested it, exercised in water only and been mindful of hill walking etc.

Tried and failed for some time to get an appointment at the doctors surgery via phone so logged an online request on 16/06. Appointment given for 09/07, it was agreed an x-ray wouldn't be the best option as no fall/bang to the knee and an MRI was needed - advised the referral would be made. At this point I made it clear I had bupa and if it was better to do a private referral letter at this stage due to wait times I'd prefer that option. I was advised to hold off that route and the admin team would come back to me regarding wait times for the MRI. Some time passed and I heard nothing so logged another query on 27/08.. We came back from holiday and the pain was so bad I was hell bent on following it up.

Guess what - a load of waffle and no referral had been made. Told they would come back to me! Followed up again 02/09 told referral would be made but needed to speak to the doctor who should have done it in the first place. Today I've got a text (once the surgery is closed of course) advising me the mri waiting time is 10 weeks 😵‍💫 (that's if they don't lose the paperwork)! Is this the norm?? So now I have to raise a new appointment to get a referral letter to go private-what an absolute waste of everyone's time!

Is this just how bad things are now? Seems like a very drawn out process

Sorry to hear that, I do think mri and 10 weeks is average but not putting the referral in, is terrible.

I'm waiting for something very simple (iron iv.... 1 year!!)

Do they not have an admin service on the e-consult? You shouldn't have to make another appt. They don't sound great at the GPs though. Ours usually does a referral within a few days and ask if you want private or NHS.

Tbh I would never use the nhs unless I had no other alternative eg. Major trauma/accident/emergency.

Its a shower of shite and due to compassion fatigue a lot of the staff working within it don’t give a shit either.

My mum was referred to cardiology middle of October last year. Her appointment is this October.

Sorry to hear that you are going through this and wishing you a quick diagnoses and recovery.
Regarding the GP failing to refer you, that is really shite and worth of complaint. I think it is atypical, at least from my experience.
Regarding your waiting times, you are really lucky! That is a short time, from my experience. The waiting lists are beyond ridiculous.

I've got 76 weeks for my hysterectomy! Wish I had Bupa

Could you use the virtual gp from Bupa to refer you to a specialist who can the refer for scans / treatment?

MRI knee wait time is about 6 months here!

Just do buoa and speak to their own GP to get referral. I'm surprised your GP didn't just do it there and then. Mine can't wait to pass me to private.

Just do BUPA, it'll free up the slot for someone else.

Just email them and ask for an 'open referral'. Bloody ridiculous. When I mention bupa they usually just do me an immediate referral.

I'm more than happy to just go with the bupa route which is what I initially thought was the best option when I spoke to the Doctor. I'm just p'd off I've been waiting around from that first appointment up until now. 🥴 I'll be on the phone tomorrow to bupa to get the ball rolling and also speak to the surgery secretary to push things forward. Sad to hear so many are waiting so long, I genuinely had no idea it would be this bad.

Waited 8 weeks for an MRI and am almost 8 months into my 10 month wait for my follow up appointment to confirm that I very likely need a hysterectomy. The letter after my MRI said this was likely but a 10 month wait to confirm this is unbelievable! In pain everyday and GP won’t help as ‘I’m in the system’. It’s honestly ridiculous. Sorry you’ve got pain and such a long wait too.

It’s terrible. The poor NHS staff are so over stretched. Hopefully Labour can sort it out but it will take some years to do so.

I was thinking about trying Bupa as I just keep leaving getting tests etc because the nhs seems so stretched.

I was referred to rheumatology in February and was given an appointment for August. They cancelled that a week before so it was made for October. Last Monday they cancelled that one and made it for later in October. On Friday they cancelled that and made it for the middle of September when I’m on holiday. When I phoned up they told me it would now be February 2025.

I put in a complaint via PALs because I’ve been messed around up hill and down dale. Late this afternoon they phoned me with an appointment for Thursday morning.

I don’t know what the answer is anymore

I'm quite shocked your GP is able to actually refer you for an MRI scan, I don't think this is general practice in my neck of the woods.

The thing is you'll still need to be seen by an Orthopaedic Surgeon once you've had your scan. You might have been better off being referred to Orthopaedics before your scan.

I think there's about an 8 month wait for a new appointment at my local hospital

Good luck and I hope your scan is clear

My experience of injury-MRI-knee surgery (twice)

Firstly, I was injured early July 2022, I wasn't actually injured per se. My knee suddenly locked for no apparent reason.
MRI - Mid-August. Getting the results was a pain. The surgery had my results the day after the scan but wouldn't give them to me without an appointment.
Consultant appointment- October 2022, surgery was scheduled for 3 days later.

Second time, I damaged the repaired knee in January 2024. I had an MRI in March 2024. It was then 10 weeks for my consultant appointment, then another 6 weeks for surgery.

The process always seems to fall down with the GP surgery. I had to chase my second referral as the hospital hadn't received it. If it had been sent when my MRI results had been received then I would have seen the consultant much quicker.

In my experience, it's best to go to a specialist orthopaedic hospital, if possible. You won't be able to be referred until you've had your MRI results but I've found the specialist hospital to be much more efficient.

Only for certain joints and certain age ranges and criteria.
it’s useful for knees and means the referral to Ortho is quicker - we’ll ideally!

Thanks all for your input, in my rage yesterday late afternoon I emailed the private hospital nearby who have an orthopaedic consultant and believe it or not I can be seen this Friday - all I need from bupa is a authorisation code! £200 is the fee - presumably covered in private healthcare if not I'm paying it anyway.

Next time I would just ask them for a private referral and chase it up so you know it has been done. Hope all goes well.

If I was in BUPA I would have got them to plug into that immediately - you can make an appointment with a private hospital and have them contact the surgery for a letter. I have done this.

Just had a heart attack, stent inserted. After a further admission for chest pain I was told that the wait time for follow up is ........ 61 weeks. I am going private on Thursday - it will eat into my savings but I am not waiting all that time!!

A years wait for the endometriosis centre
My appointment for MRI results and plan - had the MRI, 8 weeks ago. Appointment for November. Now cancelled as consultant off until 2025

That's pretty good. I was referred to cardiology in February last year, I'm still waiting for an appointment!

I was triaged by a bupa consultant today, I have my authorised referral and consultation Friday. The consultant will then arrange the mri following on from that appointment and all covered. I know in future to bypass the GP ☺️ lesson learnt.