Blackmail?

[wannabeminime]

Having spoken to my local provider yesterday, i am now in a quandry. I was told that, if i choose to go abroad for surgery and then follow up is required, no UK provider would touch me. Has anyone else come across this?

Also, i have received a recent quote which had this paragraph;

"You need to be aware that there has been a change in the NHS which means that if you
have an elective surgical procedure privately then you must have full after care relating to
this procedure privately too."

I am worried that if i have an emergency, the NHS wont help me!

 

[Raynebubble]

i had my op 60 miles from where i live and i was told any problems with the bypass then the only hospital i should go to is where i had my op... so this could be the case hun xx

 

[MissDiet]

I dont think thats the case. But im no expert. Of course if its bypass related i.e reversal or band adjustments then you will prob need to go private.

But things like serious complications and 999 things are covered x

 

[wannabeminime]

Thanks Rayne, i understand that if you have had surgery in this country, you need to revisit your provider with any problems. What would happen if i had an emergency here, eg burst staples, when i'd had surgery abroad though? Would i be sent away? I could be dead by the time i got back to my original surgeon!

Also, what about a revision further down the line? This is more what i was getting at. If i have a sleeve abroad, but later on i want the malabsorption part of the bypass, would i have to go abroad again? This is what the woman on the phone yesterday was suggesting.

 

[Caren]

Having spoken to my local provider yesterday, i am now in a quandry. I was told that, if i choose to go abroad for surgery and then follow up is required, no UK provider would touch me. Has anyone else come across this?

Also, i have received a recent quote which had this paragraph;

"You need to be aware that there has been a change in the NHS which means that if you
have an elective surgical procedure privately then you must have full after care relating to
this procedure privately too."

I am worried that if i have an emergency, the NHS wont help me!

ive heard that they will treat you if you dial 999 of course, but they dont like it, this is the reason i wouldnt go abroad xxx

 

[wannabeminime]

Thanks MissDiet, thats what i wanted to hear regarding the NHS.

 

[Raynebubble]

Miss Diet is right i should of said that... in an emergency the NHS will help, but follow up appointments etc i think would need to be done where you have your op... you need to do a lot of research first before you make your decision xx

 

[wannabeminime]

ive heard that they will treat you if you dial 999 of course, but they dont like it, this is the reason i wouldnt go abroad xxx

This totally sucks. So i will have to bite the bullet and get ripped off in this country . I think this means the end of my WLS journey. It never even got started :cry::cry:. xxx

 

[MissDiet]

Dont say that hun! Of course its not over x

Have a look around different providers, they may do offers now as its december and no-ones thinking of weight loss just yet

X

 

[wannabeminime]

My local providers price of a sleeve is £10500. The cheapest i have found in this country is in Central London for £7500. Both, at the moment, are out of my league. Thanks for the kind words though xx

 

[MissDiet]

My company do sleeves or bypasses for £9000 with hospitals all over uk

X

 

[Sophie 124]

My friend had a band in France, after about 3 years it slipped. The NHS took her on, gave her a new band and they now do all of her after care (this happened in the last 6 months). Xx

 

[OOnion]

You can't be denied Emergency Care in the UK or any other European country, that is the law. For instance if you were obstructing they would treat you, if you had a life threatening infection they would treat you...however they would not adjust your band or anything else that was not classed as an "emergency" I would therefore conclude you would be better off having bypass if you're having it abroad as there is little to do surgically post op. All the best xx

 

[basketcase]

I had surgery abroad in 2007 and recently had an emergency situation and the nhs sorted me out no problem. Good luck!

 

[JO28172]

My friend had a band in France, after about 3 years it slipped. The NHS took her on, gave her a new band and they now do all of her after care (this happened in the last 6 months). Xx

That's refreshing to hear Sophie!

 

[simplylucy]

I'm guessing the local provider is also private?

They just want your business and are trying to scare you into using them. To be honest because of that they would be struck off my list in an instant.

Please remember these private providers are sales people, yes they have your interests at heart most of the time but they are sales people and they will fight for your business.

I was fortunate enough to go private and used a local provider, they didn't push for my business. However I also contacted another private uk provider and they hassled me for months, put me right off them!

Can you chat to your GP about your concerns. My GP was fabulous and supported me all the way (still does).

The NHS will treat any emergency, they have too, no matter where, why or how you had your surgery.

Catch your dreams and fear not, I'm sure you won't ever have an emergency but if you did the NHS WILL sort you.

Oh and also have a look at some of the sleevers stats on here, they have done amazing levels of losses without the bypass malnutrition bit.

Good luck. X

 

[wannabeminime]

Thank you so much for the replies, i feel better now, knowing the nhs would deal with me if i had an emergency.

 

[wannabeminime]

I'm guessing the local provider is also private?

They just want your business and are trying to scare you into using them. To be honest because of that they would be struck off my list in an instant.

Please remember these private providers are sales people, yes they have your interests at heart most of the time but they are sales people and they will fight for your business.

I was fortunate enough to go private and used a local provider, they didn't push for my business. However I also contacted another private uk provider and they hassled me for months, put me right off them!

Can you chat to your GP about your concerns. My GP was fabulous and supported me all the way (still does).

The NHS will treat any emergency, they have too, no matter where, why or how you had your surgery.

Catch your dreams and fear not, I'm sure you won't ever have an emergency but if you did the NHS WILL sort you.

Oh and also have a look at some of the sleevers stats on here, they have done amazing levels of losses without the bypass malnutrition bit.

Good luck. X

Thank goodness someone is seeing it like i do! I felt like striking them off my list, but they are the only private provider for miles and miles. I agree she was trying to scare me! I will talk to my gp in the new year (my BMI may be high enough by then for a referral on the nhs!), and i agree about the sleevers on here, i think thats what i want. Thanks Lucy x

 

[phatmomma]

The NHS will do emergency proceedures but cannot be expected to do revision on surgery's had abroad. It makes sense really i mean you wouldn't take your BMW to the Rover garage to get a fault fixed would you?

Can i ask why your local pct won't fund surgery for you?

 

[Sharonimo]

Also, what about a revision further down the line? This is more what i was getting at. If i have a sleeve abroad, but later on i want the malabsorption part of the bypass, would i have to go abroad again? This is what the woman on the phone yesterday was suggesting.

As I understand it Becky, the NHS *will* treat bariatric emergencies if the op was done abroad (e.g. staple line leaks, hernias, ruptures, etc etc) ..... altho they are not delighted to do so, they cannot turn away a UK citizen who is covered by rights with NHS cover.

But a sleeve --> RNY conversion would be out of the question if the original sleeve was done privately. (Basically you are asking for a new completely different surgery.)

This also applies (obviously) to tummy tuck and loose skin removal. I was told that if I ever did choose any private bariatric op to lose weight (band, sleeve or RNY, whatever) and then found myself with an apron of lose skin ..... I would also have to pay again privately for that, as the NHS will only cover the cost of that if the original surgery that caused the loose skin was done on the NHS.

I have also been warned that if I choose sleeve on the NHS, it *might* prove difficult getting a conversion to an RNY later as my BMI might have fallen below the funding approval zone .....

I know so far of only one man who has had a sleeve --> RNY conversion on the NHS at the hospital where I am due to have my op, but he was still quite big / high BMI when he felt that the sleeve was "failing" (or, rather, to be honest, unfortunately he was "cheating" too much with the sleeve and felt that he needed the much more severe restriction and malabsorption of the RNY).

He was not someone who the surgeon had originally planned to be a 2 stage op (with sleeve as a deliberate first stage and then RNY later).