John Radcliffe waiting times for surgery

[Fruitba]

Hi. I’m waiting for heart surgery valve repair (hopefully) at Oxford Radcliffe. Been waiting 4 months. No idea of when they will get round to me. Get very vague responses. Anyone else on a list at the JR waiting longer than this? Thanks

[10gingercats]

The John Radcliffe is my local hospital and I go there for all cardio. needs but no surgery.Always found them pretty swift and efficient. I would call and try to find out where you are on the list for surgery Do you have a cardio. nurse?She would be a good point of contact. Also, put yourself on their cancellation list as well.

[Fruitba in reply to 10gingercats]

Thank you Gingercats. I have been in touch with the nurses and cardiac surgeon secretary. Unfortunately with staff illness and strikes, they sent me around the houses and I got nowhere . They are very understanding but I just can’t get an actual answer. They just pass me on to someone else who ‘will get back to me. ‘GP just says if I am worried about my worsening symptoms to go to their A&E. Not helpful as I don’t consider myself an emergency. Just wondered if anyone else was in the same boat? ANY kind of time frame would help, at least I would know where I stand. I have read posts about people waiting over a year. That frightens me a bit.

[10gingercats in reply to Fruitba]

I think you could find the cancellation list may help. I have used it a few times and it works about 50% of the time. But you do have to be ready if they contact you and it could be with only a days notice.Of course you can always refuse the offer.

[Alicant in reply to Fruitba]

GPS want to send everyone to A&E …saves them having to do doctoring…

[Fruitba in reply to Alicant]

Yep. They did that with my mother two years ago. Eventually I completely lost it and insisted on speaking to him face to face to explain it wasn’t helping in the slightest. Probably when I started to get I’ll!! 😑

[LaceyLady in reply to Fruitba]

Get your MP to find out!

[Fruitba in reply to LaceyLady]

Seriously……

[LaceyLady in reply to Fruitba]

Yes, Hubs suggested it, you should be more of a priority as you are a carer for your mum

[Fruitba]

I take your suggestion seriously but I am a carer for my mother, so very difficult to do anything last minute. Thank you for replying. Much appreciated.

[Digger0 in reply to Fruitba]

If you are a carer, make sure that the hospital and GP know this. They should then put this on your notes.

[Fruitba in reply to Digger0]

Thank you Digger. I am fairly certain I mentioned this at my pre op. But it probably wouldn’t harm to mention it again. Especially as she relies on me to take her to her cardio appointments!

[Digger0 in reply to Fruitba]

Might be a good idea then

[Lowerfield_no_more]

The people you need to talk to are the hospital appointments team who are responsible for managing the surgery list, perhaps specifically the cardio list. They have a much clearer idea of waiting times, since that is part of their job.

[Fruitba in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Well this is where I get a bit confused about the process. As I understand it the secretary to the surgeon will call me with a date, which I need to agree to straight away and then the surgery itself should happen roughly in 2 weeks after this conversation. I think I did see a hospital appointments team number on their website. So I could try that as I can’t seem to get anywhere with the surgeon. Thank you.

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Fruitba]

In my experience across several NHS medical disciplines within my NHS Trust, the consultants have no real idea of waiting times, the medical secretaries have some opportunity to allocate consultant appointments according to need, but when it comes to procedures whether investigative or invasive that is down to an appointments team, who will allocate slots based on the information provided by the medical team. All bearing in mind that these teams have to juggle shared operating theatre space and some facilities like MRI between the different medical disciplines, and make an allowance for emergencies, as well as outpatient appointments which seem to be classified as urgent or routine as defined by the medics. And if you are outpatient routine, hopefully you will still be alive when it gets to be your turn, which might sound flippant, but is probably true in some cases. And when I have an appointment notification it comes from the appountments team.

[Hidden]

My husband has been waiting since February as an urgent case to go to Plymouth for a CABG. We had a Prehabilitation session last Saturday where they tell you about what to expect with the operation so we feel his time must be coming. There were 6 patients there but only one had a date. The nurse told us that the surgeons have the list and the different needs of the all their patients in their heads and make decisions depending on who needs are most pressing so it is not a queue. The one person who had a date had their operation coming up in the next fortnight. When we contacted my husband's surgeon's secretary she told us he was all scheduled up to 6 August. Not information about the John Radcliffe I know but we did come away feeling that the surgeon is aware and is thinking about my husband. Like you we don't want to take a cancellation. We did check when the surgeon was on holiday so we do have some dates when the surgery definitely will not happen.

[Fruitba in reply to Hidden]

Oh my goodness. I am so sorry to hear that. It must be very distressing for you. I think there needs to be a much clearer explanation of what to expect. My understanding is the same in that they make clinical decisions based on need/ urgency. Which was explained to me. But what I am also acutely aware of is if they wait too long I won’t get the repair, I really want so I can get back to work. If I end up with a valve replacement, things don’t look so good in many ways. I actually have low BP which means they can’t give me some medications to take pressure off my already failing heart. Rock and a hard place, much like yourself. It’s the waiting and not being very clear that becomes stressful doesn’t it? Best wishes to you and your husband.

[WoodlandLover]

Have you had your pre-op assessments? Do you have to have "fitness for surgery tests?" that you've 'passed', or any parts of that which need further resolution, before you're considered surgery-ready? Or don't JR do things that way? I was hoping for endoscopic surgery. Perhaps that's why my situation is as it is. Are you expecting to have open heart surgery? I may have to have that ultimately, if I'm still alive by then!

I've been on a waiting list at the hospital I've been referred to since the end of Sept, for mitral valve repair and ablation for awful AFibs. I was called for pre-ops at the end of Feb 24, in which everything was spoken about or down for investigation. These tests only completed in June, but now, allergies I mentioned in February, have been highlighted for further investigation. I've been given a chance to send in as much detailed info as I have to try and avoid another 8 month waiting list for the allergy dept, next. Meanwhile I've been sent an online apt from that dept, for Feb 2025. I'm assuming I'll still be alive by then. We'd have saved 4 months if they'd included this issue during round one this last February.

Meanwhile I am suffering increasingly debilitating MVR symptoms. My Consultant is very concerned that I'm still waiting and I find the actual stress of waiting to be worse than managing the disease itself. Communication has been contradictory, non existent or anxiety provoking. Post covid and 14 years of the previous govt attrition the NHS has suffered from, has broken it for all of us. It's a blessing we still have the staff we do in there, but massively hard to be a patient in waiting. I wish you very well with your situation and hope that soon you'll be fixed and on the mend.

[Fruitba in reply to WoodlandLover]

Yes I have had pre ops, all good to go, or so I thought. Then there was lots in the news about a backlog. I think we’re in that, aren’t we? Surgeon team gave me no option but open down the middle. I am 53, it’s a low risk option and quicker and cheaper for the NHS. They would only offer minimal surgery techniques if a sterno wasn’t possible. Sounds like you’ve had a much worse journey than me, I’m sorry to hear. I was told I have severe mitral regurgitation, both leaflets busted, chordae broken, bit of a mess basically. I have persistent Af, left atrium significantly dilated with some thickening of heart muscle ie heart failure. Found it out in one sitting. Had no idea I was ill before. Probably getting 4 good ish hours in the middle of the day. Had to give up my job. Feel unwell pretty much all of the time. That said, I am a fighter and lucky to have quite a lot of resilience. I just feel that we need more communication about what to expect. This forum shows exactly what missing. Nice to know there are others who understand. Thanks for replying.

[WoodlandLover]

Oh bless your heart - literally. You are in an uncomfortable way. I'm rooting for you to be sorted ASAP. You won't know yourself once it's behind you. It's tough caring for your Mum too, with this going on, although of course you want to be there for her too. Keep badgering them all. You deserve to be sorted. You'll get there!! Sending you a 🫂

[tangotese]

Sorry to hear that and so difficult as a carer. 5 years ago I got cancelled late and in end got angry as 24 hr care agency (to care for husband with dementia) I kept changing dates gave me ultimatum - not surprisingly. I got a guaranteed date and changed last minute to 2 days later. All so stressful for me for bypass and valve.I can only spathise and suggest you put in writing the implications for caring role.