Urgent Respiratory Referral - March 2019

[Helliwell]

Hi everyone,

I'm after some advice (again). I've just been told that I can't get an 'urgent' respiratory referral until March 2019 and that if it gets urgent I will have to go to A&E. Is this normal? Has anyone gone private? How do you go about doing this?

Thanks in advance!

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Hi

I had issues first getting referred to the local hosp (my GP refused to refer me) and then getting to the specialist hosp.

I ended up having to play the system to get a local cons. I had been dealing with night attacks at home and going to a&e the next day but I read up about referral and found out that an a&e attendance for asthma at night automatically admitted you which automatically got you a cons follow up appt within 2 months and in with their asthma nurses. So guess what I did... 😅😏🤫 (ps they were horrified when they saw me, heard my history and learnt what my GP had done with me to save their budget 🤭)

Referral to specialist hosp started almost immediately but had to jump through hoops before referral (6months) after that I got a referral but the first appt was 9+months later 🙄. Nothing could be done to speed it up but luckily my local was relatively good so helped me get through.

Depending on your symptoms/issues/where you’re waiting for (local v specialist) 3 months may be acceptable or it may be too long. Personally I’d either play the system or wait it out (but then I’m living it ‘just graduated so no money’ land 😅)

I hope that helps. Good luck with it all

[Helliwell in reply to EmmaF91]

Thanks for your reply. It sounds like you've had a complete nightmare! I hope you're on the mend? They called an ambulance out for me at the weekend, so would have thought that was 'urgent' enough. I'll have to go back to the GP tomorrow and explain what's happened. Then, like you say, another trip to A&E. When I had a cancer scare I was straight in there for tests but asthma doesn't appear to be treated in the same way. Maybe they just don't have the resources to deal with it.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Helliwell]

Yes... my journey hasn’t exactly been plain sailing! 😅 The issue usually comes up because a&e and other departments rarely talk to each other. I think I was in a&e basically every few weeks (and at my GP every week for a neb) but because of the time I turned up and because a&e treatment helped (at the time) I never got admitted til I played the system.

I think that with the funding issue in the NHS, some things take priority to others. Cancer can be a rapidly progressing disease so time is a factor possibly between a treatable disease and a death sentence. Asthma, on the other hand, is a slow, chronic issue (unless in active attack mode 😅). It’s scary for the individual, and costly for a&e but for most having an appt next week vs next month (for example) makes little difference. Usually if you need it more urgently than that you’ve been admitted so the previously mentioned protocol applies 😅

Hope that explains things

[As30]

Hi there,

I hate to think what non urgent would be! I have just been referred to reap consultant urgently and my appointment has come through for July next year. My GP/AN were shocked.

I too ended up in A/E last week and fortunately in one way was treated there, improved and was allowed home. But the A/E doctor said if you were admitted you would be seen much quicker by resp consultant.

What I have done is rang his secretary and asked to be put on the cancellation list. In the hope something comes up sooner.

Good luck and hope you manage to get seen quicker.

[Helliwell in reply to As30]

I hope you are feeling better soon. It's such a long process. That's a good idea - contacting the secretary. I will try that.