Hello, I am moving to London and am looking for NHS consultant recommendations. I’m 22, I would appreciate a sympathetic consultant

[conniecupcake]

RA. 22 years old. Looking for nhs London consultant

[LoneEra]

Years ago I was at UCLH and they’re pretty good because they think outside the box. Also if you need scans, they sort that fairly quickly - or they used to! Unfortunately I moved out of London to Kent and now my care is awful.

[LoneEra]

Well, the worst was when I moved back in with my parents near Sandwich for a bit (when I was 26 - I was diagnosed the year before). I was sent to QEQM as it’s nearest. It was so bad...I’d turn up and the consultant I was supposed to see had been replaced by another one, or a trainee, or a nurse, and there was zero communication and zero consistency. And it was like being in some medieval market, haggling for scans or even bloods.

I was there for a couple of years and then requested a transfer to William Harvey, which was a bit better...but then I had my 10 year “sabbatical” away from hospital care as I was fed up of no treatment working and being almost 30 with loads of hair missing!

I’ve recently gone back into the system and was just allocated to wherever had the earliest emergency appointment - which is Canterbury. I’ve only known it during Covid times, so I guess I don’t have a “proper” sense of it. But I will say the consultant’s secretary is very nice 🙂

[Littlemunch]

When I lived in North London I came under the Royal and I had a lovely consultant. Really miss her now in Gloucestershire.

[Choccy23]

I come under North Mid who don't always get a good rep but generally rheumatology have been good apart from my last phone appt.

There's an excellent consultant who is off sick at the moment (not sure when he's back) and no matter how busy the day is, always takes his time to listen to you. He reminds me of a TV doctor!😂They are quite quick to arrange tests, MRIs, bone scans etc.

[AgedCrone]

You will need to register with a local GP practice in the area you are moving to.....to get a referral to rheumatology.....on the nhs you can’t refer yourself to a consultant rheumatologist. You can ask to be referred to a hospital of your choice...but your GP will usually refer you to the local hospital.