Latest Moan From You and Me 2025

My GP has never offered me anything, even before I had a "pre existing condition". Since developing a couple of chronic health issues I'm more likely to hear from the hospital than my GP. Even if the hospital writes to the GP with a change in medication the GP doesn't do it until I chase them about it. If the hospital didn't copy me in on the letters I wouldn't know anything apart from what I was told and that is not sufficient for the GP.

 

Hear hear.

 

That sounds like a failure on the part of the GP. I think I would be mentioning to the hospital that the GP doesn't follow up on their recommendations until you chase them. You won't be the only one and lots of people would assume that there'd been a change of plan and they didn't need to change medication after all.

 

My dad finally got a chance to book his ear, nose and throat appointment which has a 23 week average wait. He was referred by his doctor just before Christmas and only got the chance to actually make an appointment this week, which he has to wait 42 weeks for. He enquired if other hospitals had earlier appointments, he was offered a choice of three hospitals, and they all had the same waiting time. This means it will be over a year since his referal and another 4 just getting to this point. It makes you wonder how seriously they take respiratory issues.


My mum has a lump on her back that has been there a few years and they think it's just a benign fatty lump but she was told it may become cancerous in the future. She wants it removed but it is classed as cosmetic and the NHS won't fund it, so she asked for a refer to go privately but has been waiting a couple of months now for them to refer her. I wonder how much faster things would go if simple things were actually implemented and connected.

 

@Thevictorian, I have had a few things done privately, rather than waiting. What I have done is booked an appointment direct with the private hospital, and asked the surgeon to get copies of the NHs referral from the nhs hospital ( same surgeon, and works at both)
No help if the GP hasn’t even sent a referral though. And unacceptable delay especially as I bet they will be charging for the referral letter. Worth asking anyway. Maybe she could take a screen shot of the doctors notes in her records, and print it off.

 

I've had both knees replaced at Benenden hospital, it costs me £15.50 a month, the NHS still pay but it's a good way of jumping the queue.
They don't do the more complicated stuff like heart surgery but they take a lot of the capacity away from the NHS hospitals, I've been referred there for scans as well.

 

I agree pete, we're with Benenden as well and have been for years. Had several scans and consultations over the years at our local private hospital, which they pay for.

 

@NigelJ My wife and I get annual(ish) health checks at our GP surgery. Blood tests, blood pressure plus height and weight. What annoys me though is that if one of the things they test for on the blood tests is out of range they call you back, but never let you know the out of range reading was just a one off. You have to assume everything is OK, when it's just as likely that they have forgotten to call you back a second time.

 

@pete my hip replacement was done at our local private hospital, paid for by the NHS. They seem to be doing a high proportion of joint replacements. The secondary benefits of treatment there are much superior food, private room, and 6 physio appointments. If the op was done in the NHS hospital they just give you a sheet of exercise that you should do.

 

@Thevictorian My wife was referred to ENT at our local hospital in June last year and there was a note on her NHS record with an appointment date of late Feb 2025, but saying do not attend this appointment. Just after Christmas I read that the ENT wait is about 12 weeks. I phoned the department to query why my wife had waited so long and an appointment date came through within a week. That actual appointment is next week.

 

Having been in an NHS hospital and private I can definitely say the food is so much better.

 

@pete You ain't wrong. NHS hospital stays come with a built in weight loss guarantee. :-)

 

Our local Nuffield Hospital does a number of joint replacements for the NHS. I've always wondered why you get the same surgeons as at the NHS.
However the Nuffield cherry picks which operations it does, so if you have something else wrong with you, so on blood thinners, or have a breathing or heart problem or it's a less than straightforward joint replacement then they won't touch you. You have to wait for the same surgeon to find a slot for you at the NHS hospital just down the road.

 

@NigelJ, I think private hospitals won't do NHS ops if there is a possibility of complications during surgery, because most don't have emergency departments or intensive care.
I bet they would do them if you are paying.

 

Maybe you can accuse them of cherry picking but every patient that gets sorted in a private hospital is one the NHS doesn't have to fit in in their hospitals, thereby shortening the queue.

Bearing in mind anyone who uses a private hospital is still actually paying into the NHS, or at least has done.