NHS waiting lists - fed up. Is this normal?

[garlictwist]

I’ve been having increasingly severe hip pain and was referred to the orthopaedics department by my GP.

I waited almost 18 months for my initial appointment and finally had an MRI.

I hadn’t heard anything since so rang up. Eventually was told my results have come in and they’d send me an appointment to discuss them.

The Appointment arrived yesterday - for September!!!!!! So you’re telling me after waiting 18 months for a scan I now need to wait five months to find out the results even though they’re just sitting there in an inbox somewhere?

I could honestly cry and feel like giving up.

That’s not good. I’ve had a letter with my results within 2 weeks of the MRI.

I tried this recently but my local hospital doesn't give people cancellations over the phone. They call people to offer them out as they say they have so many people on the waiting list it wouldn't be fair to do it any other way.

Can you request a copy of the MRI and report under a SAR?

I needed loads of tests, including a scan, for breathing problems, cough and weight loss, Dr told me it could be cancer and said I'd get an appointment to discuss results.
I said I'd prefer him to write to me instead, which he did, I got the scan results after week.
Not lung cancer, it was bronchiectasis which I'd never heard of, (GP said he didn't know much about it either) so I had to time to google and learn about it and prepare questions before consultant appointment.

You could contact PALS who should be able to help with this.

It’s very unlikely your GP has the result, unless they requested the scan and I’m guessing they didn’t.

Was just coming to say this! And if they aren't sent anything about it by the consultant, they are as stuck as you. Sometimes they can see the report online, but not always. Radiology will only give the results to who requested them.

I disagree, I would start with your GP. They can request the result and chase an earlier appointment for you if there is anything worrying.

Depends where you are and if you have underlying health conditions in addition. If you haven’t you can use a private provider funded by the nhs for hip replacements, my friend waited just 6 weeks from the consultation to the operation, so not as much waiting then

@Freysimo there is an NHS app in Wales.

My husband has a basel cell carcinoma on his chest. Been referred BY GP to have it removed at dermatology. He recently got a letter through that he is on the list for the waiting list!!!!!!!! They said it could be a very long time before he is actually seen. The system is very broken.

Well I disagree with you 🤣

Honestly, OP, PALS would be much more useful than your GP. Or even emailing/phoning the ortho secretaries. Your GP will just be a middle-man in all this.

Add to that, MRIs are specialists tests and in this case requested by a specialist and so needs to be interpreted by a specialist.

Your GP won’t automatically be sent this report, but they can obtain it for you. Depending on what it shows, they may or may not have the expertise to discuss the diagnosis and possible treatments, but their opinions will be better than nothing.

The NHS is overwhelmed because we have too many people in this country and not enough resources. My DS needed his tonsils out and the wait would have been 4 years, so I had to pay privately. Sadly state funded services can’t cope with the number service users.

I am so sorry you are experiencing this. I've had severe pelvic and lower back pain on one side for coming up 6 months now. Just had a consultant telephone appointment this week and the first investigation can take up to 6 months. It also sounds like they will want to write it off as IBS if nothing comes back from the first investigation - it is absolutely not that. I haven't experienced the system much before now and I absolutely despair at the state of things, it doesn't feel like there is a reasonable alternative at the moment. I can't afford private healthcare and even if I could, insurance companies won't deal with issues that are already there.

I am sorry that you will have to wait so much longer, I hope there is a way for things to speed up for you.

It’s getting worse, even in hospitals that were relatively good until now.

Two dehydrated disc, one prolapsed and osteoarthritis in my lumber joints. I’m six months down the line still not back at work. I’m off opiates but I’m significant pain every day.

Put in a data subject access request for a copy of the report from the scan. Then at least you'd know what that says and you could always take it to your GP to see if they'll discuss it with you while you're waiting.

I work in orthopaedics, wait times vary massively across the country - post code lottery. Where we are our ICB are trying to equalise this and are distributing the waiting list across all the organisations to make it fairer. My trust the average wait to first appt is 8-10 weeks, wait for diagnostics less than 4, and then FUP is varies by consultant and their backlog. But generally hip replacements are being done (unless complex orthopaedically or medically) about 9 months from referral, give or take.
we’re taking long waiting patients from other organisations as well treat them quicker.

with regard to your experience, that’s pretty shocking. I would also encourage you to contact PALs, ask for your pathway to be validated to ensure you’ve not slipped through the net anywhere. Ask what your current RTT wait is (all trusts are expected to have no over 52 week waits by end of March so should be actively trying to bring the waiting time down). I’d ask if there’s a consultant with a shorter waiting time you could transfer to, if there’s a cancellation list you can go on for follow up too. I’d also raise concerns about the length of time from mri to results, chances are as it’s more than 3 months there could have been a clinical change and is now not representative of your current pain, and you could argue that because of the delays you’ll have to have another more up to date mri needlessly exposing you to additional radiation.
you could also ask if there’s a pain relieving injection you could be considered for in the meantime, physio or hydrotherapy you could be referred for whilst waiting for a plan for surgery.

sorry you’re having such a bad time of it. It’s a crisis really, more people than ever needing orthopaedic surgery and more people than ever are more medically unwell and orthopedically complex meaning operations are taking longer so they can do less of them per day. Nurse rates for extra sessions have just been slashed so understandably nurses are unwilling to do extra shifts as they don’t get paid very much at all (and significantly less than they were being paid for extras in March). There is a need for extra shifts because sickness absence is so high as people are stressed, overworked and undervalued. I know that doesn’t help your situation but may add some context.

id 100% pursue the PALS queries above. Management respond same day usually, if not a few days but it isn’t a formal complaint. You could also ring the secretary to ask if the consultant knows your follow up is booked for September and could he clinically review to consider bringing forward.

GPs writing to surgeons to “expidite” treatment in a hospital setting has little to no effect in my experience. Don’t bother the GP if you can avoid it (unless you check to see if they have a copy of your results, but if they do - you should too!)

i wouldnt go to GP, it is unfair to you both if the results need specialist interpreting.

Yes, but you can't get results on there, just order repeat prescriptions etc.

Op said she went via her gp

i had a mri on my hips - arthritis confirmed. Results took maybe 3/4weeks to get to my doc