Passed the 18 week guideline! - NHS England: A Ca...

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Passed the 18 week guideline!

Juls1965 profile image
7 Replies

After passing the 18 week guideline for a hip replacement, I'm hitting brick walls every way I try to get help, and I'm trying to get sent to see a different doctor with a shorter waiting time but apparently this isn't an option for me. Pals, local mp, my doctor have all tried to help but consultant list is so long I'm being told my op will be August which will end up being an 8 month wait! I just need some more advice on who to turn to next.

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Juls1965
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The BMA junior drs dispute will be causing mayhem with elective surgery  -  under normal circumstances I would say use choose and book and find another hospital with a shorter list - you could try but I suspect they are all extended lists now.

Seem to remember something along the lines that if NHS didn't meet the 18 weeks you could ask to go private even Europe, NHS pays, but you pay your own travel costs  - perhaps you could check it at out.

I don't see why political dogma ( ie BMA's junor doctors committee's left wing stance to bring Hunt down) should compromise patient care and cause you pain and delay; but it is across the country.

Paul_ChoiceUnit profile image
Paul_ChoiceUnit

You have a legal right to be treated within 18 weeks from the original referral, or from when you agreed a new treatment plan with your consultant i.e. moving from physiotherapy to surgery. 

As long as you have not chosen to delay your outpatient care or inpatient surgical date by not attending appointments, multiple cancellations or you have requested a delay then the your clinical commissioning group (people who pay hospitals to provide NHS care) or your provider Trust should offer you a choice of different providers who can treat you sooner than your current provider - you have to ask for this to happen first. Any different provider (either NHS or private sector if they have an NHS contract) has to be clinically appropriate so if you need a specialist operation on your hip or have other complicating factors this may be limited, but there are likely to be some options if you are willing to travel.

It is your local clinical commissioning groups (CCG) responsibility to ensure you are delivered this right.  You can find the contact details for your CCG on this site at nhs.uk/Service-Search/Clini... 

You could call them and ask for help or you could complain through their PALS (Patient advice and Liaison Service) although I would save that for a last resort.

Your rights (plus details on where these do not apply) can be found in the Department of Health 'Choice Framework" which is designed for patients to use: gov.uk/government/publicati...

Best wishes on your pending surgery,

Juls1965 profile image
Juls1965 in reply toPaul_ChoiceUnit

Have done all that already, pals, local mp etc. Am now awaiting for a response from the ceo in response to my questions! This was a recommendation from pals who suggested I ask questions that need answers? 

Paul_ChoiceUnit profile image
Paul_ChoiceUnit in reply toJuls1965

I obviously can not give specific advice on your care, but if it was me I would go back to the Trust and ask them to provide full details about how long I had waited and what (if any) adjustments they had made to my 18 week pathway.  I would also point out that on the back of this information I would be looking to request support from the Clinical Commissioning Group with a view to invoking my legal rights to change provider (as laid out in the Choice Framework).  The feedback may be complicated, but the question to the CCG would be - can you help me understand what has happened, and if I am entitled to move, can they support in sourcing alternative providers?  I hope this helps. 

sharon39 profile image
sharon39

Hi, I wish you well with your challenge..  It seems that the rules and regulations that are stated in the NHS constitution seem to have very little regard in reality.  Hopefully your MP may be able to help you.  I made an official complaint to my local hospital after waiting 2 years for treatment and surgery. The response from the hospital was very apologetic and i eventually I had the operation a few months after.  The hospitals official response was also late.  I understand that the hospitals are fined but this is also not helping the situation for patients in the long term. I would  be very interested to hear how you get on.  Good Luck. 

Bricky profile image
Bricky

So NHSatheist doesn’t see why political dogma ( ie BMA's junor doctors committee's left wing stance to bring Hunt down) should compromise patient care and cause you pain and delay. Well, there’s none so blind as will not see especially when an alternative views is that of Hunt’s right wing stance is to bring the BMA down.

in reply toBricky

That's just where the Bitching and Moaning Ass (BMA) should be down on the floor, its legitimate purpose is to benefit doctors BUT it repeatedly claims to look after the interests of patients - that's FRAUD by Misrepresentation ref Section 2 Fraud Act 2006.

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