NHS waiting lists

Basically, until there is a reliable vaccine or top notch treatments for covid, going in and out of lockdown will only ease hospital admissions temporarily. OH is having terrible pain with his hip and is seeing his GP next week. If he is told a replacement is the answer, he may well pay for it himself. Fortunately we have some savings and if they have to be used for medical things, so be it. The money is mainly there for overseas jaunts,but they aren't going to happen any time soon!

Our local health trust is now doing outpatient appointments at weekends to try to get the lists down. My mother has had cataract operations on both eyes separately in June (with follow up conducted at local optician’s on a Sunday) and yesterday. I’ve rarely had reason to rely on medical help but during lockdown had a gynae issue and was referred under 2 week rule and scanned, tested and hysteroscopy within days. Last week I was referred by my GP with a suspicious skin lesion; consultant appointment 5 days later and minor op to remove this coming Wednesday. Might be a postcode lottery but certainly no cause for me to complain in what would otherwise have been scary circumstances on top of scary circumstances.

DD's husband had his heart procedure cancelled at the last minute on the eve of lockdown. He's now been told it will be done in a couple of weeks, so fingers crossed.

I have had two hospital appointments investigating a small cyst on an ovary, and have dates for 2 follow up appointments.

Goodcto hear you finally got your eye trratment Watermeadow. Things seem to be moving in some NHS depts. i had a call yesterday to offer me varicose vein surgery after 18 months of waiting. So Im booked in for the end of Oct as a day patient, pleased to get relief from my nuisance leg veins!

I've been waiting since Feb for an arthroscopy for a torn meniscus. Appt should have been Apr but obviously was cancelled I had hosp letter in May deferring for 3 months, the same letter then arrived in Aug and I now fully expect to receive the same letter again in Nov.

One of the issues is not being able to see a GP in order to get a referral to a specialist initially.
I completed an e-consult form (long and complicated), then had two phone consultations a while ago. I've not had any improvement but put off contacting the GP again as I felt unlikely to get the face-to-face appointment with an examination which I want/need. I have now resubmitted an e-consult form with the result that I have a face-to-face booked but it is three weeks away. My issue is something that could potentially be referred under the "two week wait" but without access to a GP that can't happen.

I made an appointment for a phone consultation with our GP practice at the beginning of September for yesterday 8th October. The result - I'm having quite serious side effects from my regular (taken for 5 years) medication, the recommendation is to take another medication to counteract the side effects from the first, the second can also have unpleasant side effects.

This is why we must try to bring down Covid infection rates. We're already seeing a sharp increase in hospital admissions for Covid, so the situation will only get worse.

The only alternative would be to increase funding to the NHS, but even then it's not possible to train people quickly to cope with the increases.

I'm sleeping so little due to pain in hips and back (can't tolerate most painkillers) that I've been hallucinating. Doctor took it very seriously and wrote to my surgeon (I'm on the hip replacement waiting list) but no response. Very worrying.

I need a very simple cortisone injection in my hips to enable me to live a happy pain free life for a good while. Can't get it. Can't risk pain killer fog due to strong painkillers I have been prescribed and don't want to risk addiction to them so just gradually getting worse and less able daily.

I really feel for people who need much more serious treatment and cant get that either

The Scottish "nightingale" hospitals have been used for clinics to bring down waiting lists since June I believe .My neighbour had his appointment and his operation the next week .he had his foot amputated and was kept in hospital until they had him up and walking again around 4 weeks.hes done great even see him walking along the street just to get some exercise .
I thought all the emergency hospitals were being used for that purpose while they weren't needed for covid .

I'm one of the 4.2 million people who are waiting for knee or hip replacement ops. Will I live long enough to get one?

I’m on a waiting list to be put on a waiting list. The best guess is 2 years.

Well said, watermeadow. I do, though, feel sorry for those waiting for urgent lifesaving or pain relieving treatment because of the Covid problems.

Covid has so much to answer for.