Changing hospitals - is this a possibility?

Megrose2
Megrose2 Member Posts: 331
edited 6. Jun 2016, 09:10 in Living with Arthritis archive
I'm due to have a trapeziectomy in the near future and am also still under another orthopaedic surgeon for a problem with my Achilles tendon. I'm also seeing the physiotherapist for the same thing. This is all at the one hospital.

However, the other hospital in our area is the 'default' one, if you don't ask the GP to be referred elsewhere and I am under the urologist at this one for kidney problems. At the moment I'm being monitored for kidney stones and angiomyolipomas on both kidneys.

I would really like to have everything at the same hospital - rather than trailing in opposite directions - and am wondering if my GP would be able to transfer my urological care to the hospital I prefer, particularly as I'm not actively being treated at the moment, but just being monitored.

Has anybody else done this? Is the GP likely to be OK about it? I've got an appointment to see him on Monday and would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

Meg

Comments

  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Meg
    Is it the same health area?
    We have 3 {poss 4} in the same area and I was given my MRI at one.....the closest to home but then discovered their MRI is a mobile and thought how on earth am I going to climb up into one of those. I rang the dept and asked if I could have it at one of the other hospitals and got it a few days earlier and its not a mobile so no problem climbing up the steps.
    But they are all the same authority
    There are some hospitals that only deal with certain things.
    Why not ring one of the hospitals and ask if you can haver certain appointments changed? If no joy there try your GP
    Sorry that's not a lot of help really
    Love
    Hileena
  • bubbles
    bubbles Member Posts: 6,508
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Meg

    This would be worth a read, as long as the hospital has that speciality in its remit, I am sure you can choose any in the country.

    http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/NHShospitals/Pages/HospitalsSummary.aspx

    XXX Aidan
    XX Aidan (still known as Bubbles).
  • Megrose2
    Megrose2 Member Posts: 331
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you both Hileena and Aidan.

    No, the hospitals are in different Trusts, Hileena. However, we live on the border of the county and our choices include the hospital I'm presently attending, in the different Trust. I do know that this hospital have a good urology department.

    Thank you for the link, Aidan, very useful.

    The 'default' hospital is in special measures, and, while I've got on quite well with the urologist, I've recently had a problem regarding a CT scan report which didn't include the areas they were supposed to be looking at! It's one of those things that doesn't inspire confidence. My GP has been able to query this with the hospital and I'll be seeing him on Monday, so I'll see what he says about moving. Thank you again for your help.

    Meg
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I really don't know how this works, Meg.

    My rheumatology and orthopaedic consultants are both at one hospital but I've had endoscopies in three different ones, all in the same PCT area though.

    I think it's a good plan to ask your GP?
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • theresak
    theresak Member Posts: 1,998
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    My GP was happy to refer me to another hospital in a different area, as neither he nor I were happy with my treatment at our local hospital for my RA . It means travelling further, but it's worth it for the excellence of the rheumy department.

    If I needed treatment for something else my GP would refer me there so that my rheumy would be on hand if there was a need for her to liaise with another surgical team.
  • Megrose2
    Megrose2 Member Posts: 331
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you Sticky and Theresak.

    Over the years, I've had more procedures at the other hospital, two operations and various other investigations re IBS and Fibromyalgia and now the trapeziectomy and physiotherapy, so, to my mind, it makes more sense for everything to be in the one place. When I was initially referred for the kidney stones, I didn't get chance to choose where I wanted to go, hence finishing up at the 'default' hospital.

    I'll let you know how I get on.

    Meg
  • Megrose2
    Megrose2 Member Posts: 331
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I saw my lovely GP this morning and he's going to write to my present urologist and ask him to write to, what will be, the new urologist to say that I would like to change hospitals. I asked him to be sure to tell my present urologist that I was quite happy with his care and that it was more for convenience that I wanted to change.

    However, my GP wasn't sure if they will send through my scans etc. to the new urologist. I assumed that this would happen, but he wasn't sure that it would. I think the difficulty is that it is a different Trust, but why that would make a difference I just don't know. Does that mean that I'll have to start again? I do have all my copy letters from the hospital to the GP, so I've got all the relevant information to hand.

    So pleased that I've got the ball rolling, anyway. Thanks for the input everyone.

    Meg