Specialist appointment delays?

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#2641838 25-Jan-2021 18:25

CrashAndBurn:

I just hope that whoever has the earliest availability does not mean they are crap at their job as they are not as in demand as the others lols.

Pun intended?

Dunnersfella

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#2641849 25-Jan-2021 19:07

I waited for a 3 month appointment to see a specialist. He diagnosed and treated my issue within 3 visits, whereas I'd been incorrectly diagnosed by 4 GP's previously.

So the wait was worth it in my case.

CrashAndBurn

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#2641860 25-Jan-2021 19:37

timmmay:

CrashAndBurn:

I just hope that whoever has the earliest availability does not mean they are crap at their job as they are not as in demand as the others lols.

Pun intended?

Not intentional lols.

Will see how it goes with calling others tomorrow else will have to wait for 3 months. Just hope it does not get worst or better yet it fixes itself.

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#2641921 25-Jan-2021 21:03

In my case I was referred to a specialist surgeon for shoulder cuff repair. That specialist offered an appointment in 6 weeks time. I did an Google search for orthopaedic surgeons and phoned one that had the same medical qualifications, so phoned for an appointment. I was offered one in 5 days time, set this up and asked my GP to re-direct his referral. The shoulder itself is OK during that day but painful overnight and results in sleep-deprivation, so not urgent but it does impact me every day even though I am retired.

This was an injury claim with the ACC but I would expect the medical processes to be the same. Check out your options with other specialists if your GP will not do this.

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mdav056

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#2641924 25-Jan-2021 21:10

CrashAndBurn:

Yeah, that is what I thought. I didn't want to cut the line as am sure someone would need it more than me. I am not in immense pain... yet but I have been sh!tt!ng blood for 3 weeks now which I explained to my GP who then just asked me to get a blood test done and then referred me to a colorectal surgeon. In my mind, sh!tt!ng blood is serious enough hence it concerns me if I have to wait another 3 months to get seen.

Yes, this is serious enough. Quite a few years ago, I suffered similarly, and my GP fluffed around for about a month (eat metamucil), then finally referred me to a specialist urgently and then it all happened within days. Bowel cancer. Yours may not be anything like this, and I don't want to worry you -- but at the very least, your GP should get a stool test done, and order a colonoscopy (ugh).

Best of luck.

gml

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#2641927 25-Jan-2021 21:20

mdav056:

CrashAndBurn:

Yeah, that is what I thought. I didn't want to cut the line as am sure someone would need it more than me. I am not in immense pain... yet but I have been sh!tt!ng blood for 3 weeks now which I explained to my GP who then just asked me to get a blood test done and then referred me to a colorectal surgeon. In my mind, sh!tt!ng blood is serious enough hence it concerns me if I have to wait another 3 months to get seen.

Yes, this is serious enough. Quite a few years ago, I suffered similarly, and my GP fluffed around for about a month (eat metamucil), then finally referred me to a specialist urgently and then it all happened within days. Bowel cancer. Yours may not be anything like this, and I don't want to worry you -- but at the very least, your GP should get a stool test done, and order a colonoscopy (ugh).

Best of luck.

Dr Google gave me the same impression (bowel cancer) when I searched for my symptoms hence I decided to ask the question about the wait times as a lot can happen in 3 months. I was expecting the same from my GP e.g. stool test but for some reason he only asked for blood test. As for colonoscopy, the GP mentioned it but was told I had to go see the specialist first.

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#2642001 25-Jan-2021 22:34

I’d be on the phone wth the GP asking for a referral elsewhere, the fact you are passing blood maybe the reason as to why your GP hasn’t asked for a faecal occult test. Other tests I would have thought would have been a digital rectal exam when you were seen to eliminate large haemmoroids.
without going into details your GP may have also made a decision On further tests based on your age, bowel frequency, appearance of the blood etc.
I would be ringing to ask for a referral elsewhere regardless

mclean

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#2642122 26-Jan-2021 10:14

Sometimes the public system is quicker than engaging a specialist privately, and you end up in a better equipped facility. And sometimes the same specialist. So it's worth pursuing both.

Assuming the plan is to treat everyone, then logic of making everyone wait 3 months escapes me. The workload is the same, unless the delay achieves a reduced patient load through natural healing or death.

frankv

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#2642192 26-Jan-2021 11:02

Perhaps the rollout of the National Bowel Screening Program (Oct 2020-2022 in MidCentral, but varying around the country) may have overloaded the resources in your DHB by increasing the number of specialist outpatient appointments and endoscopies, and consequently increasing lead times for less urgent cases. Generally speaking, the same specialists work for the DHB as well as in private practice. It's possible, depending on where the bottleneck is (specialist time, endoscope availability), but I think it's unlikely that going private will speed things up.

Try calling the National Bowel Screening Program. I believe they have an 0800 number. Ask them to send you a test kit. A positive result would likely push you up the priorities, and perhaps there's an allocation of resources for NBSP cases.

plas

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#2642279 26-Jan-2021 12:18

I would not be waiting 3 months if I was passing blood.

When I was in my early 30s the GP refused to refer me repeatedly for being too young but eventually he caved, Luckily it hadn't gotten to cancer but now I have a colonoscopy every 3 years. Specialist also was reluctant at first, but after they found large polyps he said it was a good thing I pushed for it.

The latest one was last year after lockdown and it was pretty much scheduled for the week after I got in contact.

andrew75

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#2642299 26-Jan-2021 12:57

Wait times for private appointments vary by specialty. Some specialties (e.g. neurology) there are relatively few specialists for the demand, others will have a much shorter wait. In Auckland you can gets a GI scope within a couple of weeks usually, depending on who you go with. Might be slightly longer at present due to the Christmas break. From what you describe, a FOB test will not at all useful. These are used for screening in asymptomatic people. You know there is blood, there is no need to test for 'occult blood'.

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#2642319 26-Jan-2021 13:39

CrashAndBurn:

Dr Google gave me the same impression (bowel cancer) when I searched for my symptoms hence I decided to ask the question about the wait times as a lot can happen in 3 months. I was expecting the same from my GP e.g. stool test but for some reason he only asked for blood test. As for colonoscopy, the GP mentioned it but was told I had to go see the specialist first.

There could be a thousand different reasons why you pass blood and have pain. Some very serious some not.

I'd call around the specialists' rooms myself (did GP say why surgeon not gastro?) and in the meantime any worries go to ED. And I mean any worries.

bendud

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#2642428 26-Jan-2021 16:08

That's not sounding like fun - I hope you get sorted soon. The lack of access to colonoscopy is an urgent national issue.

Screening tests are for screening well people with no symptoms: you can call the National Bowel Screening helpline but they will direct you back to your GP. Increased flow in to endoscopy services from the screening program did not come with any additional resource, just an expectation to cope with more workload. Unsurprisingly, there are significant backlogs as a result.

There is (as mentioned up the thread) a marked shortage of suitably trained specialists, for many reasons. Including somewhere between 2-4x base salary over the Tasman, for instance, before any private work... base salary in NZ is 161k pa before tax, for a newly appointed consultant working full time. Appreciate for many people that is plenty, but I suspect most would also think that figure seems lower than expected. However, there is the major bonus of not having to live in Australia 😏

Good luck

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CrashAndBurn

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#2642676 26-Jan-2021 22:12

mclean:

Sometimes the public system is quicker than engaging a specialist privately, and you end up in a better equipped facility. And sometimes the same specialist. So it's worth pursuing both.

Assuming the plan is to treat everyone, then logic of making everyone wait 3 months escapes me. The workload is the same, unless the delay achieves a reduced patient load through natural healing or death.

Will try and get listed for public as well.

CrashAndBurn

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#2642678 26-Jan-2021 22:13

plas:

I would not be waiting 3 months if I was passing blood.

When I was in my early 30s the GP refused to refer me repeatedly for being too young but eventually he caved, Luckily it hadn't gotten to cancer but now I have a colonoscopy every 3 years. Specialist also was reluctant at first, but after they found large polyps he said it was a good thing I pushed for it.

The latest one was last year after lockdown and it was pretty much scheduled for the week after I got in contact.

Same reaction I got from my current GP e.g. being under the normal age of people who would normally get cancer.

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