Hi everyone,
Nice to meet you all here.
I suffered from SLE for 10 years and the situation fluctuated every 3 to 4 years.
I am going to move to UK from my country. I did some research in web and also learn about the NHS. But i still have no idea about the real situation in UK.
Could you please give me some advise on the procedure on making the appointment for Specialist or diagnostic test ?
Thank you so much for your help.
Hi.Here you either have to pay for a private dr or register with an nhs gp who can then do some tests and refer accordingly.i dont know if it depends on your immigration status .due to covid there is a backlog
Thank you for your reply.Before i arrive in UK, i need to pay for IHS. So i think i am able to see GP.
That's good 👍 I guess not many of us need the deal with it on the immigration front. I hope it's a smooth transition for you. Are you coming from Hong Kong ? I hope you settle and enjoy living here.best wishes x
Yes, i am coming from HK. Thank you
Safe journey when the time comes xx
Hi
I live in Somerset and the wait time to see a rheumatologist is 52 weeks .
If you pay for private referral be very careful as the appointment itself isn’t really expensive but the blood tests are . All referrals private or nhs have to come from the General Practitioner . Some private hospitals like Nuffield do have their own private gp service .
Take care
The waiting list is the same in Cardiff
Woo! such a long queue.So does it mean I may need to wait for long time before i can transfer from GP to specialist?
The main problem for me is the kidney. Hope the waiting queue would not be too long.
Well I think it can depend on where in the county you live and also your GP . We do have Accident and Emergency departments but they will often refer you back to your own GP
Great that you’ve got medication ! And as other posts have mentioned I don’t see how they can argue with that x
Hello, If you have a diognosis, please take the medication and confirmation with you. Upon arriving into UK, you must register with a local GP(google is great to help you identify one). Depending on your visa, you will be asked to provide your status in the UK (private patient?). Please ask the local GP to help you with relevant information. Your first appointment will be with a nurse and please book to see the GP to talk about access to your medications and referral to a hospital for close monitoring of the SLE. If you chose to go private, Royal Free in London had a set of brilliant doctors and offers private health option. Consultations are around £300 but blood tests and other treatments could cost a lot unless you have a private insurance which pays the bill, either self insured or by your company! It is always good practice to register with a local GP. It would do you more good than harm, and allow you to have a safety net, incase you need help, it can help you find your way around a new system. With best, Lale
Thank you for your reply.I will prepare the medical record and latest diagnosis test result and bring it to the GP.
Probably i will bring long 10 months dose of medicine with me.
That very brave of you, good luck and I wish you success x
I left my country South Africa to UK in 2004,. My Rheumatologist wrote a referral letter which I presented to my GP in the UK who referred me to a Rheumatologist there. I wss hzppy with the consultants there. I have now relocated back to South Africa in December last year. All the best
thank you Nadwana.So you got the referral letter from your own doctor in South Africa before you same to UK?
I think i should get one before i come too.
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