I have been to see an endocrinologist in London privately and he says I can ask my GP to refer myself to him on the NHS. I just wanted to know as its outside my CCG whether my GP has to make a request for funding for this or whether she can just refer me straight away? Its just that I have needed to be referred out of area before for an urgent referral to a specialist service that is only offered at that hospital in London and I had to wait a month before the referral could go off while she waited for approval for funding for this. She said she has to do this for any referrals out of area, I just don't want to have to wait a month for this one to go off.
I also have been told funding was not granted before for a different appointment out of area as there are consultants locally that can treat me, even though I thought you were allowed to choose your consultant regardless of location? Any help with clarification on this would be great, thanks.
Written by
lizbie
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Yes your area has to pay for the appointment. I have been seeing an Endo out of area for six years. The mad thing is, that if I lived in his area I would have been discharged after a couple of visits.
I have moved house and had to change GP so I don't know whether they are going to find me seeing him anymore, I am waiting to hear whether they will fund my medication first, worrying.
Thanks Sue, so can they stop your funding then, I thought you were allowed to choose any consultant from any hospital you decide? I don't understand that if they have a legal requirement for anyone to have the "right to choose which hospital to go to for your first outpatient appointment and which consultant-led team will be in charge of your treatment", they can then say no? That means their statement about choice is not correct, doesn't it?
According to someone in the know that I see you are legally entitled to a 2nd opinion.
I was under an endo in Lancashire as the less said about our local chap the better & am under a Manchester hospital now for treatment.
I had to really push my GP to get out of area but after 3 years of surgery treatment that had only made me feel much worse I was in the mood to sit there until he agreed !! There was no mention of funding, just a lot of lame reasons like they wouldn't be able to see my blood tests on the system. Perhaps say that this doctor has requested that you do this ?
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