Appointment Delays

[EndoEffect]

I was diagnosed with endometriosis a year and a half ago through laparoscopy. Symptoms came back 6 months later and have been getting increasingly worse. In September last year, I ended up going to A&E three times in the space of a week due to debilitating endometriosis pain which was causing severe sciatica. I could barely walk. The department were wonderful and sent me home with strong cocodamol, which I have been on ever since. They referred me for an urgent appointment with one of the endometriosis consultants. 6 months on and I have still had no appointment. I rang them in October and they said that they were on skeleton staff due to covid. Which I understand. Then in January I rang again, a nurse looked me up on the system and said I was down to have an appointment sometime in February and they would be in contact. We are now nearly halfway through March and I have heard nothing. 6 months. After needing to go to A&E. I understand we are in a pandemic. God bless the NHS staff and how overwhelmed they are and how hard they work. They’re brilliant. But I feel like I have just been left floundering for 6 months. My flare up eventually calmed down after about 8 weeks and things were ok November-February. When I say ok, I mean that the pain was a bit more manageable. But the past two weeks it has been getting worse again. I really don’t want to go back to A&E just to sit there for hours and be sent home with cocodamol, which I already now have prescribed. I don’t know what to do. Any advice? Any similar experiences? Are others having to wait as long for appointments with endometriosis specialists when in insufferable pain? Lots of love to you all. I hope you are as well as you can be! Hayley. X

[AllthatGlitters]

Hi yes I have been in a lot of pain and bleeding constantly so I phoned my doctor, she put a note through to the gynaecology department and they got me an urgent appointment (a wait of 3 weeks which is good going). Try your GP who can speak to the consultant, I use to contact the medical secretary but she was absolutely useless, wouldn’t call me back and clearly they didn’t even care as all you want is a phone call back x

[EndoEffect in reply to AllthatGlitters]

Thank you! Yes, I thought it might be worth talking to my GP about it and seeing if they can push the appointment. So I’ll do that. I hope you feel better soon! X

[AllthatGlitters in reply to EndoEffect]

Thank you. They can certainly expedite things for you, tell them how bad you are every day xx

[annieorrell]

Yes, it’s rubbish and like you I am trying my best not to complain, but I’m on week 51 now since I was told I had stage 4 and needed surgery. Unfortunately the symptoms don’t subside because we’re in a pandemic.

[EndoEffect in reply to annieorrell]

I hear you. Gosh. So it has been nearly a year that you have been waiting? X

[Natasha70]

I would ring when I got told had from gynaecologist he said il transfer you no to endometriosis people and for Mri scan my endometriosis people got back before Mri appointment within a week I was expecting long wait I’m Croydon area 3months done line im booked for surgery x

[Jaime1976]

We are all in the same boat unfortunately I’ve been suffering for months and been told because of Covid I’m on a long waiting list. Basically stay home suffer and take painkillers until we get in touch

[Stacey85]

I've been through the exact same and I had to wait nearly a year to see the endo specialists, thats after they got a nudge from my GP having to up my pain meds and push a fertility referral and a cardiologist pushing the referral. Sadly there seems to be a lot of waiting due to COVID

[Anastasia17]

You could contact the Admissions Team as they manage the waiting lists. x