How to jump NHS waiting list by 3 months
If you follow all the advice below, you can jump NHS waiting list by 3 months – sometimes 6 months. Yes, this is possible. There is alot you can dot to help yourself or your family. ALOT. We will divide it up by the 3 stages of the referral process.
5 Top Tips before being referred to hospital
1. See your GP early
The earlier you see your GP with a problem, the sooner you will get the treatment you need. If things do not improve, you need to go back and ask the doctor(s) to start again.
2. Be politely persistent at your GPs
And ..
- See the best GP that knows you first (see the right person first time) – and get follow-up with them
- Be proactive with communication with your GP. This can make a big difference
- Write everything down – everything: =names, dates, phone numbers .. the lot.
3. Ask for investigation
When you have seen your GP, and there is no clear diagnosis, and your symptoms persist, have a low threshold for asking for a battery of blood tests (everything they can think of).
4. Chase your own results, using NHS App and Patient Knows Best website
Help your GP by chasing your own blood tests and scans, and see the letters your GP (and hospital consultants) write about you. In this way, you can (and should) be the glue in the system.
You can do this with the NHS App and the very good Patient Knows Best (PKB) website.
5. Use the NHS’s My Planned Care website – i.e do some research before you see the GP, to help them
E.g. you can say “if my hip pain is due to arthritis and I might need a hip replacement after the x-ray you are about to order (which I will chase), you might like to consider referring me to this orthopaedic team at this hospital” etc. Help them
Waiting times can vary considerably between hospitals. And, accept that it might be sensible to choose to have your operation at a hospital that is not close to home where the waiting lists are shorter.
5 Top Tips after being referred to hospital
1. Look out for your referral letter
This will give you the details of your first hospital appointment, and is very important. Don’t lose it.
If it does not arrive within two weeks, contact the hospital, not your GP. You can do this by ringing either the e-booking service, or a secretary in the department you are being referred to, or both. He/she will help you.
Don’t assume that if the letter does not arrive, that all is OK. Big mistake. The referral request may:
- Not have been sent
- Not have arrived
- Been sent to the wrong department (yes, it happens)
- Not been acted on.
Assume nothing.
2. Names
Find the names of the:
- Consultant you have been referred to
- Department they work in
- Consultant’s secretary. Get to know them. Be nice. They are very important. Check the date that you are to be seen.
Write all this down.
3. Ask the consultant’s secretary
- Ask if there is another consultant in the department if they can see you earlier
- Ask to be informed if there are any cancellations. Be ready to have the referral at short notice
- Say you don’t mind travelling. For example some consultants do clinics in small hospitals away from the base hospital. Say you don’t mind being seen there.
4. Get ready
Ok, so you are waiting to see someone. You may wait 3 months. But, whilst waiting ask yourself ‘what am I doing to help myself?”
5. Keep yourself fit
Do what you can to improve things on your own, whilst you are waiting – e.g. get diabetes or blood pressure better controlled, lose some weight. Update your medical record and medication list. Keep it on you in case you are called up at short
5 Top Tips after being put on waiting list for an operation (or procedure)
1. Consider alternative hospitals
Your local hospital might not be your quickest option. If the waiting time for the operation or procedure is unacceptable (say over 6 months), ask for (re)referral to a different NHS hospital with shorter waiting times. Less crowded facilities, particularly in rural areas, can often schedule surgery faster than urban hospitals.
2. Explore your Occupational Health (OH) options
Most large employers have OH departments staffed by doctors, nurses and physios etc. Make an appointment. They often have big ‘networks’ and with a phone call (or email) can push you up waiting lists.
3. Right to choose (includes NHS-Funded private hospitals)
The ‘Right to Choose’ is guaranteed by the NHS Constitution, which “gives most people living in England the right to choose where to receive treatment”.
You can even choose to be referred to many private hospitals. So ask your GP if you can be referred to an NHS-approved private hospital.
4. Explore private medical options
If time is critical and your budget allows, private treatment can drastically reduce your waiting time. If you do not have private medical insurance in the UK (most people don’t) maybe you should consider using some of your hard-earnt money to pay for one off operations.
You may be happy to spend £30 on a round of drinks or a takeaway, twice a week. That = £3120 year. So why not spend that on your health? Or sell something. Or ask a loved one or friend for gift.
This approach may allow you to access surgery (or a procedure) in weeks rather than months.
5. Be politely persistent [“yes, we have GOT THAT NOW .. thankyou” MyHSN Ed]
As we said, proactive communication can make a big difference. This is so important we are saying it twice (three times, see below).
Note. Re a waiting list for an operation etc, you also need to check intermittently that you are still on it. There can be admin errors and patients fall off the list. Keep asking how long you can then expect to wait for the operation.
Summary
There is alot you can do to jump NHS waiting list by 3 months (even 6 months), if you follow all the advice above. We at MyHSN are very sorry you may need to do this, as the NHS waiting lists are so long. But it’s really worth doing. Here is the ‘MyHSN mantra’.
Chase, chase, chase. Don’t assume no news is good news.
Be politely persistent and proactive”
