My friend just spotted the post below on an afib forum and sent it on to me. Very worrying if correct. Has anyone heard this from anywhere else?
'Well just been told by my consultant at Royal Brompton on my first visit that the NHS are seriously restrcting Ablations till the end of this year and its almost certain they are going to be refusing to perform on the NHS at all from early 2018 so will only be available to private patients. However if I lived in most European states it would be ok on their national schemes and be done before Xmas. She said all UK heart specialists are up in arms'.
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Pam296
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I haven't heard anything but rumours locally (Devon) that Cardiology is 'up in arms' but I haven't a clue what about at our local hospital - who have had to fight for funding very, very hard to get ablations performed.
Frankly I hope not but it wouldn't surprise me in the longer term as with a NHS winter crisis looming, severe staff shortages with posts going unfulfilled and ablation an elective, QOL, none emergency or essential for life prolonging and requiring a HDU bed overnight for many of the procedures.
Really is time to start campaigning for more funding, in my opinion. There are a few petitions doing the rounds.
My Ablation done at The Royal Stoke on Trent Hospital was done in a day. I was in Theatre at 9.15 out of Theatre at 11.15. Then picket up by my son and driven home to Stafford 20 miles away at 3pm. I was fine with no side effects apart from feeling quite tired for a few weeks after Ablation.
Both mine were 7+ hours, 8 hours in ICU with 1:1 nursing & flat on my back not able to move but discharged the following day. I think we are probably 2 book ends & most will be betweens.
I will be at the AF Patient's day Sunday in Birmingham and will see if I can find any truth in this. This is of great concern for me too, as I am currently on the ablation waiting list and should be having my surgery in the next 2 months. Let's hope this NHS potential cutback is not true!
Would be great if you could. It is a worry as paying for a procedure such as this would be a bit of a minefield. Complications, needing more than 1, etc.
I will do and be back with you. I have also emailed my EP to see if he's heard any rumours. I know my EP said it would be around £10,000 to pay privately. 😬 And like you said, complications and needing possible additional ablations could only raise the cost. Let's hope this is not the case.
If this is true then it is very scary. Ablation is so successful in so many instances and improves QOL in such a way it must have long term benefits for both sufferers and the NHS alike.
I think also that once again the post code lottery will play a part in this although if the Royal Brompton is saying this it does make me wonder what is going on.
Birmingham is a good opportunity to investigate if those that attend can find out.
When I was offered an operation for scoliosis at the age of 65 my consultant pointed out to me that I was very lucky to be offered it as in many hospitals I would be told I would have to live with it and indicated that the local authority was wanting to veto such operations so he was in dispute with them. My QOL was very poor and getting worse so I am eternally grateful for the opportunity.
If this is true we need to mobilise, especially those who have benefited because otherwise we will be back to the bad old days of pacemaker being the only option after meds have failed.
I am also going to patients day tomorrow and will see what info I can find out. I am also a Royal Brompton patient and will may well need a 2nd ablation soon (1st one 5 years ago ) and am at the hospital again in a couple of weeks for a fitting of an event monitor.It is very worrying if the ablation procedure is not allowed in the future. It has been a life saver for me and others.An amazing op.
I saw my EP at Good Hope Hospital, Birmingham, for the first time on Thursday and was put on the ablation waiting list which is 8-9 months. He didn't mention anything about the NHS removing ablation from their range of treatments.
Rest assured, this is not true per the AFA Patient's Day today. There might be restrictions due to funding per area trust, as can be the case.
There was talk about another procedure that this might pertain to, but I don't believe it affects us AF people. Bob might have more info on this so will wait for his response. Be well, Kelli
Hot from the press I asked Trudie about this and she has not heard anything of the sort. There may well be some local difficulties (aren't there always) but no policy as such.
Thank you, Bob. I'll pass the message on to the other group. With money being in such shory supply, there are bound to be difficulties. However, it is comforting to know there is no blanket policy.
If Ablation are not to be funded by NHS in 2018 we should get a petition going to make them discuss it in Parliament. Or have a serious go at our MP’s as if they can do cosmetic surgery and gastric bands on NHS because people have eaten to much most of their lives, why should people who AF not have an Ablation when it is not a thing that is self inflicted ??
I'm also not a fan of saying one group of people don't deserve NHS help, as an attempt to get funding for your own condition. We should all benefit from a national health service, not start arguing for closing bits down in a worthiness battle.
For a start, there is an argument that for some people AF can be self inflicted. And once you start going down that road, why should my taxes be used for smokers, drinkers, overweight people, people who rock climb, people who drive in cars, people who chose to live in cities, people who live in remote places etc etc.
UScore, I quite agree with you. I freely admit that I have probably contributed to my AF due to being overweight and having high blood pressure. However, I am doing something about it. With NHS funding as it is, I wouldn't want to be denied treatment due to something I can change. And I fear that could happen, no matter how right or wrong that may be. My father had Type 2 diabetes and CHF, both caused by poor diet and smoking 40 cigarettes a day. The NHS looked after him brilliantly. No discrimination!
It would be such a dangerous precedent to start restricting the NHS to certain groups. It's classic divide and conquer. We all overlook our own sins but judge others for theirs. People who don't smoke thinking the NHS shouldn't pay for smokers' health, whilst ignoring how much alcohol they personally drink. Or thinking overweight people should have to pay for help with their problems because it's simply because they eat too much - rather than possibly because of complex mental health issues.
We should all look after ourselves better, but that doesn't mean we use that as reason to start trying to exclude other people from their share of the NHS cake. That could backfire on all but the very most clean living.
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