Any information for a newbie

[Mich81]

Firstly people sorry for the long read !

hi I'm Michelle and I live in the south west ( bristol)
I spoke to my gp nearly three weeks ago and she was happy to refer me with no hesitation.
My bmi is the highest it has ever been at 44 and I'm deeply worried it will increase rapidly as my mobility is now becoming a problem and even a five minute walk kills me and is leaving me in massive amounts of pain plus my last two bp readings the lower number ( dislotic I think) was at 90 and 92 so pretty high I think.
My real questions are
*How long until I recieve a letter? My gp said the first letter shouldn't take that long and I'm pariond I'm going to be forgotten!
*who approves funding GPs or the hospital team?
*what are the southwest waiting times? ( southmead hospital) as by reading through some post some have waited months, others years.
* once you have been referred how likely is funding denied ?
* I take antidepressants but for anxiety not depression and they are working well, will this hinder my journey?
-My gp has helped me through a major difficult year , where my marriage nearly ended ,my daughter had a second degree burn to her arm and lots of other horrible stuff. I know my gp knows I'm level headed and the tablets were to help deal with these things but she has left me on them ( probably long term as they make me not overthink issues and needlessly worry!
Many thanks x

 

[los in it]

Hello newbie
those are hard questions to answer as each PCT operates differently and can sometimes not go as quick as you may want it to.im very sure someone on here from your part of the world is better placed to help
in the meantime very good luck

 

[lesleyh321]

hi michelle, hope you don't have to wait too long. x

 

[Zara xxx]

Once u receive ur letter u have 2 wait aleast 12 months in the 12 months u have to lose at least 1 stone but during that time u see the dietitian

 

[sundown]

Mich81 - welcome! Unfortunately it's almost impossible for anyone to answer your questions unless they've been through the same route at the same hospital. Each area is different, both in terms of waiting time and funding criteria (some areas have stricter criteria than the NICE guidelines).

From what I can gauge reading around these forums, it looks to me like it's fairly common for the journey from first referral to operation to be around 12 months but I'd guess there are some areas that are less and some that are more.

I'm going private, but my advice for you would be to write down all the questions you have and ask them when you get your next appointment.

Good luck

 

[Hayley1121]

Hi

From my first referral to meeting with the weight management team was around 4 weeks, not long at all really. I have been seeing them for 11 months and have been approved for surgery. There are different waiting times at different hospitals (I'm with Aintree Liverpool). To be honest the longest I've had to wait for any communication from anyone is now, as I am waiting for my pre-op appointment.

Goòd luck & I hope your not waiting too long

 

[violetangel]

Hi Hun

I was sleeved on the 23rd July at Worcester Royal. Just wanted to put your mind at rest about your anxiety and depression.

I was worried that the psychiatrist may think that I wasn't suitable for the surgery. Fortunately, this was not the case.

I have suffered from depression and anxiety for years and was asked to see the Psychiatrist as part of my weight management programme. I explained that my weight also contributed to my low mood and self esteem and that I felt that losing the weight would help me tremendously. He recommended me for the surgery and said that he thought the procedure would help with my depression!

I hope it all goes your way Hun and I wish you all the very best.

Xx

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