Question about the NHS, Watford Hospital!!

tishybabe

Hi,

Although I've been lurking for ages on the forum this is actually my first post so please be gentle (not even sure it is in the right place!)

I live in Watford and in August 2006 my husband starting having some dizzy spells. After a few trip to the GP he was then referred to Watford Hospital. His first appointment was scheduled for the beginning of December then got cancelled by them and rescheduled to the beginning of January and then cancelled again and he finally got to see somebody at the beginning of February. He then got referred for a MRI scan that he had done yesterday. He was then told that he had to take another appointment with Watford Hospital for the result and when he tried to do that yesterday he was told that the first available appointment wasn't until September (almost a year since his condition started)

It is ridiculous and I can't believe that we have to wait that long for the result. Although we hope that his scan is fine it is still a worry.

My question is: Can we change hospital and if so would we have to start the whole process again.
I know that we could go private but not sure that we can afford it to be honest.

Anybody who can enlighten us would be welcome.

Thanks

Welshlassie

When you tried to make the appointment did you explain that it was to receive results from a scan?

Try speaking to your GP they can sometimes phone up and move things along for you. Your GP would also be able to refer you for a second opinion/to another hospital and in theory you shoudn't have to start the process again as your (DH) notes would go with you so the results would be on file.

The other option is say you are willing to take a cancellation appointment and be willing to be called short notice (normally a day or so before the appointment, but sometimes on the actual day of the appointment).

I understand how frustrating these things can be, fingers crossed you get somewhere soon and get the answers you need. Good luck.

tishybabe

Thanks Welshlassie,

We did mention what the appointment was for but it didn't make a difference. We also called them everyday in the past while he was waiting for his first appointment to get any cancellation they might have to no avail.

Apparently the hospital is broke so this is the reason why they are cancelling because they do not have the staff.

My husband is going to his GP on Monday to try to be referred somewhere else. Fingers crossed

beechescomposter

Tishybabe,
This is silly. It must be a mistake. What is the point of having a scan and then waiting months.
The scan will have been reported within a few days. Your husband has a right to see his medical records, which includes the scan result.
The easiest thing to do is for your GP to phone the x-ray department and establish that the scan has been reported and ask for the result to be faxed (or posted) to the GP and then discuss the result with the GP. If it is a complex report the GP may not be able to interpret it fully but should have a fairly good idea.
If you go to another hospital it should be possible to have your records transferred but in practice it is likely to be a disaster.
If the scan is abnormal your husband is likely to be seen more urgently or you can see a neurologist privately at this stage to move things on. You can move back and forth between private and NHS as often as you like.
You can also ask for a copy of the scan (usually on CD) and get it reported by someone else privately for about £100 but at this stage there should be no need for you to spend anything to get what is rightfully already yours.

tipsychick

Definitely the best way forward is to get your GP to obtain the scan report verbally, by fax or by post.

I'd give it at least 7-10 days for the scan to be reported on - might even take 2-3 weeks. Along with being skint, Watford is not known for its efficiency!

If there was a problem on the scan when the Radiologist reports on it, Watford General should expedite the follow up appointment and your OH would be seen quicker than Sept.

SoozyJ22

I'm sorry to hear what's going on - I'd definitely talk to your GP to see if s/he can help.

I live in Watford, but luckily have private health insurance from my work. If you do decide to go private it's not cheap but I can highly recommend Bupa Bushey. I saw a consultant there a few years back and was told I needed an MRI scan, and 30 minutes later I was having the scan! When I called up to make the appointment with the consultant I had to wait less than a week, though it seems to be longer for different specialities.

Good luck and I hope you can get the results soon.

Savvy_Sue

Watford Hospital will have a PALS - Patient Advice and Liaison Service. Worth phoning them and expressing disbelief at what's been said, it's not acceptable ...

Having said that, I had to wait several months between MRI scan and seeing the consultant. I was holding on to the fact that EVERYONE I saw within the NHS said that what they were looking for (which might not even have been there) was benign and slow growing.

I had a follow up scan in January 2006. Didn't hear anything, so phoned the consultant's secretary in February. She didn't have the results on file. Rang again a week later, still nothing. Before I could phone the third time, I received an appointment letter - for April! My GP agreed that if they thought I could wait that long, it was probably clear, which it was. So at that April appointment we agreed that after my next follow up scan they'd just write to me unless there was a problem. But that's only useful if there's nothing there to worry about.

It might also be worth asking the GP if there is a dizzy clinic in the physiotherapy department. I found that VERY helpful!

tishybabe

Hi everybody.

I can see that I am not the only one with long waiting queue.

I thought I'll let you know how my husband got on with the GP last night.

The GP advised him that there was this new online system to check availability of all the hospitals and book yourself in. He needed a reference number and a password that the GP gave him and he booked himself in in Hemel for the 10th May so really good news.

The GP admitted that the situation in Watford was ridiculous and that he had loads of people coming to see him to change their hospitals.

Really pleased now and hopefully the scan will be clear.