Specialist appointment delays?

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CrashAndBurn

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#281015 25-Jan-2021 16:18

I have been referred to a specialist this week and just got a call that the next available slot is 3 months from now. Is this the norm even with private insurance? If it is, I wonder how long the wait is for those without private insurance? If not, can I try calling a few other specialists to see if they have an earlier slot as it is possible that the one my GP recommended is the one with issues?

Or should I exaggerate the pain to get priority? Or better yet just go to ER?

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#2641738 25-Jan-2021 16:20

Suggests they must be good, but seems too long for first appointment...

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Sounddude

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2degrees

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#2641739 25-Jan-2021 16:22

Nothing wrong with calling around, but you would need your GP to re-refer you and your insurance company to support that specialist. Southern Cross will only allow some specialists.

Starlith

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#2641740 25-Jan-2021 16:22

yes it is norm these days unless you find a specialist anywhere else around the country that is available.

going through public can take longer but it depends on the priority. Remember that the same specialists also work in public part time.

CrashAndBurn

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#2641742 25-Jan-2021 16:24

mentalinc:

Suggests they must be good, but seems too long for first appointment...

Specialist being good is reassuring however a 3-month wait to get a first appointment could mean my condition would have already worsened or worst.

timmmay

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#2641749 25-Jan-2021 16:36

There's a shortage of specialists, how long it takes to get an appointment depends on where you are. Public is probably going to take a lot longer than private, a lot of referrals in public holidays are flat out declined. I wouldn't exaggerate as then you could be pushing in front of someone who genuinely has more serious pain. You could try another specialist if you wanted to.

ER is if you have an urgent immediate need. If that's the case, yes, go. It won't get you to a specialist more quickly unless you need immediate intervention.

snnet

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#2641750 25-Jan-2021 16:38

Our lockdown(s) caused quite a backlog in addition to the already full slots for specialists -- even getting a dentist appointment (for me) has only just become realistic again (I had a clean shifted twice, so only got the appointment about 4 months after I tried to make it)

BlinkyBill

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#2641755 25-Jan-2021 16:42

As Tim says, there’s a shortage of specialists. As a generalisation, these people only take appointments 1 day a week, they operate 1 day a week, they are in the public system one day a week and operate public one day a week, and then do 1 day accounts/golf.

They need to retain capacity for acute cases as well as non-acute cases.

CrashAndBurn

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#2641757 25-Jan-2021 16:44

timmmay:

There's a shortage of specialists, how long it takes to get an appointment depends on where you are. Public is probably going to take a lot longer than private, a lot of referrals in public holidays are flat out declined. I wouldn't exaggerate as then you could be pushing in front of someone who genuinely has more serious pain. You could try another specialist if you wanted to.

ER is if you have an urgent immediate need. If that's the case, yes, go. It won't get you to a specialist more quickly unless you need immediate intervention.

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.

timmmay

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#2641765 25-Jan-2021 16:57

If your doctor thought it was urgent he'd have you at the hospital and seen immediately. Sometimes doctors are wrong, but I suspect they're right more than they're wrong.

gehenna

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#2641813 25-Jan-2021 17:12

That's about standard for some specialists, but you'll have options depending on the area of expertise. Some GP's refer to colleagues or specialists they know through the sector. That doesn't mean there won't be a dozen others you can ask to see instead. Depending on the issue you have it might be generic enough to see the first person that's available. But if you're a complex case it can be worth waiting for the accepted best specialist to become available if you have the luxury of time.

Batman

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#2641815 25-Jan-2021 17:13

You'll need to call around. You have been referred to a very popular one obviously. There may or may not be another who can see you earlier. There usually is.

Batman

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#2641816 25-Jan-2021 17:15

CrashAndBurn:
timmmay:

There's a shortage of specialists, how long it takes to get an appointment depends on where you are. Public is probably going to take a lot longer than private, a lot of referrals in public holidays are flat out declined. I wouldn't exaggerate as then you could be pushing in front of someone who genuinely has more serious pain. You could try another specialist if you wanted to.

ER is if you have an urgent immediate need. If that's the case, yes, go. It won't get you to a specialist more quickly unless you need immediate intervention.

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.

If you have serious pain or serious doubt or serious worry go to ED. It may or may not be something that can/can't wait

CrashAndBurn

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#2641824 25-Jan-2021 17:41

Batman: You'll need to call around. You have been referred to a very popular one obviously. There may or may not be another who can see you earlier. There usually is.

Yes, I will make some calls tomorrow. 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.

dt

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#2641827 25-Jan-2021 17:50

I'm in the same boat as you, my specialist refferal is a 3 months wait too, when I told my GP that she said I can use the refferal with anyone if I ring aroud but suggested I wait for this particular specialist as she was the best in that field.

Batman

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#2641829 25-Jan-2021 18:01

CrashAndBurn:
Batman: You'll need to call around. You have been referred to a very popular one obviously. There may or may not be another who can see you earlier. There usually is.

Yes, I will make some calls tomorrow. 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.

No. They are all specialists.

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