MRI of neck .........

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I agree with David49 - if you can afford it and the pain is intolerable, seeing a co sultans privately is the best way forward.
I’m sure most of us, at our age, will have a spare thousand.

David49

BlueBelle

But how many people have a spare £800 David49

If you have the cash, it’s a rainy day so spend it spend it, we are lucky NHS MRI scans are just a few weeks wait and you can get the results in your laptop and actually see the nerve that’s getting pinched.

Seriously, knowing the problem is a great relief, knowing how to alleviate the symptoms and knowing there are remedies if that fails.

GPS cannot possibly be specialists they do what they can within the system. In this area we have NHS centres actually advertising private MRI scans for £250

If you can afford private go for it. Why not?
You're leaving a space for those who can't afford private too.

It's the availabity of an expert cardiac specialist in attendance that is probably causing the lengthy wait. Anyone with a pacemaker can't just be put into the MRI machine which has powerful magnets. I'm no scientist, but presumably the pacemaker device needs to be put into sleep mode then reprogrammed.
I know this from filling out MRI forms at the (private) clinic we used, because there were pages of questions about make of pacemaker if you had one and date of insertion, etc. I assume the NHS just doesn't have enough of these doctors to speed up referrals.

BlueBelle

But how many people have a spare £800 David49

If you have the cash, it’s a rainy day so spend it spend it, we are lucky NHS MRI scans are just a few weeks wait and you can get the results in your laptop and actually see the nerve that’s getting pinched.

Seriously, knowing the problem is a great relief, knowing how to alleviate the symptoms and knowing there are remedies if that fails.

GPS cannot possibly be specialists they do what they can within the system. In this area we have NHS centres actually advertising private MRI scans for £250

But how many people have a spare £800 David49

Dreadwitch our hospital does have a GP service connected to the Aand E They send you to a different area of the hospital to use the GP service run by the hospital

My wife had similar symptoms, no real diagnosis from GP went to see a consultant privately, NHS MRI first, consultant advised CT Scan revealed a displace disc, no immediate action but avoid certain postures. So she change her work routine and symptoms are much better.

Good diagnosis and advice cost £800

Check if other nearby hospitals have a shorter wait your gp will refer you to any hospital in the country.

But it's taken me 3 years from the start of neck and arm pain to even get a diagnosis. 2 years for the mri of the 3 months to see the neurologist and now I've been waiting 9 months for a 1st appointment with a spinal surgeon next week. I need surgery for sure (severe cervical stenosis and femorinal narrowing in every part of my neck) but it's likely the wait in my city will be at least 12 months.

Once I speak to the surgeon and knows exactly what's going on I'm asking my gp to refer to a private hospital that will be paid by the nhs and my treatment done within 6 weeks.

No do not go to A&E. It's neither an accident nor an emergency and it takes resources away from people that need them!
They certainly won't do an mri and will simply tell them to see their gp.. So that wastes the op's time, the staffs time and will leave others waiting longer.

A&E is not a Dr's service.

DM and DD2 have both had scans recently, within a week or two of them being ordered at different hospitals. But I think your requirement is very specific, and I’m not sure that this experience is of any help to you. I would say that you should go back to your GP if your condition gets any worse and just keep gently nudging.

Gentle physio?

The Oxford hospitals seem very on the ball compared with other Trusts. I had a colonoscopy a couple of weeks ago. From having ‘the’ letter to the actual procedure was less than a fortnight. They seem to keep to the 2-week pathway here.

Absolute nightmare, it's soul destroying when you're in pain 💐

Caleo

GP referred me for ultrasound scan of
abdominal mass. Wait is nine weeks.

Ask for alternative venues, mine took just a week at Peterborough City for ultrasound, they would then refer for MRI if needed (in my case not)

A friend needed cancer review and was told a month, she asked for a location check and went the following day to Guildford.

I had a rib issue following holiday this year. Saw GP who couldn't find any issue and tokd me he would like to order an xray but it would take about 3 weeks. If I experienced same issue again, I was just to go to A & E as I can have an x-ray right away then. I felt he was saying, just go to A & E.

My late DH was told he could never have an MRI again after having a pacemaker fitted.

Luckygirl, I wonder if acupuncture would temporarily relieve the pain in your right arm.

GP referred me for ultrasound scan of
abdominal mass. Wait is nine weeks.

Jaxjacky

Jojo1950

Go to A&E if unbearable.

Why, Lucky has been referred?

Yes………..Referred to a Consultant…….A & E is on its knees without outpatient walk-ins making matters worse.
My advice would be for the OP to contact the Consultant’s secretary and ask about taking a cancellation which might bring her appointment forward.

Jojo1950

Go to A&E if unbearable.

Why, Lucky has been referred?

Jojo1950

Go to A&E if unbearable.

Don't.

Go to A&E if unbearable.

Sorry to hear that Luckygirl.

There seems to be such long waiting times for anything to do with the NHS these days