NHS waiting lists - when do I give up?

[lostinthememory]

I've been on an NHS waiting list for over a year now, for a referral to ENT. When do I just give it up and accept I won't be seen(

What do you mean? You don't give up if you need it

You could try calling the outpatient appointment number at around 9:30. By that time someone might have called in to cancel an appointment that day due to illness and you could get the cancellation.

As others have said, phoning up and being flexible might get you an appointment through a cancellation.

Alternatively, there are private ENT appointments you can get. I know going private is controversial but if you’re super desperate then it might be necessary. It’s not crazy expensive; maybe a couple of hundred for a consultation.

I can't really be flexible - all appointments need to be approved at work, and I'd need to plan to have my car with me to get to the appointment.

I do need the appointment but I'm also sick of waiting, it's been a year now and I'm seemingly no closer to being treated.

I can't afford a private consultation sadly, but I may end up asking for one for my birthday if it comes down to it because this is starting to annoy me!

Hello

I was waiting over a year for a gynae appointment, with no sign of anything progressing.

In the end I went to see my GP, who wrote a letter of expediency to the hospital’s gynecology department. Within a week I received a letter with an appointment.

Good luck!

That is a shockingly long time to wait for an appointment, I feel for you OP. I wonder where you are in the country. We are south west, dh saw the GP inbetween Christmas and New Year for a referral to ENT and has already got an appointment for February. I would either contact the department direct as another poster suggested to try for a cancellation or go back to your GP and see if they can push at their end.

Has the GP definitely sent the referral? You’ll be surprised how often they haven’t.

Also google the waiting time at your hospital for the speciality that you need. Lots of departments at my local hospital have 12 months +

I'm in the south west too.

It was definitely sent off, I have the letter in my app and have had two "sorry, we're still trying to get you an appointment, do you still need to see us?" texts, so I'm in the system. I'm just not sure where in the system I am.

Hi OP

Honestly it’s worth contacting your GP to see if they can speed things up. It worked in my case so may do in your’s too.

X

I was told by my GP in 2014 I could easily wait 2 1/2 years to get my tonsils removed (and my tonsils were actively trying to kill me at that point). So we went private. Could have been done in 5 weeks but I asked for it to be delayed and it took 9. We had insurance from H’s work so had to pay a small excess, off the peg would have cost £1800. Would still have been worth every penny, even at double the cost. I wasn’t ill again until COVID, after previously been on 6 lots of penicillin a year which was starting to not be effective.

ENT is classed as low priority. Always has been.

Ask for an early birthday/Christmas present.

My toddler almost certainly has sleep apnoea, was referred a few months ago and have been told by the hospital it is a 12 month wait for a first appointment too. He almost certainly needs his tonsils out, lord knows how long the wait for surgery will be on top. Meanwhile his behaviour is clearly affected by the poor sleep.

Do as others have said and phone GP and if you get nowhere within a couple of weeks, phone the hospital.

If it's something that you really needed treat, health has to come above work and it wouldn't look too favourably on them if they refused a hospital appointment. Again, I know juggling transport isn't easy, but again your health comes above others needing the car.

I've been waiting to see the bowel clinic for a prolapse, for almost 2 years. I've called and chased. So has my gynae consultant. I seriously feel like I will never be seen at this point. It's just beyond acceptable really.

I'm in the NW and it's 12-18 months for gynae for example here
But then everything is spread out so it's probably 12 months since I first saw a consultant who couldn't do it so sent me back to another, I'm still waiting for urgent surgery

I wouldn't mind if I could see where I was on the list. But I've made no progress in a year

I had to wait 15 months for heart surgery & afterwards waited 9 months for the 1 month follow up appointment

Hospitals are being pushed to have nobody waiting longer than 65 weeks so you may be getting close.....

That's an absolute joke. Heart stuff is not something to mess with. Hope you're better now😊

Hopefully you are not in Northern Ireland as I have just checked my local trust. This is for a first appointment

It says six months so I'm not holding out hope!!