Here is the real life reality in United Kingdom for wait times for their socialized medicine....
Comments
The 36 comments about ‘Guide to waiting times’ posted are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.
rmca said on 13 December 2013
Hi, I wonder if someone could help. I was referred to my consultant 45 weeks ago, i have seen him 3 times and been sent for further tests in this time. I went last week and he said that i now need a hysterectomy and its a 9 mth wait. I really cant wait that long so i rang today to be told that I have been waiting 45 weeks already, it seems that the 'clock' has been running since my referral. Does it mean that i will wait the 9 mths, or does the 45 weeks count towards my wait time? His secretary wasn't in so i had to speak to someone else, perhaps she will reset me to the beginning when she gets back from holidays :-(
jahou72 said on 29 November 2013
18 Weeks, what a joke. I have been forced to pay for 2 of my surgeries due to 8 month waits. I now have spinal osteoarthritis due to being born with spinal defects. had to pay again to see a surgeon in August and as expected he advised I needed major spinal surgery, that this was the only way to reduce my severe pain and he was happy to put me on his nhs list in London. Dorset ccg have had this report for 4 months but refused to act on it and sent me to a hospital with a 6 months consultation wait and year wait for surgery. I work and am going to lose my job. I am beyond angry with the Govt and NHS. You demand the disabled work, but refuse to give us access to timely treatment to alleviate our pain. It's inhumane.
multigrip said on 24 November 2013
What a laugh about 18 weeks i started my treatment over six years ago had to finish work over illness and i am no further on now than i was when i first went to the hospital to see a consultant.Have been cancelled three times for operation they say someone else needs it more than me they have just cancelled my next on December 3rd and given me January 7th now what a laugh have complained to no avail its one big joke. .
User804972 said on 19 November 2013
@ soreback75
No, you do not have to wait a further 18 weeks as you have not received any treatment. You need to find out when the hospital received the referral from your GP, that is when your 18 week clock starts.
soreback75 said on 01 November 2013
Hi i am wondering if anyone can help, have been through a lot of websites and still a little confused about waiting times. I have a slipped disc, have had an MRI scan and my GP has referred me to see a consultant, this was in May it is now 25 weeks later and I have just received an appointment to see the consultant in the next few weeks. Does anyone know if i still have a further 18 weeks to wait if i have to get an operation?
jahou72 said on 04 October 2013
What a joke you always wait more than 18 weeks and you have no chance of getting treatment brought forward.I need to have major spinal surgery, I was born with congenital scoliosis and I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my lumbar spine and spinal stenosis in March. Physiotherapist said major surgery was my only chance of relieving the terrible pain I am in. I PAID to see a top spinal surgeon as I knew this surgery could not be done in Dorset. He confirmed that I needed this surgery and said I needed to go to a specialist centre. I have had to fight my cgc to get referred to a specialist centre. I now have to wait 5 months just for the appointment and over 12 months for surgery after that. I give up. The government demands that disabled people work. I do work but am going to lose my job as I am in agony and struggling to work. So the government expects me to work in agony without giving me treatment for 18 months inhumane. Takes over 6months to go through complaints procedure so no point. I am now trying to take out a massive loan to pay for surgery abroad. This will be the Third time I have had to pay for surgery in order to keep my job and home, I am beyond despair and disgusted.
cjadec said on 30 September 2013
so far, not too impressed. had gastroscopy in May, ampullary adenoma found and discussed at outpatients appointment 13 August, where I was advised I needed to be referred for second opinion to specialist in London. Had heard nothing by early September so chased...chased again mid September and still nothing. Chased again today to find out the specialists secretary who is meant to be contacting me is on leave!
The only saving grace is a lovely lady from the PALS team that has been also chasing and keeping me sane in the thought that at least someone is listening to me and cares!
I know the specialists have other patients but im in limbo atm

I don't even know where my RTT starts because of the complexities of my case - referred for one problem and another found; if from the moment the second referral was made then it may not even have started yet - if from the first referral then 18wks is well and truly up....and in all this, the adenoma could be growing past point of resection thus requiring major op
User804972 said on 19 September 2013
@ Milan Ruparelia
No, your clock is stopped when you are actually admitted to the hospital, ie when you come in for the operation. Your clock will run until this point. Hope this helps.
Larking said on 18 September 2013
I was referred for orthapedic surgery on 1/05/2013, following a consultation with a Specialist at Congleton Hospital.
I was informed that the waiting time for treatment was 18 weeks, as was duly advertised on notices in the clinic, which took it to 13/09/2013.
Within days I received an appointment for a Pre-Op Assessment at MDGH, which I had in early June, and was asked by the Nurse if I had been given a date for the operation.
This week having heard nothing from the Hospital, I telephoned the patient booking line, to ask if a date had been scheduled for me, (as I have to stop some of my medication 2/3 weeks prior to Surgery, which MDGH are aware of).
I was advised my scheduled date was 09/11/2013, because the Conultants' Annual Leave has to be added on! This takes it to 25 weeks! and when I pointed it out to the lady I was talking to, she went quiet for a few seconds, and then advised me they would be in touch before then!!
I await with hopeful anticipation that I will receive an earlier date soon!
Milan Ruparelia said on 03 September 2013
I am slightly confused on how my waiting time is calculated - as per the above "The clock will stop (your waiting time ends) if no treatment is necessary or when your treatment begins. This could include: being admitted to hospital for an operation or treatment"
I have been referred to an operation by the Hospital, does that mean that my clock has been paused?
Under Appreciated said on 15 August 2013
As a member of admin staff for the NHs in one of the hospitals, I can say that although there times when the waiting times are longer than 18 weeks, we do do stive to keep them within this time. Many poeple do not realise how over worked admin staff are, nhs admin have more work to complete than any other admin staff in other companies. We are under emses pressure to ensure that the 18 week rule is adhered. There are over 62 million people in the uk wo are entitled to nhs treatment, Around 660 are waitng for diagnostic tests at any one time. 98% are seen and on treatment within the 18 week wait. So on behalf of the all the nhs staff I apologise that we are unable to get it right 100% of the time.
Andrew999 said on 16 July 2013
I've needed multiple heart ablation operations to try and fix my heart speed and rhythm problems.
The first 2 operations had a 9 month plus waiting time. I'm still having problems and need another operation. I've now been waiting 8 months and am no nearer the top of the waiting list. When I complained, the NHS staff said this was normal.
They say a maximum of 18 weeks, I think they meant 18 months.
ArthroScopyQueensHospitalRomford said on 25 April 2013
The NHS waiting time listed is wrong.
Average time from referral by GP to treatment for this department says 14 weeks for Queen's Hospital Romford.
But I have been waiting for 20 weeks now.
When called up they say it takes 26 weeks wait time
Wrong data on website here:
Search Results - NHS Choices
Taxed to death said on 06 December 2012
I picked Lister's hospital in Stevenage using this site because it said that the waiting times to see a cardiologist was only 16 days so my doctor put in for a "priority case" because my condition was detraining quite fast so I was gob smacked to receive an appointment time back from Lister's for an appointment in 9 weeks time.
As my condition became worse (no surprise) I ended up at Lister's A&E department who kept sending me home and failed to spot water on the lung but eventually a consultant at Lister's realised the seriousness and pulled out all stops and thing are now moving much faster.
I would like to find out why the initial waiting times shown here bear not relationship to the time for my appointment and I would also like to say that after me paying 11% NI and my boss paying 12% NI all these years I seem to be on the broken side of a contract when you cannot even complain if you have to wait up to 18 weeks to see a consultant for an heart condition that could had killed me if I did not kick up.
Pay your taxes or VAT 18 weeks late and see what HMSG has to say about it
mommy1981 said on 21 October 2012
This article made me laugh. If I hadn't laughed I would have cried. I'm waiting for surgery to repair a fast growing aortic aneurysm due to having Marfan Syndrome. The 18 week waiting time is a joke. I waited 8 weeks to see surgeon which wasn't to bad. Was told that the wait would be 3+ months. I've now been waiting 32 weeks since seeing the surgeon. So that's 40 weeks since I was told I needed surgery and still no sign of operation soon.
Hayley2406 said on 10 October 2012
I need a bit of advice...I'm waiting for a gallbladder removal as I'm getting pancreatitis. I have a discharge letter from my consultant referring to an urgent removal and wondered how long is reasonable to wait as its been 5 weeks since I was discharged following my last attack!
Hayley2406 said on 10 October 2012
I wondered if anyone can help me. I've gone through the government guidelines on waiting times but I'm still confused. I was admitted to hospital with acute pancreatitis 8 sept, caused by gallstones. Consultant recommended !urgent Surgery!. What constitutes !urgent surgery! I've just been given an operation date of Nov 15. I'm off work as I'm having bilious attacks on a regular basis and I'm getting worried about my job now. Was led to believe I would be operated on within two weeks when I was in hospital in Sept!
Would appreciate anyone's thoughts I'm so depressed now I just want this over!
misswelsh1 said on 10 October 2012
in july 2007 i went to my doctor with brething problems, got sent to hosp, had the shock of my life to discover i had pheunomia and 3 leakey heart valves !!!! i was 27... 3yrs i waited for a operation to replace 2 valves and patch another 1 .... but all done n dusted now thank god
SURVIVOR99 said on 15 September 2012
Got Hypercalcaemia, now that scans etc have been done it just needs a 20 minute op to whip out a growth on a gland.
Diagnosed November 2011 and still not on waiting list for operation. Told it will then be a 9 month wait when I finally get on the list, this makes nearly 2 years of misery and pain for me (and the people around me!)
Have worked in NHS and know not to blame the staff.
Guide to NHS waiting times - Patient choice - NHS Choices