Oh Heck! - Page 2

VVC-Geeza · 16th April 2024, 16:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillyHeckaslike

I began to feel pain from a tooth over the last weekend, probing with my tongue I might now have a cavity at the rear of a molar after losing a fragment of tooth from it. While the pain and discomfort are still bearable I decided to ring my NHS dentist yesterday to book an appointment - I'm NHS but I have to pay for it. I was aware that the waiting time had gradually grown over the last couple of decades to circa one month which is what I was expecting. I remember when it was just a day or two but over time that became a week or so followed by weeks. By the time of my last appointment, which was sometime last year, it was circa one month.

I stood gobsmacked when yesterday the receptionist said August is looking like the earliest appointment. That is over four months away, said I. Wait a minute, said she, how about the end of July. All dentists at the practice are apparently giving similar waiting times so reluctantly I had to settle on a wait of three and a half months.

HI Steve
I too have an NHS dentist and like you pay for treatment. My comment was aimed more at people looking to register as a new patient. As would have it have it,I went for my 6 monthly check up last week and it was agreed that I should have a full white crown to replace an inlay on a molar which has been stuck back several times.Two further appointments are necessary,one for prep and one for fitting.The first is on May 7th and second two weeks later.I've never experienced the sort of waits you mention even for more straight forward treatment.I've been able to get in within days when the inlay popped off for example. Maybe it's a regional thing or perhaps the £400 it's costing helps

Either way, wait times and standard of treatment are very good. Sounds like I've dropped lucky.

WillyHeckaslike · 19th April 2024, 09:19

The practice I'm with offer a small number of slots each day for the more urgent cases. They are allocated on assessment of clinical priority and to try to get one of these slots you have to call each day at the opening time and go through the same rigmarole until you get lucky. Today I got lucky having tried unsucessfully every previous day of this week and I'm booked for 11.00. It won't be with my own dentist at the practice, you get whoever is available, and I gather that there is only one on duty today. It could be more expensive overall as only the job requiring the urgent treatment will be done, which I think will be just the one filling. Any other non-urgent work will require a separate appointment and will be charged as such whereas usually with a routine appointment qualifying treatments would be grouped together as one for charging and charged at the highest band.

I can't see the waiting list getting any better as things are here atm. Last couple of years in particular there has been a noticeable change in the appearance and the size of the local demographics.

VVC-Geeza · 19th April 2024, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillyHeckaslike

I can't see the waiting list getting any better as things are here atm. Last couple of years in particular there has been a noticeable change in the appearance and the size of the local demographics.

It's the main reason for your for your long wait,same with Dr appointments.

Btw,when a dentist says 'open wide' now he means your wallet

WillyHeckaslike · 28th April 2024, 13:50

Noticed by chance the other day something that had made its way into my spam folder, it was an email from my dentist. It said, we are sorry Mr Heckaslike but we have had to cancel your appointment on 30 July. If you call us we will be happy to arrange another appointment for you.

The appointment was to have any additional work done that was excluded from treatment during my more recent appointment for urgent work only. I am not expecting the cancelled appointment of 3.5 months to be brought forward, I might be surprised but I very much doubt it.

stevestrat · 28th April 2024, 17:26

I had a situation just over 3 weeks ago, I managed to fall off a set of folding steps I was using in the kitchen. Caught my back on the kitchen table on the way down. The following morning as well as one hell of a bruise on my back it was obvious I'd triggered a severe bout of sciatica (had it before), I was hobbling around the house with a crutch. I phoned the GP, in a phone queue for 30 minutes, finally got a response only to be told I'd need to phone NHS 24. In a phone queue for a further 40 minutes, gave all the details etc and was told they'd phone back. They did, "you need to go to A&E but as its not an emergency you'll need to make your own way there!" . . . . I could barely make my own way to the bathroom never mind get to a hospital 10 miles away! My only neighbour that drives was away on holiday, bus was out of the question and no way in hell I was paying about 25 quid each way for a taxi, frankly I doubt if I'd have been able to get into a car/taxi anyway.

I ended up resorting to the max dose of paracetamol which barely took the edge off the pain. Despite phoning the surgery twice more I couldn't get beyond the "phone NHS 24" response or get any decent painkillers, I can't take over the counter stuff or some of my wife's heavier duty painkillers in case they clash with my regular meds.

I finally regained some mobility after 16 days but I'm still walking with a limp and have to be careful about bending etc.

WillyHeckaslike · 28th April 2024, 21:15

On the odd occasion that I've suffered with sciatica that I struggled to tough it out with a visit to my GP was always granted. On all but one visit painkillers were prescribed and they were what I would describe as the size of horse tablets. Quite large they were and I can't remember the name of them atm and don't know if they are only available on prescription or not. On the one exceptional occasion I was referred to hospital for an X-ray. Not sure about Scotland or your area but I think in England in some areas a hospital transport service is provided for non-emergency cases that meet the requirement for it and a mobility problem is but one of the qualifiers for it. Click

Given your ongoing post-fall problems I would be inclined to press for an X-ray, preferably via a GP referral or if necessary directly via your local A&E.

stevestrat · 28th April 2024, 21:39

First time I had sciatica all I did was bend down to pick something up, felt a crunch at the base of my back. Turns out I'd tweaked a disc and trapped the nerve. I was on tramadol, serious stuff, kept sending me to sleep! This was just as painful, if not more, but as soon as I mentioned falling that was it, NHS 24, no discussion, no options and all NHS 24 did was tell me to get my butt to A&E under my own steam. There's no non emergency transport service here, just wait until an ambulance crew are twiddling their thumbs which could be hours as you're at the bottom of the list. If you get to the hospital then you've got the same problem trying to get home . . . . couldn't be bothered with that, just tanked up with paracetamol.

19th April 2024, 09:19	#12
WillyHeckaslike This is my second home Rovers 75 & 25 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wearside Posts: 4,526 Thanks: 543 Thanked 709 Times in 511 Posts	The practice I'm with offer a small number of slots each day for the more urgent cases. They are allocated on assessment of clinical priority and to try to get one of these slots you have to call each day at the opening time and go through the same rigmarole until you get lucky. Today I got lucky having tried unsucessfully every previous day of this week and I'm booked for 11.00. It won't be with my own dentist at the practice, you get whoever is available, and I gather that there is only one on duty today. It could be more expensive overall as only the job requiring the urgent treatment will be done, which I think will be just the one filling. Any other non-urgent work will require a separate appointment and will be charged as such whereas usually with a routine appointment qualifying treatments would be grouped together as one for charging and charged at the highest band. I can't see the waiting list getting any better as things are here atm. Last couple of years in particular there has been a noticeable change in the appearance and the size of the local demographics. Last edited by WillyHeckaslike; 19th April 2024 at 09:21..

28th April 2024, 17:26	#15
stevestrat This is my second home ZT260 #243 (resting) Join Date: May 2010 Location: Prestonpans Posts: 22,490 Thanks: 650 Thanked 4,624 Times in 3,358 Posts	I had a situation just over 3 weeks ago, I managed to fall off a set of folding steps I was using in the kitchen. Caught my back on the kitchen table on the way down. The following morning as well as one hell of a bruise on my back it was obvious I'd triggered a severe bout of sciatica (had it before), I was hobbling around the house with a crutch. I phoned the GP, in a phone queue for 30 minutes, finally got a response only to be told I'd need to phone NHS 24. In a phone queue for a further 40 minutes, gave all the details etc and was told they'd phone back. They did, "you need to go to A&E but as its not an emergency you'll need to make your own way there!" . . . . I could barely make my own way to the bathroom never mind get to a hospital 10 miles away! My only neighbour that drives was away on holiday, bus was out of the question and no way in hell I was paying about 25 quid each way for a taxi, frankly I doubt if I'd have been able to get into a car/taxi anyway. I ended up resorting to the max dose of paracetamol which barely took the edge off the pain. Despite phoning the surgery twice more I couldn't get beyond the "phone NHS 24" response or get any decent painkillers, I can't take over the counter stuff or some of my wife's heavier duty painkillers in case they clash with my regular meds. I finally regained some mobility after 16 days but I'm still walking with a limp and have to be careful about bending etc. __________________ Steve T4 Location Map

28th April 2024, 21:39	#17
stevestrat This is my second home ZT260 #243 (resting) Join Date: May 2010 Location: Prestonpans Posts: 22,490 Thanks: 650 Thanked 4,624 Times in 3,358 Posts	First time I had sciatica all I did was bend down to pick something up, felt a crunch at the base of my back. Turns out I'd tweaked a disc and trapped the nerve. I was on tramadol, serious stuff, kept sending me to sleep! This was just as painful, if not more, but as soon as I mentioned falling that was it, NHS 24, no discussion, no options and all NHS 24 did was tell me to get my butt to A&E under my own steam. There's no non emergency transport service here, just wait until an ambulance crew are twiddling their thumbs which could be hours as you're at the bottom of the list. If you get to the hospital then you've got the same problem trying to get home . . . . couldn't be bothered with that, just tanked up with paracetamol. __________________ Steve T4 Location Map

28th April 2024, 13:50	#14
WillyHeckaslike This is my second home Rovers 75 & 25 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wearside Posts: 4,526 Thanks: 543 Thanked 709 Times in 511 Posts	Noticed by chance the other day something that had made its way into my spam folder, it was an email from my dentist. It said, we are sorry Mr Heckaslike but we have had to cancel your appointment on 30 July. If you call us we will be happy to arrange another appointment for you. The appointment was to have any additional work done that was excluded from treatment during my more recent appointment for urgent work only. I am not expecting the cancelled appointment of 3.5 months to be brought forward, I might be surprised but I very much doubt it.

28th April 2024, 21:15	#16
WillyHeckaslike This is my second home Rovers 75 & 25 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wearside Posts: 4,526 Thanks: 543 Thanked 709 Times in 511 Posts	On the odd occasion that I've suffered with sciatica that I struggled to tough it out with a visit to my GP was always granted. On all but one visit painkillers were prescribed and they were what I would describe as the size of horse tablets. Quite large they were and I can't remember the name of them atm and don't know if they are only available on prescription or not. On the one exceptional occasion I was referred to hospital for an X-ray. Not sure about Scotland or your area but I think in England in some areas a hospital transport service is provided for non-emergency cases that meet the requirement for it and a mobility problem is but one of the qualifiers for it. Click Given your ongoing post-fall problems I would be inclined to press for an X-ray, preferably via a GP referral or if necessary directly via your local A&E.