Hospitals opening up?

See my post on page one.
I have now been scheduled for a week tomorrow.
I have had my pre-op, another one scheduled for next Tuesday which includes a Covid test, my fingers are very firmly crossed that it goes ahead.

I had a pre-op assessment for a cataract just before lockdown in March. Out of the blue I had a phone call from the hospital last week and my op will be a week afterwards.
I didn’t expect this yet, cataracts are unimportant compared to heart or cancer treatment, but I’m very pleased. There must be a huge backlog to get through.

I had an appointment with my orthopaedic surgeon back in March which of course was cancelled. I've just heard this week that I have a new appointment for 12th October; thanks to my GP chasing it up on my behalf. Fingers crossed I have new knees soon!

Just as things were getting better and services resuming the news of a Covid outbreak in a Welsh hospital is the last thing we wanted to hear!

Any one just being put on hospital waiting lists to see surgeons know how long we may have to wait i have knee problems and Carnt walk

You do need to chase up. It's a question of he who shouts the loudest. A relative had been in agony for ages, cancelled appointments etc. But was very polite until the other week when they lost it at reception. Out came a surgeon who looked at the scan and said I can do this. Tomorrow. Said patient is now recovering.

I live in NW London and have been visiting a local NHS hospital monthly because I am a trial patient for Macular disease. Only the trial patients and those who receive regular eye injections are being seen. OPD is empty.

I am really happy about it because I am there less than 3 hours, no faffing about and out the door.

NHS is starting to try and clear the backlog, it will vary in each area. My mil had a long awaited hip replacement in Cambridgeshire!

annsixty I've sent you a pm.

I'm in south Cornwall. Been told by my consultant that my two hip replacements will be in 'early spring.' Yikes. But am booked for a kidney scan at my local 'cottage' hospital and have finally heard from the Hearing Centre at our main hospital, who are going to do a phone assessment. So things are moving a bit......

my husband is waiting for a non urgent operation and was told by the surgeon that it could be a while whatever that means

In my area, S.E. surgery is happening but whole household has to isolate for 2 weeks prior, temperature and swab on admission.

I was fortunate to have an MRI yesterday , postponed due to covid, was told there is quite a backlog, am waiting for a spinal cord stimulator to help my painful back, MRI was last hurdle. Unfortunately at Addenbrookes Cambridge there is hardly any opatients, or so it seemed, ( had been on a week day week before), staff always brilliant and can't do enough for you

Of course this is all down to keeping safe, I always thank them in person when there.

I have a bowel & bladder prolapse & was due to have a pelvic repair middle of April which obviously got cancelled. I had a phone app in June then 2 weeks ago I had a phone call from the women's hospital booking me in on 17th of this month. Last Monday I had to go to pre op for bloods & mrsa swab & tomorrow have to have a covid test then self isolate (& DH) for 72 hours until I go to hospital 7.30am Thurs morning. I'll be glad to get it done as not only is it causing a lot of discomfort but it's also delaying treatment for my ra.

A relative has had a knee replacement op, postponed from April, done this week at an Orthopaedic centre and my partner is having a non urgent procedure done in the local NHS hospital this Wednesday after seeing the eye consultant 2 weeks ago. He had to have a Covid test on Friday and now self isolates until the op.
I think the NHS is revving back up.

I was had a complicated skin cancer op done on my face in January but it was put off till June, With the current situation I thought it would be December before I got my Op. Fortunately I was contacted in mid June and given a date of the 29th June, the lady contacted me said that 70% of the people that she contacted to come in for operations refused to do so because of the Covid situation. The surgeon said I would be his first shielded patient. They discovered more tumours and I had them
removed this week. Very impressed with the care and COVID safety Precautions. Sounds like I have been very lucky. I live in Exeter.

Just returned from DH’s CTscan this morning. He said the Department was busy - they’re trying to catch up.

I’ve had a hip replacement and cochlear implant within the last 4 weeks. Both were on priority list just before lockdown.

I’ve had a consultation with a gynaecologist, an ultrasound scan, and have been sent notification of 2 follow-up appointments. All back to normal here in Berkshire.

A friend if mine us due to start cancer treatment end of month. He has been needing to get a stent removed from his bile duct for months as it is so,so uncomfortable and painful and has given up on his hospital appointment even though he's been for 4 consultations.... He has tried to go private & pay thousands and still waiting on them getting back. Two weeks before his radiotherapy starts so not looking good.

Had my new knee on Friday, postponed from March. Good service, but no visitors, and compulsory pre-op quarantine.

I've been to hospital for a consultant appointment and am now waiting for a surgery date. I was told 2 months behind.

I work in Outpatients and the amount of patients who just don't turn up is high in numbers. Even a phone call on the day to cancel at the last minute is to much to ask so we can get on instead of wasting time waiting incase they are just running late. The same happens with elective surgery and the hospital is then expected to rebook with patients then complaining they will have to wait to long and why can't they be seen sooner as they didn't have surgery first time round. If patients just contacted the hospital someone else can have the surgery they need and the cancelled patient would be rebooked. Also the rule is to come on your own unless you need someone with you which is fine but this rule is one other person not two or even three people. I questioned one who had two people with her and was told her daughter who was an adult didn't want to wait alone, so i suggested her husband waited and her daughter came with her but she insisted her husband had to be with her. In any case there wasn't really any reason for the patient not to come for her examination alone. These situations mean to many people are in the dept and distancing is then more of a problem. The abuse we get if we challenge is getting worse and i'm sick of people telling us we don't have covid so we should be able to come in.
Sorry if i've gone on a bit.

Nearly all Private hospitals are still being governed (and paid for!) by the NHS. This means theatre dates are given priority to urgent elective NHS procedures which were either delayed by Covid or are urgent life changing operations and lesser priority procedures will sadly be at the back of the queue, probably until the early part of next year. There is a long waiting list of NHS catch up procedures and whilst it doesn’t help anyone on the waiting list, unfortunately we are living in strange times (just like the war years when hospital beds were given priority to our injured soldiers - although we didn’t have the advancement of knee and hip replacement surgeries then!) Unfortunately there is no way to jump the list and priority is given to cancelled procedures and life limiting surgeries, but slowly and gradually a few operations are gradually being undertaken, but you are more likely to get the surgery carried out quicker through an NHS hospital rather than the facilities used by the NHS in private hospitals. This is obviously a personal opinion, but based on insider knowledge.

I’ve see my GP face to face, about 4 weeks ago and a friend has had a knee op, but that was done privately 2 days ago.