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Scaeme · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:05 pm Post subject: Leeds GIC does it again...

Leeds GIC contacted me a month ago to let me know that the appointments for this year were bieng allocated this April and that I should be seen within a few weeks. Okay, so I've been on the waiting list for a year so far, but at least things were looking up. I was over the moon. Really singing thier praises everywhere at how they finaly got themselves sorted out.
I've been trying to phone them all month and only got an answer machine. They finaly rang me back today to tell me when my appointment is...
March 2010
Yes, that's right, they contacted me to let me know that I have an appointment in another 2 years time >.>
I'm honestly considering moving out of Kirklees to escape this waiting list. Are there any other options open? There is no way on earth I can afford to go private and moving is going to be very difficult and if there's any way I can avoid it and stil get seen before 2010 I'd be open to suggestions.

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I look back at most of my life and think "WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?!??"

Herb · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:09 pm Post subject:

If things go well, I'm about to move to somewhere new again, and I plan on getting a 2 bed house or flat. You're welcome to house-share if you like. I guarantee with won't be anywhere near Leeds.

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saibh · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 126 Location: Ireland

I'm very sorry to hear about that sucky situation Scaeme. That really is ridiculous. Sad

I hope you can move and get seen somewhere else much earlier!!

Stella Maru · Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 2248 Location: Brighton

I felt both sad and angry after your reading your post, Rachel. You deserve better.

What is to be done?

In its 2005 Election Manifesto, New Labour pledged to reduce all hospital waiting time to a maximum of 16 weeks from first visit to a GP to actually receiving hospital treatment.

In the much-vaunted "Choose and Book" electronic appointment system you should be able to arrange treatment at the hospital of your choice.

These are issues, fleshed out with more quotable detail of government promises, that you might want to take up with your MP, who will already have received other complaints about Leeds GIC, you can be certain.

It is like water wearing away at a stone, Rachel, one drop at a time, thousands of times, until by almost imperceptible degrees the stone begins to wear away.

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Scaeme · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:36 pm Post subject:

Thanks everyone.
Stella: I've been thinking about writing a letter to Mr Sheerman, my MP for some time about this, but just didnt have the knowledge to back up any real reason why he should help other than just one very small vote. Thank you immensly for that information about Labour's 2005 manifesto, it's just what I needed!!! Very Happy

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I look back at most of my life and think "WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?!??"

Stella Maru · Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 2248 Location: Brighton

Scaeme wrote:

Thanks everyone.
Stella: I've been thinking about writing a letter to Mr Sheerman, my MP for some time about this, but just didnt have the knowledge to back up any real reason why he should help other than just one very small vote. Thank you immensely for that information about Labour's 2005 manifesto, it's just what I needed!!! Very Happy

There is an entire NHS website devoted to Delivering the 18 Week Patient Pathway, in which we find an 18 Weeks Rules Suite

http://www.18weeks.nhs.uk/Content.aspx?path=/measure-and-monitor/Rules-suite

If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. The glossier the brochure, the bigger the lie.... (see next!)

___________________________________________________________________________

Hospitals do rig waiting lists to hit targets, ministers admit

John Carvel, social affairs editor
The Guardian,
Wednesday February 27 2008

NHS hospitals across England are systematically rigging their waiting lists to make it look as if they are hitting key government targets, the Department of Health acknowledged yesterday.

It said GPs were right to complain that it was becoming harder to make bookings for patients to get hospital treatment.

Many NHS trusts are telling GPs that their lists are full over the next few weeks and refusing to make advance bookings for later in the year. By keeping the queues short, the hospitals hope to hit the government's target for reducing waiting times.

The main health pledge in Labour's 2005 election manifesto was to reduce the maximum wait to 18 weeks from referral by a GP to being wheeled into the operating theatre, with no extra time added for patients needing complex diagnostic tests. An inquiry by Pulse, a newspaper for GPs, found 90% of hospitals were restricting advance bookings. "The practice can mean patients are barred from going to the hospital of their choice, since popular hospitals may have no appointment slots available in the short term," it said.

Ministers told GPs it would be easier to make hospital appointments for patients using an electronic system known as Choose and Book. But the inquiry found hospitals are keeping up to a third of their appointment slots off the electronic register in an attempt to reduce demand. The British Medical Association said: "We have heard of similar reports from doctors across the country. We would be very concerned if trusts were putting targets ahead of patient care.

"It is ironic that when government has put great emphasis on patient choice, their own targets on waiting times are stopping some patients from choosing their preferred hospital for treatment."

The association said it had evidence of trusts refusing referrals from GPs to avoid breaching the 18-week target. "All additional referrals are returned to the GP and not passed to an alternative provider. Such a situation could be repeated, by various providers, and further delay the patient's treatment," the association said. In some cases, hospitals were refusing to treat patients until the GP had dealt with problems such as high blood pressure or excessive weight.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Hospitals should not be doing this. They are required to accept all referrals if clinically appropriate, and should not be manipulating Choose and Book to help them meet other targets." He added: "It is right for patients that they now have more choice, allowing them to arrange appointments at times and at hospitals that suit them - however this should not be at the detriment of being seen quickly ...

"The department has taken direct action by putting in place a national system to ensure that where patients are told that there are no appointments available on Choose and Book for their chosen hospital, they are still referred on to the provider of their choice."

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Barry Sheerman MP, Lab & Co-op, Huddersfield, was moderately in favour of the Gender Recognition Bill in its passage through parliament; i.e. he did not vote for all of it. See his voting history in the Public Whip here:

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Barry_Sheerman&mpc=Huddersfield&dmp=809&display=motions

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**sgian** · Advisor Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 194 Location: london

i think you should kick up as much of a stink about it as possible.write to as many people as possible and make life hard for the PCT.No wonder people commit suicude if this is the poor standard of care they can expect.
rachel.

BethM · Guest

I don't know the legalities of it but my psychotherapist was telling me that the new NHS patients charter allows you to seek the NHS treatment you need wherever it is provided (regardless of where you live or where your GP or PCT is based).

He was telling me this in the context of me not being able to get Lazer hair removal in Manchester that if say it was offered in Birmingham on the NHS I was entitled to remain living in Manchester and get on the Birmingham waiting list.

I'm still looking in to it for lazer but it's well worth you looking in to your GIC options. 2010.... my arse! x

**PurplePrincess** · Advisor Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 2678 Location: Bristol

BethM wrote:

I don't know the legalities of it but my psychotherapist was telling me that the new NHS patients charter allows you to seek the NHS treatment you need wherever it is provided (regardless of where you live or where your GP or PCT is based).

I haven't got the details here in front of me right now but I have read somewhere about being able to seek NHS treatment wherever it's provided and there was certain things that weren't included, like psychiatric appointments and a few other NHS treatments, so I'm not sure you can use their new rules to go to any GIC. If someone has the new NHS rules about this at hand then it would be worth posting.

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CheekyCat · Joined: 20 Aug 2007 Posts: 458 Location: UK

If I was you I'd go along to see my local MP during his monthly surgery. (All MP's hold a monthly surgery where constituents can raise issues with their MP). They tend to take more personal involvement with cases when you visit them rather than just write to them.

Also write to Lynn Jones, MP, who is chair of the Parliamentary Forum on Transsexualism and who is a great supporter of trans issues in parliament.

You should ask them both to do two things:-

1) Ask them to write to the Leeds GIC / PCT to ask them to confirm the waiting times you have been advised and ask how this length of waiting time can be justified.

2) Ask them to raise a question in the House regarding waiting times at Leeds GIC.

As a minimum I'm sure they would both be happy to do the first and with a bit of luck they may be willing to do the second as well,

Good Luck!

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Cheeky Cat!

laurdeb · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:32 pm Post subject:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4088353

This might help every one with the new choose and book regarding the right to choose

laurdeb · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:42 pm Post subject:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_076331

This about patient choice

Scaeme · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 6:57 am Post subject:

Woudlnt I just have a 3 year for CHX then instead?
It's the PCT who are holding everything up by refusing to provide funding to send me to a clinic within a reasonable time.

_________________
I look back at most of my life and think "WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?!??"

Stella Maru · Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 2248 Location: Brighton

"Finally, there are two areas of healthcare where the location in which you are treated is not subject to free choice - mental health services and maternity. However, you are always free to talk to your GP if you feel the hospital you are being referred to is not right for you. And remember, once you have been seen by the specialist, you can always ask for a second opinion."

From About Patient Choice:

http://www.nhs.uk/choices/Pages/Aboutpatientchoice.aspx

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Scaeme · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 8:17 am Post subject:

Oh well, I finaly got my but in gear and actualy mailed my MP last week after like the 10th draft.
Tried to keep it as short and sweet and humble as possible and said that if he'd like me to expand upon anything I said I'd provide that. I had a mail back from his secretary asking me for my age and address, but nothing else yet. Wondering whether that's just something standard they need for every letter or whether Mr Sheerman actualy read it and wanted more information.

_________________
I look back at most of my life and think "WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?!??"