how long on nhs waiting list

hi all this is my first post

my doc has sugested that i have a lap band fitted. as I have really bad back problems. also im very over weight. I have lost weight dont no how many time b4 and put it all back on again because my back starts to play up when i lose wieght.

how long is the waiting list any ideas? he told me i would have it done at derby hospitial.

thanks

Hya there,

It all depends on your local authority's budget it can be any thing up to two years depending how much of a priority you are or at what stage your Dr has placed you on the priority list.
Thats why I decided to go private as my Dr said 18 months and that would have been far too long for me to wait.

Lainy

Hi & welcome i was NHS banded, the average waiting time can be around 6 months, but if the doc has reccomened it i would not suppose the wait will be too long, if you feel ready to be a bander then go 4 it, was the best thing ive ever done.
Good luck !
Liz xxxxxxxxxx

thanks 4 your replys
I don't think I have much choice as i cant even walk to then end of my road which is 1/4 mile . up until xmas i was walking at least 3 miles at a time with my 2 dogs at least 4 times a week. and i miss doing that.
until ive lost wieght they wont send me for a scan on my back. so im in the visous circle.
i have just bought a teadmill as i could manage to do that when i was using hospitial gym.
thanks Ann

Hello,

I was referred by my endocrinologist to the Obesity Research Centre at the Luton & Dunstable Hospital. I was interviewed (for 2 hours) by the nursing consultant, then saw the consultant 2 weeks later.

I was told at this appointment that I was an ideal candidate for surgery and offered band or bypass. I subsequently attended the hospital every 2 weeks and jumped through all the hoops put before me, only to be told that I could not have surgery as I didn't have diabetes, heart disease etc. Plus East Herts HA has a 3 year waiting list (if you're lucky) for funding.

In brief I was a number to be ticked off on a statistics list, the offer had been made but would never be fulfilled. As a result I have made my own arrangements to have the operation done privately in London by Mr John Rogers at The Princess Grace Hospital.

Really does depend where you live.

I know of someone who lives in Herefordshire. She went to her Doctors in April and had her surgery in June!

If there hasn't been much call for it in your PCT then the chances are, that if you know where the nearest surgeon can be found, you will get a quick referral and funding.
If you live in Wales... tough luck there's no money for Bariatric surgery at all!

My guess is that if you live in a rural PCT with little or no inner city then you are probably more likely to get a shorter waiting time.

I'm Not Sure What The Nhs Waiting List Is Now, But Where I Live You Can't Even Get A Drs Appointment You Have To Ring On The Morning At 8.30, By The Time You Get Through They've All Gone And You Can Only Book For The Following Week Which Most Of The Time They've Gone Too.
I Asked My Dr About Surgery And At 20+ Stone Was Desperate, He Told Me That I Would Have To See The Dietician For 6mnths And Follow A Calorie Controlled Diet If That Didnt Work Then I Would Be Put On Slimming Pills And Join A Gym For A Year And Then If That Didnt Work They Would Consider Surgery And There Was About A 3 Year Waiing List.
I Told The Dr I Don't Need To See A Dietician I Could Tell Them What To Eat, I Needed Help Controlling My Appetite, Anyway After 20 Years Of Being Obese I Rang Why Go Abroad, They Quoted Me £4950 For The Surgery +1 Fill, Rang My Bank Got A £5000 Loan, Had My Consultation, Booked The Surgery And Am Due My Surgery 15th Nov And It Has Took 9 Weeks Total From Deciding To Do It Myself, I Could Have Had It Done Sooner But Have Booked A Holiday The Week Before Surgery. So I Would Urge Anyone Who Can Afford It To Not Waste Time Waiting For The Nhs. Good Luck.

Sounds just like my story. I was told I would have to drink 6-8 pints of semi skimmed milk every day with the addition of a tiny amount of roughage and a vitamin pill to see if I lost weight!!!!

Also, the NHS and some companies who are offering Lap Band surgery insist that patients diet to reduce the size of their livers post-op. This is a fallacy and unneccesary. If the surgeon is properly trained and knows what he is doing, this diet is irrelevent.

There are some people with 75% bmi who are being refused tretment on the NHS. For every 5, 3 will die, one will go privately and the other will hope and pray for treatment,. NHS attitude is to treat the condition after the onset of diabetes, heart disease etc., rather than treat preventatively.

Anorexia is recognised as a disorder and is treated as such. Being overweight is regarded as greed and laziness when it is every bit as debilitating in EVERY way as anorexia.

In total I wasted 8 months of my time travelling to and from Luton, 8 months of NHS time and resources in seeing me and 8 months of my employer's time and resources in allowing me time to attend, only to be told after everything that I wasn't suitable for treatment as I didn't have diabetes or heart disease. They already knew that at the original interview, so why did they waste my time? Priceless.

Hear hear !

<br /> hi im on waiting list too at the derby hospital which curently stands at six months iv bee on list since september another five months to go

I was on the waiting list at Derby from March to November 2007. Was certainly worth the wait. Excellent service at Derby. I'm now 3 weeks post op and the weight is coming off. Mr Leeder is an excellent surgeon and the team there are great.

Where are your sources for these statements? I was treated by a leading surgeon on the NHS (Mr Leeder, Derby - just Google his name) who put me on the pre op diet and I can assure you he knows exactly what he's doing.

Hi Guys, I have just had the best x mas pressie ever, My funding has come through for my banding I have been referred to Mr Shaw Somers in Chichester. I too have severe back problems due to an accident and had surgery. This is a dream come true and I am going to get my life back. Has anyone else seen Mr Somers? I can't wait!!! yipeeeeeee

Hello Racing Snake,

Hope you dont mind me messaging you. I am new to this site and also live in Hertfordshire. My GP has refered me to the Luton and Dunstable and I am waiting to hear from them. I rang the hospital last week as I hadn't heard from them and they said that as I fulfilled the criteria they would be sending me an appointment soon.

As you can imagine this was such exciting news, but after reading your experience with the L and D and I now have doubts! How awful for you to attend the hospital regularly only to be told you couldn't have the surgery!

Unfortunately I cannot afford to go privately, so this is my last hope of losing the weight. I'm not sure if area has anything to do with whether or not surgery is granted. I see you are from East Herts (which town are you from?). My PCT is West Herts and I come from Harpenden so I don't know if this makes any difference.

I must congratulate you on your weight loss so far. You must be thrilled to have had the surgery at last. I'm just keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that I will be lucky enough to have the lap band fitted this year.

Would be good to chat to you about your experience.

Wishing you a very happy Christmas.

Deborah

When I see my consultant again in FEB, it will be 2 years, and i'm not even on the waiting list yet.