why does it take so long to get an appointment to see... - NRAS
why does it take so long to get an appointment to see rheumatologist
I was discharged from H on 4th december after being off mtx for the 6 weeks I had been in and the rheumatology unit had been sent a letter then my GP notified them again mre then 2 weeks ago and monday my consultant has notified them again and I still haven't got an app I'm just across the road from the H I'm climbing the walls with the pain I know I'm not alone with R A but I would like my mobility back a bit it's in shoulders hands and knees but I would say my hands are the worst and as everyone knows hands are the most needed I'm going to get an app to see my GP tyo see if she would give me a steroid injection to tide me over anyway rant over be back later x
steroid injections do help i had one about eight or so days ago it has kicked in now
I LIVE 3 MILES from main hospitla and when well enough work there too! ring them and kick up a bit. I was still at work in med december kept ringing rheum helpline as in bad way.. the "urgent appoint I Was offered was FEB12TH!!!, , was off work from jan 2nd on receiving this appoint letter I RANG AGAIN. , SURELY NOT THE URGENT APPOINT? IT WAS?!!.
got a cancellation appoint with registrar jan 16th!!, he had my confidence and was very thorough.
Ring either the consultant's secretary or the specialist nurse or both and CRY. Or find out what the clinic day is and go in there and cry.
There aren't enough rheumatologists because it's a Cinderella service - not sexy at all, so no funding goes into it.
I know you're right because my doctor friend told me it is seen as a very depressing area of medicine - everyone is in so much pain always and there's limits to what can be done for us all. Also the person I'm working for just now told me that hospital art never reaches rheumatology because it's seen as so unsexy.
But why is it so "unsexy" will anyone tell me? If I were a doctor I would find rheumatology fascinating because there are drugs to play with, it's not smelly and doesn't involve body fluids much and nor does it involve too much death or craziness. And there's potentially a lot of success to be had with the new drugs available so it's not as if there is often going to be nothing at all you can do for someone. Also it would only take a thorough examination, some excellent brain power and a lot of compassion to make patients feel so much better. Surely that should attract medical students not put them off? It's like being a detective I feel and I can't see why anyone wouldn't choose it over looking up bottoms or cutting off lumps or having to tell people they have cancer. I suppose ultimately it's unsexy for politicians - who like the rest of the population - regard all forms of arthritis as something that only affects the elderly - who are seen as the most unsexy group of all. so it Sorry but it just sickens me.
It's anything from 4 to 8 months here depending when abouts you are referred in relation to when the next clinic is. I never hear of anyone with suspect inflammatory arthritis being sent down to Aberdeen but it maybe happens on occasion. Tilda
Actually I did get sent down to Aberdeen for my first appointment, but it was still more than a 3 month wait, even though the national target is 12 weeks to first appointment. Then it was another 10 months before I got my second appointment and it will be at least 8 months before I get another. Quite different from the recommendations that I've been seeing that suggest you should be seen monthly from diagnosis until remission or stabilisation on treatment!
I agree that I find it puzzling that more folk aren't going into rheumatology - its definitely a very exciting area for research with all the anti-tnf stuff, and all the genetic research thats going on, as well as discovering what is actually happening in joint inflammation.
As well as politicians, I think young medical students also fall into the trap of thinking it's an old person's disease, which is less interesting to them. They like drama, blood and gore otherwise wouldn't have wanted to be doctors in the first place. As well as lack of funding, and lack of rheumatolgists, down here there's also a target for the first referral. Which means that priority goes to new patients, but once that first appointment is out of the way (and which is often completely inconclusive) you go to the back of the queue.....And since there's a never ending supply of new patients then that queue is very long... Polly
I think Scotland may be even worse than England for this practice Polly - or at least as bad. My OH tells me that he saw a programme about this exact problem of early referrals taking precedence in relation to cancer patients in Scotland. Apparently this can't happen by law in England but in Scotland the NHS have found a loophole and people can be diagnosed with cancer and then left high and dry while it spreads - for many months. I can't believe that it's worse in Scotland than England though but that's what this programme was saying. I know my GP, who sits on our health board, told me that's what was happening to me when I had that huge wait following diagnosis. I suppose if you live in an area where rheumatology is a respected specialism and things are more advanced and cutting edge it's likely that you'll be seen quicker because more consultants will want to work there. I can't really say I blame them though. But surely medical students are told of the differences between inflammatory arthritis and OA quite early on?
I would venture 97% of the population don't know or understand the difference - including Medical Students - and if they were told early on in their studies - they would still want to do heart transplants or brain surgery over Rheumatolgy!
I'm sure I read somewhere that medical students are likely to spend only an hour or two on RA and its friends during their studies. Also GPs are not likely to see that many cases of it. 1% of the population is not that many patients per practice. That may account for why some GPs don't seem very expert in their knowledge or care. Doesn't excuse it though.
Rheumatology is not every Medical Students dream job. Think about it - would you want to be Christian Barnard or a rheumy at the local hospital ?
Sadly all the funding is directed to the glamourous areas of medicine.
But I'm sure a lot of us are very greatful that Our Rheumy decided to study Rheumatolgy and is now looking after us - when we can get an appointment!
your answer made me smile, as Christian Barnard had RA! He had to give up surgery because his hands got too messed up....So I'd prefer to be a rheumy as would be great not to have this £&@*+ disease.. Polly
Hey HelixHelix I had forgotten that CB has RA - but I do now remember the photos of his poor hands that flashed around the world. I wonder what this new injection for RA is all about ?I haven't been out to get a paper yet and not much info on the i/net.
Oh well that's the difference between me and medical students/ would be doctors. I hate high drama, don't like blood or gore but I do love stitching and investigating stuff so if I'd been good at sciences I would have loved to be a forensic scientist and if I'd had the guts I would have loved to be a detective too. I guess I think of rheumatology as somewhere much closer to detective work than other specialist areas and now they have more drugs to play about with (even if they are very expensive) and more research going on I think it might be quite an exciting area of medicine? But if you think "who is she trying to kid?" then I'm sure you're right! Tilda xx
I waited 18 weeks and was told that I have fibromyalgia, which I already knew. They did a blood test and it was found to have a high rheaumatoid factor. So my doctor said she would write back to the hospital, that was six weeks ago !! I have symptoms of this Indy hands and fingers. When I asked my doctor what the blood test mean she said she was not a rheaumatologist !!and I should consider going private . Discussing x
ANyone can learn what the inflammatory markers - ESR and CRP are, just by looking at NRAS or Arthritis Research UK. I always get a printout of my blood results and check that. I think we sometimes have to educate our GPs so that they know what is happening to us.
And everyone mixes up OA and RA. I try to be sympathetic because OA is painful and maybe there are fewer treatments than for RA, but its like taking my call for help away when people interpret it as OA
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How long does it take to receive blood results nhs???
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