Unexpected referral/appointment. Would you go or cancel?

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Bit long, bear with me...:)

I have TN, which was diagnosed via MRI more than 10 years ago, and had a repeat scan when it was painful again early last year.

I got the results 18 months ago. It explained the TN related findings, then said that there was something showing in the mastoid area, that had also been evident on my prior MRI (10 years earlier) that probably was nothing, but could benefit at being looked at by ENT.

I had an ENT appt this week (outsourced to a small private hosp in Liverpool, I assume in an effort to manage long waiting lists).

They asked if I had any symptoms, pain or repeated infections? No.
The dr then agreed that no, he didn't think so. That he didn't really know why I was there. He explained that it was probably a by product of maybe prior infections that had filled in the natural holes in the bones in the area and that the only treatment would be surgical to open and drain it. And that there would be no point in doing that if I wasn't symptomatic and had no pain or repeated infections.

All of that made sense and was fine by me.

Today I get an appt letter telling me an appointment has been made at the hosp at Aintree for me for ENT elective care with a medic who, when I googled, comes back as being a surgeon.

I'm a bit stumped!

Do I go, with the fuss of trying to get out of work (I work in a school), the time taken driving and cost of petrol, bridge crossing and parking?

Is it worth phoning to ask why the new appt has come through? But I don't have the name of who I spoke to the other day only the phone number of the appointment booking person who rang me.

Or do I just take him at his word from the appointment and assume it's an error and cancel?

What date is on the appointment letter? Ime it can take a couple of weeks from being generated to arriving so it could be that it was actually made before you spoke to someone this week.
I’d phone, it’s the easiest option tbh, but phone and speak to the surgeons secretary, that way she can speak to them directly and ask if you need to be seen then get back to you.
The main switchboard will be able to put you through to the right secretary if you give the surgeons name.

Just phone the hospital ask to be put through to ent and ask for that particular doctors secretary. They will be able to tell you why you have been given that appointment

Thank you for the replies. I'll call on Monday.

I had the appointment on Wed this week, but the new letter is dated yesterday. So I don't think there's an overlap.

Actually, how do you manage to speak to the secretary of the consultant in this situation? Only the general number of the hospital was on the letter. I can find contact info for the consultant but only through their private work not the NHS.

I found a direct number to try but can't get through to it. It rings then puts you in a loop saying you can leave a message, then says you can't due to no operator being available. Then says to leave a message again.

1. Check the hospital website, look for any details on the ward you are with/speciality. The ward info often has a number (try and call and ask for the details of your specific consultant's secretary) or check the ward details for the email and email them. 2. Check the hospital website for a lost of all consultants and then use your named consultant's email (they'll likely forward to secretary and/or reply themselves, or the secretary has access to their emails).

1. Try the general hospital number on Google, and then call them and ask to go to the ward/speciality you need - ask for the consultant's secretaries email and number and any other details. 4. Try the consultant's private network just emphasise that you want the details for his NHS secretary and that you're an NHS patient.

Well, I couldn't find a way to contact the secretary. Info not given out. And a number of phone numbers I could find just didn't work.

So I went to the appt.

And despite the previous doc asking me why I was even there and dismissing me out of hand, they were v thorough.

2 different types of hearing test.

A chat with the consultant.
A look up my nose.
A blood test.
And a camera up the nose.

And he diagnosed 3 problems. So much for the previous doctor's dismissive attitude.

When I told him I'd tried getting through by phone to discuss whether the appointment was required, but couldn't, he just agreed that 'No, you wouldn't be able to.'

Then he handed me the secretary's number to call for my blood test results in 6 weeks time.

That's good it's all worked out and they gave you a thorough work up. What the plan for your new diagnoses?

The bloods will be back much sooner than 6 weeks, it will likely show on your NHS app, and if there is something wrong they should contact you. It may be that the 6 weeks is the timeliness for getting the results back to the GP but even then these are often done electronically and automatically as it shouldn't be. I'd give it a week, max a week and a half.

Will you be staying under the care of the ENT consultant now with your new diagnoses?

He doesn't want to see me again unless something changes.

Diagnoses are there but nothing critical.

I have fluid in the mastoid area. That's been there at least 10 years as on my last MRI back then. But it doesn't yet affect my hearing.

It is likely caused by nasal polyps. They don't interfere with my breathing so it's watch and wait and only remove them if they cause problems.

He also noticed a lot of allergen reaction so has asked my gp to prescribe a steroid nose spray and he initially prescribed as he thinks that's the cause of the polyps, so addressing the allergic reaction should stop them growing. And maybe get them to shrink.

The blood test is to see what I'm allergic to.

Unfortunately, I can't see anything on the NHS app as I live in Wales and the app shows a lot less. I was referred across to Walton when I first was diagnosed with my trigeminal neuralgia a long time ago and the care for that was transferred to neurology in N Wales, but any flare ups of pain get re-referred back across the border.