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Consultant appointment keeps getting postponed

holly.king03

Newbie
Messages
3
Location
Ashford, Kent
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I've not always been the best at keeping up with my doctors' appointments, but in 2014/15 I wanted to be put forward for a pump. I lived in Canterbury then as I was studying, and saw a consultant once and a diabetic specialist nurse at the hospital once. Then I moved to Ashford, Kent for my new job and I have been trying since November to get an appointment at the William Harvey to see a specialist - but it keeps getting pushed back and the latest appointment isn't until June!!
Considering all you get blasted with when you go to the GP/diabetic nurse is to get better control and look after your T1D, there's not much help for you to actually do that other than assuming as you've had it for 20 years you would know - so what do I do?
Can I just go to any hospital that's relatively close and ask for an appointment? I asked if there were any earlier ones and I've just been told I can constantly phone up and ask if there's any cancellations....
My diabetic nurse wasn't very helpful either, her first and only 'consultation' with me consisted of her telling me my Hba1c was too high and I was classed as overweight - so lose weight and look after my diabetes. She didn't listen to me when I explained I needed a little help this time because I had had a pretty rough few months...
What do I do?
 
Hi Holly
welcome to the forum

has your GP referred you to the William Harvey hospital ?

could you go back to your GP and ask for a referral to another hospital in your area.

I would definitely ring for a cancellation every day while you are having to wait -- it is a pain in the backside but maybe they will get sicck of you hounding and give you an appointment sooner just to stop you ringing
 

Hi

Yes they did - the GPs aren't really that helpful either haha but ironically my university specialist nurse was amazing (only her an my childhood diabetic nurse have ever been any use). I work in london and only use public transport so don't really have access to any other hospitals... was maybe thinking of going back down to my parents' where my care used to be a lot better and pretending I live there to get treatment... If my end goal is to get a pump, which it is, it makes more sense to go back to childhood hospital as in kent you can't actually get funded to be put on a pump so they ship you off to london to get it started and then fund the upkeep! What a load of hoops to jump through...
I will try my GP again though thanks
 
Hi. It sounds like you are very unlucky. I'm managed by my local surgery. We lost our superb DN but the new one is very good and still learning and does listen. I can get an appointment within a few weeks. I wonder whether there is another surgery you could move to with a better DN (but how do you tell beforehand?)
 
( you never heard me tell you this )
i think that could be a good idea to revert to childhood hospital as a starting point.

the fact you are here ( on the forum ) and asking for ideas to get yourself some help is fab !
i do hope you won't give up and will keep fighting -- you have my support
I am around most days
 
holly.king03 said:
What do I do?
Click to expand...

Can't guarantee it will work for you, but in the past I've found ringing the consultants secretary has helped to move appointments forward. Worth a try anyway.
 
I had that a few years ago - continually having my appointment moved further into the future. After they'd done it for the third time, I phoned them and complained. I told them I needed to see the consultant and I refused to have my appointment moved again, and I'd be making an official complaint if they did so. That worked well!

Keep pushing and good luck!
 
I found the secretary details of my consultant through Doctoralia. It might not help, but it is another weapon in our armoury. It is developing all the time with more and more professionals being listed.
Here in Manchester, the Pennine Trust Hospitals are (touch wood) very good, as is my GP.
Good luck, be strong and remember who you are - Number One, the most important person in your world.
 
As the ex Secretary to a Consultant I can confirm that calling the secretary and being a pleasant pain in the backside will work wonders.

One thing I learnt from working in the NHS....sadly the people who stay quiet and accept the process do often lose out....so make some noise.

If you call the switchboard at the Hospital and ask for Mr X's Pathway Co-ordinator (this is the new posh term for Med Secs now!!) they will put you through, you may find that she has access to some appointments which he uses for emergency appointments that the booking department does not have access to (I did).

Best of luck and keep pushing x
 
I'm all up for bugging people!!! What I mean is the more you ask the more your likely get. For example I rang my consultants secretary every Friday for 8 weeks to keep an eye on him writing me a letter ( as it was a complex process) my consultant himself brought my appointment forward and was all prepared when I got there and new my case inside out. At this point I only meet him once lol but I'm cheeky like that! You can though ask your go to be referred to a hospital out of the area. I go 40 miles out of my area for treatment and I just asked the g p and they did it. I wanted to be under the care of a very well known consultant as he's excellent ironically I ended up with his colleague but he has proven to be great so good luck
 
Ask yourself, what are you expecting from a consultant that is not available from a specialist nurse. I feel you will benefit from knowledge you will get from a good course. Stick with the website and blog and choose instruction. You will get loads of support here.
 

The OP has mentioned a pump. It's more than likely she would have to see a consultant for this.
 
yes the DN is unlikly to put you forward for a pump, I have already been there. My GP referred me for a pump which The consultant said I do not meet the criteria. Typ 1, 50 yrs , several hypos a week, severe frozen shoulders , bad injection sites. lots of Laser treatments in eyes. Eye still has 3 heomorages. which cannot be operated on. Keep a full DAFNE logbook and have done the course..
Think you have to be dead to get one. I still work and operate dangerous machinery.. Hate my consultant, He wont even see me. probably too busy counting his money
I live in the midlands area. Strange how young adults get one. All i got was changes of insulin not very successfull
 
I was supposed to get an insulin pump, but because I do retail security l didn't want to risk it breaking
 
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