Hospitals

stickywicket

Hello there,

I'm sure others have asked this before but, if so, I've forgotten the answer :oops:

We are currently considering moving to the Scottish Borders to be near our son. (Being near the other one in Los Angeles has its appeal until one factors in the medical costs :shock: ) In 53 years of RA I've been really lucky with GPs, rheumatologists and orthopaedic surgeons (not to mention orthotists and podiatrists) so I'd like to keep it that way if I can. I know my local hospital up there would be Borders General but is there any way of finding out how good a specific hospital is in a specific department?

dibdab

Hi SW,

There are a number of websites that patients can comment on to share their own experiences, it might be worth checking them out. A quick google search gave me these:
https://www.patientopinion.org.uk/services/b120h
http://gooddoctor.com
http://www.patientchoice.org.uk/choices.html

They may have something.......... alternatively I wonder whether there is any mileage in looking for consultant names on their hospital site and just putting them in to google?

It's a quandary isn't it when you feel secure with your existing care provider...we pondered down sizing when I retired, but I didn't want to move away from our local hospital or our excellent GP practise so we stayed put.

Good luck with the search and the decision.

Deb xx

stickywicket

Thanks for that Deb.

The first link provides no information possibly because I think I've now discovered they don't have a rheumatology department :roll:

The second will be useful as / when / if I need to find a GP.

The third one – none of the links seem to work – they've been 'archived' or some such.

I've tried the Dr Foster site but, despite promising-sounding links, can't find anything on specific hospitals.

Maybe it'll be Dr P. Otluck

helpline_team

Hi stickywicket

Many thanks for your post, it seems like the other responses you’ve received have covered more or less what I would have thought of, aside from possibly NHS Choices: http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx might be worth a go.

Here is another link for patient choice, hopefully this link will work: http://www.patientchoice.org.uk/

I hope this is helpful,

Best wishes
Lynda

stickywicket

Thanks, Lynda. I appreciate your efforts but seem to have hit a black hole. The first link doesn't cover Scotland and the relevant bit of the 2nd URL just took me back to the first link.

I've found a site NHS24 which I think is really for info about illnesses but I've emailed them anyway. I should hear in 5 days. (They stress it's not for urgent problems )

theresak

When I changed hospitals my GP found out a lot of info for me, though a fellow RA sufferer recommended the rheumy consultant. I believe Borders & General has a good reputation, but I don't know about specific departments.

I suspect Newcastle may be too far for you to travel, though there are rheumy patients who travel as the Freeman is so highly regarded. I'll try and find some info if I can.

stickywicket

Yes, all my GPs have been very good to me over the years so I shall certainly ask if we do move up there.

We've only given Borders General one tryout - the Christmas Day (I kid you not) before last when Mr SW's leg swelled alarmingly and they suspected a blood clot - which turned out to be a Bakers' Cyst). They were good - but that was A & E, not rheumatology or orthopaedics.

Thanks very much for trying. I think we'd be nearer Edinburgh (which ought to be OK) than Newcastle but I'll take what I can get.

Meanwhile, I'll update if I get a reply from NHS24.

stickywicket

Well, I've had a reply but I'm no further.

They gave me a link to Borders General site but I'd been there before and it doesn't say which outpatients clinics they have.

They also gave me several different web addresses for finding a GP. I think I can do that as my son's already up there :roll: but he doesn't require rheumatologists or orthopaedics. Ho hum. Onwards and sideways, as DD says