I've been registered here barely a day and have found a plethora of useful stories, anecdotes, and good ol' meat&potatoes facts. My main question, for the moment, is about getting an appointment with Mr Ayliffe or Prof. Lightman asap(without bumping any of you off the waiting list, of course!).
From a quick search on BUPA website, it appears they don't do private clinics. I do have BUPA private health care provided through work so if I'm mistaken on this fact, then please correct me.
As for booking myself an appointment with Mr Ayliffe (who is probably the closest to me) or Prof Lightman, is there a minimum waiting time to be expected? Should I just call up and book an appointment, or will I need some form of written referral from my GP/other opthalmologist who has treated me? So far I have only ever been seen at the Sutton Eye Hospital, and they've not been able to recommend me anywhere else (probably because I rarely see the same doctor consecutively). They have all my notes (blood test results for hla-b27, syphillis, history of all my attacks since last year), which I'm assuming will need to be transferred over too. Can I request a copy of my notes and send them off to the relevant party, or does an opthalmologist have to request them specifically?
I'm at work so have to be brief but rest assured I'll be firing a whole arsenal of FAQs in your directions...
Matt, who is another UK member has seen Proff Lightman privately and could offer you 1st hand advice on that route.
I believe Mr Ayliffe also sees people privately - Annee (known on here an Jenibear goes to him and could help you with how to go about getting the appointment/referral etc).
You would certainly have to have a referral if it were on NHS, but I am not sure if same applies to private. I don't know the answer to your question on how to obtain copies of your notes and test results, but would be interested to hear how you get on if making such a request directly to the hospital. My guess is that you would have to fill in forms in triplicate and wait an age to get the info - so could well be the Dr to Dr route is the most expedient.
You cannot go directly to a specialist, either privately or on the NHS. You need a referral. The quickest/easiest route would be a private consultation. Go to your GP and say you want to a referral to your chosen (approved) specialist on private insurance. You could end up waiting some (valuable) time if you go via the NHS route initially. You should state in advance that your notes will need to be transferred (be ready with your hospital number). If you want to see your notes or get a copy of them, you can apply to the hospital. You will probably have to pay something and it may take about a month to get them. If you want them copied, you will undoubtedly be charged for this.
Hello! I have seen both Prof L and Mr Ayliffe, on the NHS. I favour the 'hammer on the door' approach with their secretaries ;-) it does take a little time, but you do get the results you need. However, you have health insurance.
You can see Prof L privately, she does have a clinic. Both her NHS secretary (who is lovely btw) and her private secretary addresses are listed on the moorfields hospital website. For Mr A, there is an email address for him on this site under the specialists section. I emailed him and had a reply from him with regard to the best thing to do.
This might work for you too.
Re: Making the first step
Thanks everyone for the advice!
At the moment I'm trying to get my records transferred over from Sutton Eye Hospital to Moorfields. What's annoying is that Proff Lightman's secretary said I could request notes, and then after hours of engaged tones, Sutton tell me they're not allowed to supply me copies of my notes and they have to be requested formally by Proff Lightman! Have no idea how long they will take...
Still, Proff Lightman's secretary was indeed lovely and very patient with me!
Glad you appear to be making progress with Prof. Lightman. Mr. Ayliffe does see people privately at the Lister Hospital in London and at Shirley Oaks Hospital in Croydon. He also has a clinic at the Mayday Hospital which is also Croydon but I believe that one is NHS. I had more of a fight with my GP for referral than I did getting an appointment with Mr. Ayliffe privately.
I think you'll find if you insist on copies of your records from Sutton Eye Hospital they can't refuse you although they might charge you a fee. You have a right to see your medical notes and have copies so don't be slow to kick ass.
Hope you get on OK with Prof. Lightman, she's a lovely lady so I'm sure you will.
Thanks for telling me to push on with Sutton. It's strange, because when I spoke to the nurse she said she wasn't allowed to send me copies of my notes - it wasn't 'policy'. You wouldn't know if there's anything formal I could mention to them next time which would back up my request? I was going to call them again but don't just want to be refused with the same excuse, so I'd rather call back with some ammunition!
Nurses don't know about access to notes. You need to contact the records department at the hospital. They will advise you as to what the hospital policy is. However, what we do know, is that patients are allowed access to see/have copies of their notes - data protection act 1998 states this.
If you do a search on the internet such as "the name of your hospital" along with "access patient records", you should get the info you need (I did a v.quick search and found a name/number quickly for the relevant person in Good Hope Hospital but I don't know which one is your one) - I know all this 'cos I looked into this before for me at my hospital.
Well it seems that Adrian has answered for me regarding the records so I hope you get somewhere now. Good luck!
And thanks Adrian
Take care both of you.
Hugs, Annee
Trish UK
Unregistered User
(1/16/04 10:40 am)
Appointment with Mr Ayliffe
Dear xian
I am an NHS patient of Mr Ayliffe´s, I see him at Mayday (Friday morning clinic) and at his Wednesday p.m. clinic at Purley. Although I now live in Spain I simply email or phone his Secretary Sarah if I need to see him urgenly. I somehow seem to manage to get round the NHS system!
Im not sure if you can see him privately without a referral, but I wouldnt waste time in making contact with him, I believe (like Matt) in the proactive approach! After all your eye sight is at risk, I have already lost the sight in one eye to Uveitis so I don´t hang around!
Try emailing sarah.turner-blackman@mayday.nhs.uk
Good Luck
Trish UK/Spain
mikethelion
Unregistered User
(8/16/05 8:42 am)
getting treatment in spain
Hiya
I'm currently living in Mallorca and have recently had a flare up. Can't afford to get to moorfields at the moment and have made the first move by goint to GP, now I'm waiting for specialist apointment. Any advice?
There are doctors in Spain that you can see. one of our members is from Mallorca, Spain. don't know who she sees but another of our members has contact with her and perhaps she can put you in contact with Sylvanna there in Spain.
sadly there are no easy ways out with treatment of uveitis. often 'alternative' therapies cause more harm than good. even taking too much vitamin C can cause another bout of uveitis. go figure!
keep with the proven and move up the stepladder to IMT if appropriate. suggest you contact Mr William Ayliffe in the London area once you return for further review of systems and treatment. he has private as well as NHS practice.
Take care,
mike Bartolatz
Tacoma, Washington USA
mike@parsplanitis.org
Re: Making the first step
In addition to the names you have mentioned, in England, we can recommend these physicians, both of whom do private as well as NHS practice. Mr. Ayliffe trained in Boston with Dr. Foster. Mr. Dick is an extraordinary advocate of systems change.
William Ayliffe, FRCS, PhD
The Croydon Eye Unit
Mayday University Hospital
London Road
Thornton Heath
Surrey CR7 7YE
Tel: 44-181-401-3130 Fax: 44-181-401-3489
E-mail: William.Ayliffe@mhc-tr.sthames.nhs.uk
Andrew Dick, M.D.
Head of Division of Ophthalmology
University of Bristol
Bristol Eye Hospital
Lower Maudlin Street
Bristol BS1 2LX
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: 0117-928-4949 FAX: 0117-925-1421
E-mail: a.dick@bristol.ac.uk
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