Anyone know current waiting times for endoscopy in UK?

[meggiemog]

I hoped that I would never have to have an endoscopy again - I had a 270 degree fundoplication and hiatus hernia repair 4 years ago, no acid indigestion since - but in the last couple of years I have suffered from a very dry mouth, sometimes a burnt tongue with loss of taste and sometimes a very stuffed up nose. In the last few months have started coughing after eating (sometimes drinking) to the point I retch (very uncomfortable when nothing comes up) and can't eat a large meal. Waited 15 weeks for a 'telephone' consultation with gastroenterologist - who said I need a scope to see if anything has moved. I am losing weight (which he's aware of) but still no idea when. I know a lot of services have been suspended. Might I have to wait another 15 weeks?

[smaller]

Feel sorry for you Its becoming nigh impossible to get anything done. Telephone consultations are a waste of time but becoming the norm?. Turn up at another hospital at AE if you have the time or as an emergency best times after midnight its the way people are going. Cant be much help to you as im dying so to get much treatment is becoming a no no?? D get old in this country.

Goo luck hope you get some answers.

Smaller

[meggiemog in reply to smaller]

Thanks Smaller.

Not much I can say to that. I am pretty sure they are looking at a wrong diagnosis with me - and it absolutely pales to insignificance to what you have to go through! I think I have sjogren's - but even spelling it out to 3 different doctors has got me an endoscopy appointment in possibly 10 years time. Think it's time to get private blood test and see where that leads. I got a letter through today which implied my need was not great and I am on some list - for who knows when.

Enough twittering from me! You take care and do what makes you happy. Time is precious. Can't say more x

[smaller in reply to meggiemog]

Dont sit back and wait. Pester and pester and pester just turn up at anAE or ring 999 you will get a responce. One thing ive learnt since 10/2009 never give up and i know its hard. Tuesday 30/07/2020 i went out fine came home in absoulte agaony wityh Pancras painand iwas screaming and shouting take awaythis pain, TAKE AWAY THIS PAIN .m pancras cant digest food properly. Insulin useless etc. The Ambulance to e was around ten minutes and on two's and blue. Morphine drip in ambulance and i stayed for two days... This is my way of getting into hospital and advised my GP who is old school.

Sorry to rattle on keep at it dont give up.

Regards Smaller

[meggiemog in reply to smaller]

I won't. Had some bloods done today - which will hopefully give some answers whilst I wait.

[Kentishred]

If you are loosing weight your gr should send you for investigation under the 2 week rule to eliminate the risk of cancer. I think the rule still stands post covid. You must ask. If you don't make a fuss you will be ignored. The squeeky wheel gets oiled.

Good luck.

[Bunny69 in reply to Kentishred]

Weight loss is not mandated on NHS pre covid so they don't take any interest in it. It is hard to say what you can expect in terms of getting investigations done. The two week rule was never applied in my case so it took three endoscopic in 6 months to find why I couldn't eat. I would advise anyone with these issues to keep their own food and fluid diary and a weight log to show consultant to see if any information can be taken from it to aid treatment. I only say this as in my case I lost 4 1/2 stone and could only get around 300 calories a day in yet went months with Dr not seeming to worry about my deterioration as he thought I had achalasia.

Wishing you well

Bunny

[meggiemog in reply to Bunny69]

I was put on FODMAP diet by one of the GPs at my practice- so I have more than 15 weeks worth of diet diary and symptoms. It's now resembling the Encyclopedia Brittanica! She thought it would help - got me off gluten and found out I have at least 2 food allergies as well. I can't eat the same volume I had 15 weeks ago - and my weight was steady for the first 10 weeks- then I started feeling sick more often than not. Now it's just a hellish tramps cough with retching for good measure

[meggiemog in reply to Kentishred]

I do pester! So no worries there. I had tests done so I will have a clearer idea next week as to what happens next

[Bunny69 in reply to meggiemog]

Keep the pestering up. Great that you have the diary as it will highlight things that sometimes are lost in the days gone by as to possible triggers. I only say keep pestering as I never as I assumed I would be in good hands. But as symptoms worsened over weeks the medical care seemed to not be concerned as first endoscopy had only found a hiatus hernia and possible barretts. The second took biopsies that confirmed barretts with no dysplasia and slightly larger hiatus hernia.

[meggiemog in reply to Bunny69]

I had my hiatus hernia fixed - but I am thinking that my actual repair and wrap are still intact. It's my oesophagus that's sore. Anything that is viscous like chocolate or I even tried gaviscon advance - both made me feel worse - just irritated my pipe so to speak. My mouth is drier than the desert - and that isn't helping - hence the blood test!

[Kentishred in reply to meggiemog]

I'm glad you pester keep it up. I hope you hear soon.

[meggiemog in reply to Kentishred]

Nothing ventured nothing gained. It's my motto. I think anyone who is on this forum is acutely aware of their own body - when it is right or when it is definitely not. To be fair my GPs have tested me for all kinds in the last few months as I have been feeling so washed out. In a way the lockdown has helped me. I have had time to sleep when I needed it most. I am still not back to working full time - and when I do I think that is when I will feel the full force of my current issues.

[steelee]

I have just had endoscopy that was due in June so about 6 weeks late but got admitted to hospital 2 days later with a temp of 40 and severe stomach pain....CT scan etc and they want a colonoscopy which has been booked for next week so I think waiting times are getting back to normal certainly in Warwickshire....

[meggiemog in reply to steelee]

I may find out after weekend as I have a telephone appointment booked with my GP.

[Spikey]

My son has recently had an endoscopy following severe stomach pains. He had to wait about four weeks, which was sooner than we expected. He was originally told to expect a 10-12 week wait. It depends where in the country you are. Endoscopy units have reduced their capacity from around 15-20 per day to 5-6 per day, due to the additional precautions they are having to take as a result of coronavirus.

[meggiemog in reply to Spikey]

Thanks Spikey - the letter I got from my gastro implied this was not urgent - hence me seeing my GP again. In the mean time tests have been done - so I feel a little heartened by his actions.

[meggiemog]

Just to give an update - I had a chat with my GP a few days after posting this -and he asked if my appointment had come through. I said no - he said leave it with me. I had a call to arrange an appointment within a couple of days - and this was done last Wednesday. All seemed ok - just a polyp - then they got to the fundoplication site - it looked loose to me - and they said it should be closed and it clearly wasn't. Now I have to wait and see what happens next. They did give me a note saying that my LES is not closing as it should and that I should eat slowly.......

[lisa2525]

Hi meggiemog

Have you managed to get endoscopy yet if so what was the result, if not why not go private.

Regards Dave B

[meggiemog in reply to lisa2525]

Hi! I had that done a few weeks ago now. Have got an appointment to chat with surgeon who did my hernia repair/ fundoplication operation 4 years ago to see if anything can be done to maybe tighten it? Didn't need to go private in end.