For some time my husband has been developing cataracts and at his most recent eye exam was told that he was on the cusp of it being time for surgery. While having a GP check up this morning he mentioned it and his GP tested his sight and told him that the impairment to his vision would now make it illegal for him to drive. As his work takes him a couple of hundred miles from home and other forms of transport aren't an option this presented a quandary regarding his two contracts for November. We decided he would cancel them.
Then it was a case of doing some research about the surgery - the 'best' NHS hospitals for cataracts, their waiting times, their surgeons etc. The very quickest NHS provision would mean 22 weeks without working and that with a Trust which has a less than excellent record on MRSA infection. No NHS Trusts appears to list information on their surgeons, not even their names. Where's that famous 'choice' there?
He cannot stop working for 22 weeks, so we have no choice but to self-fund. The most experienced and best qualified opthalmic surgeon we found gave him a consultation appointment for this Friday (NHS initial consultation target is 6 months) and can do the surgery within the next 2 weeks. (NHS target 13 weeks after consultation)
The total cost to have both cataracts done including lost income will be in the region of £9000. We're lucky that we can afford it - altho given that he has to drive to his work then we have to afford it - and after all what good are savings for if not health. But it really shouldn't be like this should it?
4 comments:
hm
my f-in-law has had his cataractsdone.
On the wards we found two folk, one woh had a note never to be seen by Surgeon X, the other was blind also operated on by Surgeon X the former refused to see him that latter had been treated privately by the surgeon and paid the fee, been seen operated on and quickly - total balls up and sight lost - we only disocvered all this after my f-in-law was getting his second operation as the first was a cock up by Surgeon X on the NHS.
That's a dreadful tale Stuart and not one that I'll be telling my husband. This sort of thing is why, imo, the qualifications, experience, and outcomes of individual NHS surgeons should be a matter of public record.
Jane it shouldn't be like that but it's getting more and more that it is :o( I wish i had had the money to have had my daughter seen a lot quicker with the various neurological stuff she's had over the last 2 years...Luckily it's not been as important as what your hubby needs but it is still annoying that a year down the line she is finally going in for 3 days to get tests done her neuro refered her for a year ago...And he thought she'd have them done last january!!!!!...Good luck and hope he gets them operated on soon and is back at work and doing fine
:) My Mom goes in for what was supposed to be catarachs but turns out to be more serious next week, and your right it's taken all of those 13 weeks from initial appointment and prior to that waiting a year for them to 'ripen'. It shouldn't be like that. I get really grrrr when money is the object put before health as far as the NHS is concerned.
Hoping all goes well for him, I know he'll get the tlc afterwards :) Rache
Post a Comment