Why Weight / 4Healthy Weight - West Sussex

Hi Everyone,
I am new to the group, but just like you have had to do the Tier3 weight loss management, finally i am approaching the end of my year, which is a relief - to be honest it is a good thing they give you this year, i mean i cried too the day i found out i had to do this for a year, i was gutted - but then i got to know my dietician and we got on well, she was awesome, until i got a letter in the post to say that the original weight loss people i was i was with were no longer doing the weight management and the whole thing had changed to 4healthy weight, i was so sad, because i had just gotten to know the people i was working with, and i was petrified that i would have to start from the beginning, but thankfully not, the team i am working with now are great, if not better than the first. No disrespect to the first team i worked with. Anyway, i am due to attend the warts and all seminar on the 15th of August, and i was already sent for my bariatric physician appointment on the 5th August, and last week i received a call to say that that clinic was cancelled and that i would be getting my pack in the post regarding which hospital i wanted to have the operation at, and that i would then let them know what hospital and the hospital team will asses if i can go forward for surgery.

So my question is, anyone else in this boat with me?

Also, has any already received this pack and do they know which hospitals are listed in the West Sussex area?

Hi ya I haven't gotten that far in my journey but I am also on the 4healthy weight 3tier weight management program.

If you go to the 4 healthy weight web address and go to 'Downloads', then to 'preferred providers' I think this is the list of 11 hospitals you have to choose from.

St Richards in Chichester has it's own Bariatric Unit, I'm not sure about the rest but it may be worth ringing the hospitals Pals department and see if you can find out that hospitals waiting times for bariatric surgery?

I haven't met the surgeon yet, do you mind me asking when in your journey you were referred to them? I completed the 'warts and all seminar' a month ago now and just feel like I'm plodding along with no real direction.

I only have 2 more appointments left with the exercise specialist and 2 with the dietician, I completed all my counselling sessions, was it the counsellor that referred you to the bariatric surgeon? X

I don't actually know what is going on with me lol x

Hi Lumpy..

I was referred now only towards the end of the year - I started the first appt last year sept and my final appts are in Sept coming - but for some reason they have already referred me on. Not sure why you have had the seminar already? I read your other post -and when did you start your journey?

I've just spoken to my dietician who just cleared up a few things but also just threw me another curve ball.. The seminar I was booked into on the 15th Aug has now been moved to the 29th and I don't think I can get to that one (to do with everyone already having booked that time off at work!) so I'm going to have to go to the one in September which just delays me even more.

I think I'm more worried about the final decision from the Bariatric team at the hospital - I don't know what I'll do if they say I'm not a suitable candidate. It means I'd have done this whole year of hoops and still be exactly where I was when I started.. Except if have list a stone so not all bad I guess?

Anyway, I tried that preferred providers list but they are mixed areas I thought you had to go to your local so to speak!? Lol! I've begged for this pack to be sent out ASAP but who knows, they keep saying in the next few weeks.. I wonder if they realise just how inpatient I actually am! Lol!

Hi ya hun,

I was referred from my GP in December, had my first appointment in January, feels like I've been jumping these hoops forever! Lol

I completed all my appointments with the counsellor end of May beginning of June and she was the one to refer me onto the 'warts and all' seminar.

Oh no, such a shame you can't make the August seminar, I can imagine how gutting it would be to know it's prolonging it all! Bless ya, at least your nearly there tho hun!

I think you can have your op anywhere in the country but I think 4 healthy weight must have a close working relationship with the preferred providers, which could maybe work in your favour with regards to funding?

The next few weeks?! How hard is it to shove a pack in the post for you?! Lol I think we are all so impatient and just so badly want the surgery, the hardest thing is not knowing if all your efforts will be in vain!

Do you know who referred you to the bariatric team? X

doing the tier three thing usually deal with any issues/questions/readiness - I did just under a year on tier three and when i went to the hospital it seemed to be more of a rubber stamping process.....

Morning!

I think you're right Lumpy, waiting around is the killer!

My dietician and Exercise facilitator I think referred me to the Bariatric team and when I asked her yesterday why my August appt was cancelled she said "because you're going to see a Bariatric physician in the hospital anyway so there's no need to see one with us as well" so that's ok I guess and then she went on to say that they (hospital) have the ultimate decision about the surgery.

I think I read somewhere here someone mentioned that they have yo say things like that so that we don't get over excited and then for whatever reason can't have it. I'd like to know though if there's been anyone on the tier 3 who was declined surgery in the end of their journey and if so why?

Witch - where did you have your surgery and what did you have? Were you pleased with the hospital?

hi birdie .... I start the preop diet on saturday and going to have the surgery on aug 16th ... I chose st georges in london as I have friends there I can stay with and I got married on st georges day (superstitious!) ... the drs, dieticians etc have been awesome, the admin lady is a little hit and miss, but I just phoned every week until they gave me the appointments. my surgery is going to be at st anthonys hospital in cheam and I am being done by mr reddy who has a great reputation! x

Hi Witch, sorry I thought you'd already had surgery! Good luck though you must be so excited!

I went into the website for whyweightuk and found the preferred providers list, although I've seen this before I didn't realise you could choose ANY hospital, so all this time I've been only seeing one Sussex hospital on the list.. Anyway, can start some research..

What was your waiting time for your hospital?

hey birdie .... I was referred to st georges late january (which meant I had done tier 3 and the funding was in place) ... I saw the dietician in march, the surgeon in may and then got the date through in june after the multidisciplinary team had done their meeting and discussed all the candidates. My surgery date is aug 16th, so for me, end to end was about 7 months, but I know some people have had it come through from referral to surgery in 3 months and some take a year! I called all the hospitals on the list, including st richards, and looked up all the nhs reviews/surgeon cvs and what people on the forums had said and then chose st georges in london as it was right for me ..... what stage are you at with tier 3? xxx