Budget Cuts

Hospital appointments in the UK do not see the waiting lists of previous years, but can that really be the true picture, can waiting lists suddenly not make the news and the NHS has been reformed completely to serve everyone within a realistic time frame, currently 18 weeks. With emergency cover to see a consultant within a two week time frame.

About 15 years ago the waiting lists were dealt with in a different way, you would have an initial appointment but offered no follow up, instead you would call in and an appointment would be booked, clearly that didn't work as a long term solution. So what has happened to all those patients.

Well with the trust system each surgery pays for every referral to see a specialist, if you do not receive your appointment or miss it then that is it, no second appointment. So it is then a trip back to the surgery, they pay again and you get offered just one appointment.

I have been caught up in this process and it is a very unfair system for sure. I had been referred for an eye appointment but the letter hadn't arrived, I'd called the hospital and fortunately they told me when my appointment was, I attended, on time on the correct day, but on arrival was told the first appointment was 4 hours long! Because I hadn't received a letter I did not know so explained I had a driving test later that day and was told no I couldn't drive after seeing the specialist as it makes your vision blurry. They said they would make a note of it, and to ring the appointments desk, which I did, they said that I was recorded as did not attend and to have a further appointment it was back to the GP. I didn't bother, I wonder how many have been there too.

The latest research shows that GP's a re considered to be making unnecessary referrals, that hospital outpatients being sent for secondary care has increased by 19% and that an increase of 39% has been seen for consultant referrals. Some trusts are trying to reduce their financial outlay by introducing clinical triage, but it appears this could be a false economy meaning that some patients who need specialist care are seeing their referral delayed.

It was felt that intervention management schemes could cost the NHS more money overall, with the budget cuts looking to save up to £20bn this could be seen as a cut waiting to happen.

However, from personal experience the two week turn around does work, I saw the consultant two weeks after referral on 7th August by 17th September I'd had my operation. I think that is pretty good. Of course I have nothing to compare this to.