Do I have a right to ask for a referral to an endo specialist?

[nixhaz]

Hi,

I've been under the care of the local hospital gyne dept, but am seriously not impressed with their knowledge of/treatment of endo. My gyno just said, there's nothing else we can do, and offered a total radical hysterectomy. I know this is useless against endo, so want a referral to the local(ish) endo specialist in Colchester. I brought this up at my last visit, but the doctor was completely averse to giving me a referral.

My question is, do I have a right to a referral, and do I have to get the referral from my current specialist?

Thanks ladies, hope you are having a pain free day.

Nix

[hopefully]

Hi Nix,

Perhaps desk to your GP about a new referral, and discuss your disappointment with your current gyna, the GP should be helping you to access healthcare within the hospitals and you do have the right to ask for a second opinion and be happy with your treatment.

That's is usual what non experienced gyna say about endo treatment, simply because they don't know what they are doin!

[nixhaz in reply to hopefully]

Thank hopefully,

That is kinda what I thought. The problem with the current gyne is that he has such a massive ego he can't believe anyone knows any more than he does... ugh.

[hopefully]

That's the worse type of doc to have, one who thinks they know it all when they don't! Or one that has a good reputation but doesn't live upto it!

[jojo777]

You have every right to ask for referral, but it will be better to get it if you can from your GP.

As for the docs with the masive ego, I've been there my first gynae operated me left endo untreated (but he took pics of it) and then accusing me that the pain was in my head.

I had to change doctor and I'm not going back!!! xx

[Juleyanne]

I know exactly where you are at, as I am there myself. Over the years trying to address this endo problem and getting nowhere, I changed hospitals a Gyne and thought I was getting somewhere but after a lap and hysteroscopy which initially brought relief, pain crept back along with all sorts of bowel and bladder issues. I was told that it was all removed, yet remember after the previous surgery being told that they removed 'as much as was safe to do, due to close proximity to bowel' which I would take to mean, nearly all! I went back a couple of times and it was suggested my pain could be muscular skeletal. Then it was suggested if it did not improve I have a radical hysterectomy! Confused is not the word and scared! I then, spoke to my Gp about being referred to a endo specialist surgeon. I did find the name of a particularly good one through the internet and an endo meeting and mentioned his name to the Gp. I was told it was possible. I think the problem is that endo specialist gyne's are limited and alot do private only. the one's that do NHS are in big demand and you have a bit of a fight on your hand to get them to take you on board.

So, no not impossible, but do not expect a straightforward referral if your NHS.

[ilovemykids]

What I did was look for a endo specialist that does both private and NHS but I have also had to miver the NHS hospital to actually see her instead of one of the regular gyne's. My Gp refered me to the hospital and I chased up the appointment asking to see the consultant. x x

[endo_star]

We all have a right to a second opinion, and it's your choice where you get referred to. This is what I'm doing at the moment x

[nixhaz]

Woohoo! Got the referral!

[michelle2013 in reply to nixhaz]

Hi I've just seen this post and wondered if you had been seen. I live in essex and I am under a female gynea at Springfield hosp in Chelmsford (through the nhs) and she also works at Broomfield I believe. But I'm not sure I'm confident with her and an wondering whether I would be better off being referred to endo specialist at colchester. Would be interested how you get on