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consultant waiting lists?

  • 06-08-2008 7:34pm
    #1
    beaushalloe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 419 ✭✭


    apologies if in wrong forum i dont really know where to put this but here goes. would anyone know how to find out what consultant deals with what in a hospital, and how to find out how long the waiting time is to see them?


Comments

  • #2
    taram
    Registered Users Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭taram


    I know GPs get a consultant's book, not sure how the general public would find out, google didn't help me :)

    It depends on if you're going publically or privately, how urgently you need to be seen, and above all, how long the waiting lists are. if you're reffered by your GP to a "common" consultant, say an endocrinologist, they should be able to give you a rough estimate of waiting time.


  • #3
    Madame Razz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,252 ✭✭✭✭Madame Razz


    what kind of area of medicine are you talking about/is the problem with??


  • #4
    beaushalloe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 419 ✭✭beaushalloe


    im really sorry but id rather not say:o, its not emergency and i can be refferred by my doc, but i was just wondering if there was a way of finding out roughly how long id be waiting. i would prob go private if list was long.


  • #5
    padi89
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,478 ✭✭✭padi89


    You could be waiting a week,two weeks, a month,3 months possibly longer and that's all from personal experience.The only way to find out is go get your doctor to refer you, nobody here can tell you.Just so you know private is not always the quickest.


  • #6
    Madame Razz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,252 ✭✭✭✭Madame Razz


    well its very dependant on the area of medicine i'm afraid, some consultants are in higher demand than others, and as a previous poster pointed out you could be waiting just as long for a private appointment as a public one.

    But usually you are talking 2-3 weeks. Once you have a referral letter from your gp you can always ring the condultants secretary, whe can tell you what the wait time is public vs private. Even if you are a public oatient you can go see a consultant privately and usually, if urgent, they will do their best to get you in on the public list asap!!


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  • #7
    ircoha
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,290 ✭✭✭ircoha


    padi89 wrote: »
    You could be waiting a week,two weeks, a month,3 months possibly longer and that's all from personal experience.The only way to find out is go get your doctor to refer you, nobody here can tell you.Just so you know private is not always the quickest.
    +1
    get a few names from ur GP, he may only deal with one or 2 in each field.

    You can always ring up the consultants PA and ask and then get the letter to match,
    [else get the letter not addressed to anyone in particular.]

    I did this foning bit last week looking for a wrist fractures specialist: next slot is November 20th

    08 mind you:)


  • #8
    beaushalloe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 419 ✭✭beaushalloe


    ircoha wrote: »
    +1
    get a few names from ur GP, he may only deal with one or 2 in each field.


    :)

    its a gyne issue. my gp is only mentioning one consultants name. does this mean that there would only be him or she only deals with him? if there were other consultants how would i find out who they were? ive checked the hospital website and the hse and i cant find much. can i insist on being refered to someone in particcular? or sooner than doc would like to refer??


  • #9
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    Yes, if you know of a certain consultant you can ask your GP to write a letter of referal for that consultant. I have done it myself before.


  • #10
    raclle
    Registered Users Posts: 2,348 ✭✭✭raclle


    Currently on a 6 month waiting list which I had to ring to find out as was waiting a month prior to that and heard nothing.

    I have to wait this amount of time for someone to confirm what I and my GP already know and then wait god only knows how long to get the surgery done.

    Why is there such a shortage of consultants or is it there's just a lot more patients?


  • #11
    Vorsprung
    Registered Users Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭Vorsprung


    Shortage of consultants because not enough are hired, and very many of the posts that are in place cannot be filled. Many reasons for this, pay and conditions can account for some of the issues, lack of admin support, theatre/procedure time (if applicable), lack of medical support can account some of the other reasons.

    Have a look at twitter posts with #carecantwait


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  • #12
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,656 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Vorsprung wrote: »
    Shortage of consultants because not enough are hired, and very many of the posts that are in place cannot be filled. Many reasons for this, pay and conditions can account for some of the issues, lack of admin support, theatre/procedure time (if applicable), lack of medical support can account some of the other reasons.

    why is it true in private practise though?

    I was referred by the GP to a private orthopod. When I'd heard nothing after four months, I got the GP's sec. to follow up if the referral had been sent. It had, so she contacted the consultant's secretary to see if was received. It was - but this guy has a 12 month waiting list for his private practise! :eek:


  • #13
    RoamingDoc
    Registered Users Posts: 173 ✭✭RoamingDoc


    As the public system cannot cope, those who can will move out to the private system.

    Which will eventually fill to capacity.

    Additionally, most private consultants are also employed as public ones. If you can't hire public ones, there are just less of them around to do some private work too.

    It's been a long time coming, but chronic mismanagement has led to health system to this point.


  • #14
    Vorsprung
    Registered Users Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭Vorsprung


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    why is it true in private practise though?

    I was referred by the GP to a private orthopod. When I'd heard nothing after four months, I got the GP's sec. to follow up if the referral had been sent. It had, so she contacted the consultant's secretary to see if was received. It was - but this guy has a 12 month waiting list for his private practise! :eek:

    Not uncommon now for many consultants to have private waits of many months.

    I imagine this is a hangover from the public wait, people are fed up waiting to be seen (Ortho, rheum, derm, ENT, urology would generally have the longest public waiting lists) and decide to pay to be seen quicker, this lengthening the private waits.


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