Useless f**king consultant. What are my options on the NHS (or private?)

[rabbitrabbit]

Hello, my ds has been unwell for some time now and it looks like the worst of his symptoms are starting up again this week.
So, as both the GP and paediatrician are worse than useless, is there anyone out there that can advise me on what I can demand on the NHS? EG. can I demand a referral to a specific hospital department or specialist?
Or, failing that, as my GP surgery have 3 times given us a private referral letter that contains the wrong fking information can I just book an appointment with a paediatrician and start again in the hope that I might actually get some help for ds?

Thanks. Apologies for the bad language.

Thanks Fox, their website is great. I'm assuming that I just call and say I have a private referral letter form my Gp and would like to make an appointment?

yes, that's what we did with St Anthony's. Just to let you know, sometimes they need the referral letter from the GP addressed to the exact consultant.

specific consultant not exact (sorry, dreadful English!)

Thanks, I'm checking yet another referral letter with the GP surgery as I type!

believe it or not you might end up seeing the same consultant privately as in the nhs (and paying for the priviledge), but his bedside manner may be a bit more slimier.

Private hospitals have exactly the same tests, drugs and treatments as nhs, (might get different brands but same drug underneath some services are contracted out to be done by nhs hospitals)

Hi ungrateful, that was a concern I had!
I just found out that the third referral letter is incorrect and I now have to wait until tomorrow to get it sorted "as we're just closing the surgery and I need to go."
I can almost see my blood pressure rising.

At least I can fill the time searching for consultants

Thanks again to everyone for the replies, much appreciated.

Although ungrateful in can often expedite things somewhat- the use of a private SALT that woreked mainly for the NHS would have saved us an 18 month wait!

IME don't worry too much about the referral letter - as long as you end up with a pead consultant in vaguely the right field you can set them straight about the details. They are quite used to getting misleading and inaccurate information...

is it the consultant causing the problem or the gp in not describing the condition properly

Thanks Noodle; though for some reason the GP has referred him to an ENT specialist that I know nothing of, or the reason for. I have lost the will to live and cannot explain here the, many many, reasons why that is so totally wrong and irrelevant.

I think the GP was initially at fault as he was unwilling to actually listen to what I was telling him. I think he tried to placate me with weekly urine tests until I had had enough and demanded a referral. His referral notes were similar to "mother says he's not been right."
The consultant initially told us that he was confident the blood test would show either infection or inflammation-neither was the case and he started focusing on the ldh levels-yet has never once responded to our many questions as to why they would be raised etc.

Anyway, am sure I've bored you all senseless with this tonight! Thank you all again for the recommendations. I think it sometimes helps to have people agree that you need to keep fighting to see the right person, and not that you're just imagining it all!

I would take the ent appt if you can bear it as he may refer you to the right person and 'in house' this is so much quicker HTH

Hi yes I had dealings with Markiewicz (sp?!) but he was our NHS Paed at Chelsea & Westminster from when my ds1 was born. He diagnosed him with Congenital Hypothyroidism when he was admitted at 5 days old with excessive jaundice, and then did all his follow up care from birth for the next 2.5 years until we moved to the country. So he was effectively acting as a Paed Endocrinologist (although we nominally had one of those in charge, I only saw her about twice).

I think he is a very good generalist, and that is probably what you want with that long list of unexplained symptoms. Any initial private consultation will only cost about £200 (which obv is a lot of money, but probably worth it to jump the queue and get some help) - why don't you phone Markiewicz's private sec and talk it through with her. If you go that route you just phone useless GP, say "please fax a private referral to Markeiwicz on this fax number by 4.00 tomorrow please" - brook no discussion, you have every right to do this, and get the first slot you can.Benefit of talking through with secretary first is that you can tell her YOUR concerns, and warn her that useless GP's referral might not accurately reflect what the issues that you perceive them to be are, and that you want to discuss with him.
Best of luck, it does sound very worrying.

Thanks for that Princess. By the power of Mumsnet (!) I actually received a phonecall from the current NHS paed today-apologising for not calling sooner with results, enquiring after health of ds, and then telling us we need to come in asap...so now we're due to go back to see him as he wants to do some scans on ds to ensure that there are no growths anywhere there shouldn't be.
I am having a very very very large glass of wine tonight.

oh god rabbitrabbit, thank goodness but how worrying.
the thing about NHS healthcare at the moment is that it is essentially DIY. If you have the energy and the nouse to do a lot of shouting, and quite a bit of self-diagnosing to ensure you get seen by the right people, then you are OK. If not, you are fucked.
So just turn up your "bolshy and insistent" control button, and best of luck.xx

Thanks Princess; you're absolutely right. I honestly think we would still be waiting if we hadn't spent much of last and this week shouting at his secretary

I'm afraid its often the case with the NHS that you have to be pushy to get proper care. It can help to get your MP involved or to contact the local PALS saying you want to make a complaint.

If you aren't happy GOS is a brilliant hospital and some of the people there proabbly see private patients.

oh, I'm glad they are doing something rabbit

Thanks Tatt, we should have the appintment this week so we're going to wait and see this consultant as he knows ds's history to date. If we're unhappy with that appointment then we will take him to a private consultant-the current paed said he wants to scan to determine where to refer us, either immunology or oncology, so we're very keen to get this over and done with asap.
Thanks for all the replies x

It must be worrying, rabbit, I hope it goes well