Guidelines on seeing endo on nhs

[tactano50]

Hi does anyone know how long you have to wait on nhs for endo appointment.my Freind has just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism,and is feeling terrible she has been referred 2 weeks ago, she rang doctors today but was told she couldn't see gp and emergency app only for things like chest infection ect.infuriating in the meantime she is very ill.

[elderflower2016]

It can take up to 8 weeks. It depends on the hospital.

[tactano50 in reply to elderflower2016]

Is that the recommended time frame. She has not on any medication, so is left feeling terrible.

[elderflower2016 in reply to tactano50]

That was from my own experience. I switched to private initially as I did not want to wait 8 weeks. Since then, I've switched back to NHS and waited 6 weeks for a first referral. What was her T4 level at diagnosis? If it was really high, they would have started her on Carbimazole.

[tactano50 in reply to elderflower2016]

I'm not sure of the the scale other then she said the normal level should b under 20 and hers was 75

[elderflower2016 in reply to tactano50]

OK that is the same sort of level I was at which is significantly above range. I was put on 15 mg Carbimazole while waiting for an endo referral. Your friend should insist on an emergency appointment with her GP.

[Fruitandnutcase]

I was hyper with antibodies (Graves Disease) and I had to wait three months. Fortunately my GP and hospital file share so my doctor started me off on carbimazole which is treatment the hospital uses, I took 20mcg for four weeks then had blood tests, my blood tests were seen by my consultant who wrote and told me to get more carbimazole and increase the daily dose to 40mcg - my TSH was still off the lower end of the scale.

I have to say that I was amazed that it could take so long considering how ill I was feeling but that seemed to be about par for the course.

Hopefully your friends doctor will get her started like I was. Some people are given beta blockers to stop the pounding heart symptoms but I'm asthmatic so that wasn't an option for me, I just had to sit it out until the carb kicked in. I have to say that I felt pretty ill for that three months.

Tell your friend to get and keep copies of all her blood tests and not to accept 'your results are fine / normal. She needs to take an active part in her treatment - read as much as she can about her hyperthyroidism and ask questions.

Things will improve fore her but she will be feeling dreadful at the moment. Tell her to get as much rest as she can and to be kind to herself. She's really not well. She could always tell the receptionist she thinks she is having a heart attack if her heart is pounding anything like mine used to do.

[tactano50 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Just spoke tony freind she had a phone consultation this morning, gp said he has made an urgent referel her range was 15-21 hers was 75 he said he cannot prescribe her any medication, and she should go to A&E and say her gp recommends she come.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to tactano50]

That's good news. I was lucky my surgery has a link to our nearest hospital, so that although the doctor gave me the prescription for carbimazole I'm pretty sure it was in consultation with the Endo, I had the blood tests done and found a message on my phone answering machine next evening telling me there was a prescription at reception for me, would I come back in four weeks for more blood tests and that an appointment had been made for me to see an endo.

I've heard that in some places doctors aren't allowed to prescribe carbimazole to hyper patients - think it was someone in Scotland who said that but there could be other places. She needs to see an endo anyway, she needs to be treated asap.

[Rett713]

Depending on hospital can vary greatly. You can choose which hospital you go to, I think on the nhs choices website you can look at different hospitals and departments and it says no of days till appointment. I find by driving to a hospital an extra 30 mins away I get an appointment weeks quicker. On one referral the 3 hospitals I was given choices for varied from 2 weeks, 5 months and 9 months so don't necessarily just look at the hospital nearest to you. Though be aware you will have to stick with that hospital for that condition but if you have another condition and are referred to different department you can again choose the hospital.