Do I need a pre assessment? 17 December 2020 at 7:18PM edited 17 December 2020 at 7:19PM in Health & beauty MoneySaving 8 replies 241 views

leapyear

I'm having an operation in approx. 3-4 months time (no date set yet). My pre assessment is next week. Is it too early to have a pre assessment?
Also, I've been reading about what tests are done at a pre assessment and have found I have already had a lot of them done. They are: blood tests (many, many times), urine tests (a few times), blood pressure (many, many times), my height and weight taken, x-ray of my chest. Is a pre assessment needed?
I live in a shielding household and do not wish to go to the hospital (unless I absolutely have to) at a time when covid cases are very high (where I live) and the assessment can be done or should be done more nearer the operation date. But I do appreciate that the hospital may be over whelmed with coronavirus cases in the new year that they may not be able to assess me at a more suitable date.
Say I did go to the pre assessment next week, would I need to go again nearer the operation date?

Sncjw

Yes you do need a pre assessment. Depending on the surgery they will need to do tests to ensure your fit and healthy to undergo it. Its some early so that if there's issues it can be resolved. Pkus tjey likely go through what's expected. They also likely to do it this early due to limited amount of patients being in the same area at same time. 

Also you may get your operation earlier than planned. The information is crucial to the planning of your op and also the information will be passed to anesthetic team to ensure they give the correct dosage and know any medication issues and also if there's issues of intubation. 

They will have plans in place for shielding patients. 

Torry_Quine

Pre op assessments are essential. They're usually done closer to surgery as up to date results are needed.

MalMonroe

They are necessary, yes, because your body changes and you could develop higher blood pressure or any other kind of illness. It's a check for your safety. However, it does seem a bit far ahead. Any way you can phone them and ask them to postpone it until nearer to your actual operation date? 

My friend recently had a (non-urgent) op and she said that everything was extremely covid-safe. Of course she wasn't allowed visitors or anything but she was glad to get the op out of the way. But her pre-assessment took place about three weeks prior to the op and did include a covid test - which was probably out of date before she had her op but she recovered well and is home now, all covid-free.

Why not try to phone the hospital and ask to postpone, things may be a bit better in another three to four months, fingers crossed. Don't forget the vaccine(s) should be up and running soon! You are entitled to ask, anyway - and they may be quite glad if you do. You won't lose anything by just making an enquiry. 

sheramber

A pre assessment is usually valid for 12 weeks so that ties in with your potential surgery date.

Torry_Quine

From my experience blood tests  etc. will not be valid for more than a couple of weeks. 12 weeks is too long to trust that nothing has changed.

unforeseen

I live in a shielding household

No you don't.
You live in a household that has decided to self-isolate, unless you are in Tier 3 and specifically received a letter to tell you or a member of the household to shield. (not the letters issued for the main lockdown and November) 

leapyear

Thank you all for your advice. I phoned the hospital and postponed my pre assessment. I don't know when a pre assessment will be done or when the operation will take place. When I cancelled and I explained why (because of the number of covid cases), the person spoke to said 'I don't blame you'. She explained to me that the hospital is so full of covid patients, staff have been redeployed to other departments, surgery is out the window, and the pre assessment department could be closing any day soon, so my pre assessment may not have happened anyway. Also, because no one knows how long this is going to go on for or how bad things are going to get, my estimated time of my operation (3-4 months) is now wiped out - a estimated date cannot be given.

leapyear

unforeseen said:

I live in a shielding household

No you don't.
You live in a household that has decided to self-isolate, unless you are in Tier 3 and specifically received a letter to tell you or a member of the household to shield. (not the letters issued for the main lockdown and November) 

I think we have different meanings for the different terms. I thought self-isolate meant that you have been in contact with someone who has coronavirus and should stay home for 10 (was 14) days. Or is that quarantine? Is the term quarantine used for where you stay home because you have coronavirus? I thought shielding meant someone/s who are high risk and are staying at home to reduce their chance of catching coronavirus, whether it is decided by those persons or advised from an official source.
Following Saturdays announcement, my high risk household members have been officially advised to shield. I assume that you assume I live in England.