Bronchiectasis specialist

[caerleon15]

Hi All I hope you are finding your day bearable.

Can anyone out there recommend a good bronc specialist in the South Wales area (Gwent)

Any information would be greatly appreciated,

Take care love to all

[Hidden]

Hi there,

I'm sorry that I don't know of any bronchiectasis specialists in Wales. Ihave been with the bronchiectasis clinic at the Queen Elizabeth in Birmingham for 30 years and in all that time I have only had two excellent consultants. I am currently with Dr Anita Sullivan whose principal interest is bronchiectasis. A very smart, clever and kind lady. I know tha it is a long way to travel but some people do come a long way to the clinic. You are entitled to ask for that referral. Good luck. I hope that you find a good consultant closer to home.

[freefaller in reply to Hidden]

As the NHS in Wales is devolved it is not so easy to get referred unless you are going to the only centre that deals with a certain illness in the whole of the UK - as I am going to Manchester. It also means that when you do this the referral takes a couple of weeks longer because the health service have to OK the referral and the funding before you go. Though, if, like me you are getting a referral to such a centre then they should agree almost immediately. Another difference with us here in Wales is that we cannot even move around within Wales on the NHS as if there is a consultant in your PCT then you must go there and cannot ask to go anywhere else. Caerleon15 is lucky because they live in an area where they could probably go to anyone of 3 or 4 of the major hospitals in the Newport/Cardiff area.

[Hidden in reply to freefaller]

That is all very limiting, controlled and scary.

[caerleon15 in reply to freefaller]

Thanks for your reply

is it me or were things easier in days gone by?

I have a guy in Cardiff I'm going to try

all the best take care

[caerleon15 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks stillstanding,

the trip to Birmingham wouldn't bother me but I'm trying a local guy doing clinics at the Spire just outside Cardiff

thanks again

[Hidden in reply to caerleon15]

Good luck. I hope that you find the consultant to be a good one

[freefaller]

Hi,

I live in Pembrokeshire. Welcome to the site. Do you want a private consultation or NHS? Have a look on all the hospital websites - including the private hospitals as the consultants list their areas of special interest on there too. Once you have round a name google it and see what is on line about them. Hope this helps. I went onto linkedin to check one guy here and got some very good info.

Love nad hugs

Sian

xoxoxoxox

PS let me know who you choose and how good they are - always worth knowing a good name.

[caerleon15 in reply to freefaller]

Hi freefaller thanks for your response at the moment (because of the ridiculous nhs waiting time) I am looking at going private, although I did that last month and it was a total waist of money e.g. no advice no recommendations etc and I saw her three times!

[freefaller in reply to caerleon15]

There was a male pulmonary specialist who works at the Spire hospital who is either the secretary or the chairman of British Lung Foundation Wales. Have a look on e Spire site. I can't remember his name but if I get a chance later today I will look him up again.

[freefaller in reply to freefaller]

Sorry that information I gotatthebeginning of the year about someone working out of Spire Hospital can't have been correct as ow I have looked it up and can't find it! Have looked up Dr Ketchell and he looks brilliant on paper.as some one else said don't know any more than that. Have you been referred for physiotherapy and breathing exercises for your bronchiectasis?

Sian

Xoxoxoxxo

[caerleon15 in reply to freefaller]

Hi freefaller, I have booked a consultation with Dr Ketchell so I will let you know what I think, from my brief contact with him he seams like a decent guy. I have training from a physiotherapist (private) but she was not very good admitting the dept does not specialise in respiratory work, but she was the one recommended by the Dr.

All the best take care

[cofdrop-UK]

Hi

Just checked out the adult cf centres. There is only one in Wales:

Llandough hospital, Cardiff. Tel [phone]. Dr Ian ketchell Dr Jamie dockers. Dr dawn lau

That is not to say there isn't a good respiratory consultant at your local hospital. You need to check out their special interest is bronchiectasis.

Bristol may be another option for cf/bronch con. Bristol royal infirmary. Dr Nazareth. Dr Nicholas bell. Dr Kathryn Bateman.

Wythenshawe hospital Manchester. Is another adult cfProf Kevin Webb. Etc

Tel. [phone]

Hope that is of some help

Cx

[caerleon15 in reply to cofdrop-UK]

Hi cofdrop, as usual good information from your good self and thanks for going to the trouble to find it.

I recently paid for 3 appointments with one of the doctors from the royal gwent, I was not impressed to say the least

many thanks

[cofdrop-UK in reply to caerleon15]

Have a look at this one-one of her special interests is bronch. Hope it's not the one you have already seen

stjosephshospital.org.uk/pa...

Cx

[caerleon15 in reply to cofdrop-UK]

No its not the one I saw and I was tempted I lost a bit of confidence in that place at the moment. Their physio support was poor I thought.

thanks again

[cofdrop-UK in reply to caerleon15]

I'm with one of the cf units and the physio support is poor. During my last stay I had a lad who may as well have been on work experience. He said you look well, how do you feel about going home. This with a high temp and very low sats. I discussed it with my con during a later visit, explaining I have no intention of discussing my discharge with a physio. That is a decision for my consultant or his registrar and not the physio's remit. He agreed totally. The best physio I have seen was not on a respiratory ward at all but one I saw when I had a lap chole. She was brilliant.

I feel your best interest will be served at the moment getting a good proactive consultant.

Love CX

[freefaller in reply to caerleon15]

Say no more if it was the Royal Gwent! Used to live near there and often took my ex Mother- In-Law there and they were all pretty much dreadful.

[caerleon15 in reply to freefaller]

Hi freefaller, I have seen two so called specialist work at the Gwent, not impressed with either, and the other problem is my GP has limited knowledge of this condition and is just trying to off load me to the Gwent.

ta take care

[caerleon15 in reply to cofdrop-UK]

Hi cofdrop contacted Dr Ketchell he seams a decent guy how good he is at his job remains to be seen.

thanks again

[cofdrop-UK in reply to caerleon15]

Sounds like a good choice - he has lots of experience, has a special interest in bronchiectasis and has worked at the Royal Brompton too. Hope he is supportive and proactive.

spirehealthcare.com/cardiff...

love cx

[RoadRunner44 in reply to caerleon15]

Hi, I came across your post and wondered if you ever saw this doctor. I'm looking for a bronchiectasis specialist as I live near Cardiff. Hope to find one soon.

[Helenamay]

I have bronchiectasls and am in Gwent. My GP's mother also has it and he referred me to a specialist in Prince Charles. There is also a specialist in the Spire hospital, Cardiff.

[caerleon15]

Thanks Helenamay,

What do think of the specialist at prince Charles? I contacted the specialist at the spire not made an appointment yet.

many thanks for replying

[Helenamay]

His name is Dr Gibson. He is not a bronchiectasls specialist as such but my doc referred me to him as Dr Gibson also sees his mother.

The Spire doc is a TB specialist but also sees bronchiectasls patients. I haven't been to see him.

[caerleon15 in reply to Helenamay]

Hi Helenamay, thank you for the information I will see if I can find any info on him

take care

[freefaller]

Totally agree with you fibberti. They also don't like it very much if you have to be referred back to them for tests not available here privately like a CT Guided Lung Biopsy like me. They really did not treat me very well and the lung nurse said it was "political". Though after all she said quite sarcastically I thought, you are entitled to go private if you wish. Now I am a member of Benenden - used to be called the Post Office and Civil Service Sanitorium Society, now open to all. I pay £8.45 a month and for that if a wait to see a consultant is longer than 8 weeks they will pay for me to see a consultant. I have to pay first and send them the original invoice and they reimburse me within the week. They also allow you £1500 for diagnostic tests and procedures which includes scans. Because my Doc referred me to a local specialist in December and I had not even heard anything in Feb I went through Benenden. I waited initially because we were going on holiday and didn't want an appointment too quickly. What Benenden ask is that you are also referred to see an NHS Consultant and get evidence in writing saying that the wait would be longer than 8 weeks. So the money I have to spend is limited and obviously I was prepared to pay more. I would have paid the difference between what was left of my Benenden money if a CT guided lung biopsy could be done but my consultant asked and was told no. In fact one of the people he asked was the consultant I then saw on the NHS. I have found that this can be done at Spire Southampton. Though I rang and asked them to contact me and never got a call back! Inspires confidence doesn't it? Got to remember even private healthcare can be less than good.

Sorry again for a long post.

Sian

Xoxoxoxo

[caerleon15 in reply to freefaller]

Don't apologise freefaller it is an interesting post and that's a great medical plan you have, I always thought that paying a lot of money for private treatment it would be good it's not all the time.

take care

[caerleon15]

Hi flibberti, it looks promising so far with this guy he e mailed me today asking me for all my details DOB etc. so he can get hold of my x rays to check them over. This already is far more than the last doctor did and I haven't seen him yet!

take care cant thank you enough for your support.

[caerleon15]

Hi again, I think the welsh nhs is all but broke!