Hi all, please click on the two e petitions on the front page of the pelvic pain support network and sign them.The petitons ask the government to ensure all people get treatment within 18 weeks and asks for changes to employment law to ban employers from dismissing people for sickness levels relating to their condition whilst they are wating for treatment.We urgently need more signatures to get these petitions noticed.The bbc reported in July that over 236000 people had been waiting over 18 weeks for surgery an increase of 8.5% in just one yr.The nhs constitution states all patients should be treated within 18 weeks, clearly this is NOT happening. I was told I needed surgery for endometriosis in August but was told for 2 and a half months that I would not be getting any treatment until 2012 at the earliest.I complained to my pct,my MP and GP wrote to them asking for me to get treatment sooner and I advised them I was happy to go anywhere else or see another consultant to get treatment within 18 weeks.The pct refused to help for over 2 mnths .I was too ill to work and terrified of loosing my job due to my high sickness levels, I ended up travelling to Slovenia in October and paying for my own treatment, (private surgery costs were much lower there than here),I could not afford to do this and had to pay by credit card .Last week the pct suddenly changed their mind and gave me the option of having the operation with another consultant at the endo of November,why could they not have done this when I,my GP and MP complained to them in August? I am the third person I know who has ended up paying for treatment in the last year due to massive waits for surgery on the nhs and for fear of loosing their job whilst waiting months for surgery. I also have a friend waiting 6 months for their first visit to see a consultant and another friend waiting 7 weeks from decision to treat to her cancer to her surgery date.The nhs constituion stipulates a maximum wait of 31 days for cancer treatment once the decision to treat is made.
I feel it is grossly unfair for anyone to be left in pain for upto 6-9 months.These long waits can have a devastating impact for the patient, leaving them in severe pain, worrying about loosing their jobs, their condition deteriorating drastically whilst waiting for treatment and financial hardship as most people either get no sick pay or only get full sick pay for a few weeks or months, could you afford to live on £81 per week statutory sick pay for months and be able to meet your regular financial commitments?
Pelvic pain support network carried out a pelvic pain and work survey last yr,Over a THIRD of respondants had lost a job due to their condtion and a similar number had been bullied at work.If increasing numbers of people are forced to wait over 18 weeks for treatment it is not hard to conclude that sufferers are going to be even more at risk of loosing their job.I feel there should be changes to employment and equality laws banning employers for disciplining or dismissing employees for sickness relating to their condition whilst they are waiting for treatment.Sufferers are being punished by their employers because they are having to wait a long time for treatment.This is grossly unfair in my opinion. IT TAKES LESS THAN 2 MINUTES TO SIGN OUR E PETITIONS, PLEASE SIGN THEM IF YOU FEEL EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE ACCESS TO PROMPT TREATMENT ON THE NHS.Thanks Julia
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