Has anyone gone privately for consultation/diagnosis and then had treatment on the NHS?

[Cat_lady]

Hi! I'm new here and after some information. Reading back through the boards has been really helpful already

My story.

painful, heavy periods from the start. Bowel symptoms. A&E visits. Endless GPs, pills, painkillers, depo, being fobbed off.

Depression and anxiety.

Transvaginal scan 9years ago - nothing to see.

Basically after the scan I gave up. I take a lot of painkillers each month and work part time which mostly means when it's bad I don't have to get out of bed (lucky position to be in I know!)

So this period has been worse than 'normal'. Suddenly extreme pain, collapsed at work, vomiting in pain. Husband brought me home and I was in a absolute state. Drugged myself out with sleeping pills as nothing else worked.

Husband is making me get it checked out.

I'm so, so scared of being ignored again. I don't feel like I have the fight in me, even though I know something is wrong.

I know it might not be endo, but I don't know where else to ask.

I am thinking about cutting out my GP and going for a private consultation with a gyno who knows about endo. We can afford this, but not full treatment privately.

Has anyone else done this? Was it ok? Or should I suck it up and go to my GP.

I just want to be listened to.

[shali1981]

nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Right...

Ask your gp to refer you as a nhs patient to a private consultant. They did it for me x

[KatieD]

It is definitely worth doing some research and finding a consultant who specialises in endo, and having a consultation with him/her. Personally, I wouldn't just go to whoever my gp referred me to. After all this time you want to get the right consultant. I had no luck with my GP but moved abroad, got health insurance and got diagnosed. However I still had problems and my surgeon here wasn't listening to me, so I did my research and came back to the UK for my second lap with a fantastic surgeon. I have heard of lots of people who go private for the consultation then get put on the consultants NHS list for surgery. If you are in London/Surrey there is an excellent endo team at the Royal Surrey in Guildford. Good luck.

[Martha79]

Hi, it's so worth having a private consultation. To cut a long story short after 10 years of been fobbed off by dr's, wrong diagnosis and fertility treatment , I decided to go private & it was the best thing I did. I only had to pay my initial consultation. Consultant then performed my laparoscopy on the nhs & all follow up appointments were through nhs. It was a relief to finally have someone listen to me. I wish I had done it sooner. Good luck

[Martha79 in reply to Martha79]

Sorry I should have said I researched online for a good consultant, so it's worth doing that first, then I asked gp to refer me to him.

[Cat_lady]

Thank you for the replies. I did some research and found a consultant with Endo experience.

His clinic have insisted I see my GP for a referral.

Went this evening to GP. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, even though the Dr didn't listen to my symptoms properly and said they wouldn't refer.

Then I repeated myself, after she explained why referral would be a waste of time, and she 100% backtracked and said she should refer me right now!

I need an up to date smear (ergh) which I'm having next week, then I should hear from the consultant.

Thanks again for your help xx