Hi
Apologies in advance for long post. I had surgery at the endometriosis centre in Aberdeen for stage 4 recto-vaginal endo in 2019. This is not my local NHS area. I am now on the waiting list, for over a year, for further surgery (as expected) with the same consultant. I was happy with this as my consultant was brilliant. My symptoms are being controlled by being on decapeptyl so I’m not in the same pain etc as I was before my first operation so happy to be down the priority list from people who are really suffering.
I had a letter in a couple weeks ago to say that due to long waiting lists I may be offered surgery at other health boards. If I refuse two appointments I’ll come off the list and have to go back to the end of it.
This is making me quite anxious as I want to be treated by the same team who did such a good job previously. My understanding is if I have stage 4 endo I should be treated at a specialist centre of which there are only 2 in Scotland - I think - Aberdeen and Edinburgh. I’d be okay to go to the specialist centre in Edinburgh but I don’t want the operation to happen in any hospital as they don’t have the endometriosis expertise. I had a pretty poor experience in my local health board prior to being referred to the specialist centre.
I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and managed to argue to be treated at the hospital they were referred to? Or if this is just a standard letter everyone on a waiting list has been sent?