Hull Daily Mail

‘I’ll be dead by the time I get an appointmen­t’

PATIENT’S DISBELIEF AT POSSIBLE TWO-YEAR WAIT

- By JOANNA LOVELL joanna.lovell@reachplc.com @H5YJO

THOUSANDS of Hull patients have been told they will have to wait for up to two years for an appointmen­t at both Hull Royal Infirmary and at Castle Hill Hospital.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is resuming non-emergency outpatient appointmen­ts and operations that were put on hold due to the coronaviru­s lockdown after March 23.

The trust has now written to thousands of people to inform them that it is aiming to see all patients as quickly as possible, within the next 24 months.

Letters have gone to patients across the vast majority of areas, with the exception of oncology, obstetrics, community paediatric­s and haematolog­y.

One woman, from west Hull, who received the letter about her appointmen­t in the chest clinic for her breathing problems, said she was stunned to see how long the wait could be.

She said: “24 months, I’ll be dead by the time I get an appointmen­t.

“I couldn’t believe it. I was classed as extremely vulnerable and had to shield on the hospital advice.

“They sent me a letter and I had to register online for priority slots. But I’m not vulnerable when it comes to waiting for an appointmen­t.”

The trust has told patients it is “working incredibly hard” to try and ensure patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.

The letter says: “You are receiving this letter from Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust because you are waiting for a follow up outpatient appointmen­t with us at one of our hospitals.

“The coronaviru­s pandemic has impacted on all of our services. In line with government guidance we cancelled all non-urgent operations and appointmen­ts, from Monday,

March 23, 2020. However, we continued to see urgent and emergency patients and we maintained some cancer services and treatments.

“We aim to see all patients as quickly as possible within the next 24 months. We are continuous­ly risk-assessing every patient on our waiting lists to ensure we see patients’ priorities on their needs.

“The decisions of which patients we see and when are being made by our doctors and nurses in accordance with clinical guidelines to ensure your safety.”

The letter also gives advice on what patients should do if their condition deteriorat­es.

It also tells patients the trust is working hard to minimise waiting times by reintroduc­ing non-urgent outpatient clinics and investigat­ions requested by GPS.

Telephone and video consultati­ons have been introduced, which enable patients to see their clinician via their phone, tablet or computer, however the trust says there is still a need to carry out some appointmen­ts face to face.

Patients must attend their appointmen­t or procedure alone and wear a face covering on entering the hospital.

The letter, from trust chief executive Chris Long, also apologised for the delay in treatment.

It said: “We would like to apologise for any delay in your appointmen­t/procedure.

“We appreciate this may be a worrying time for you and we are doing everything we can to ensure we see all our patients as soon as possible.

“We hope you will understand the coronaviru­s has changed how we work.”

A spokespers­on for the trust said: “If you’re waiting for an appointmen­t or an operation at our hospitals, you may well have received a letter from us, or you’ll likely be receiving one in the next few days.

“It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on our ability to carry out routine appointmen­ts and planned surgery.

“Our waiting lists have grown longer in recent months because of all the cancellati­ons we had to make in the first part of the year.

“We wanted to write to you to apologise for this and to reassure you that our staff are working incredibly hard to try and ensure you’re seen and treated as quickly as possible, while also maintainin­g urgent and emergency care for those who need it.

“There is no need to contact us following receipt of your letter.

“Please be assured you are important to us. You are still on our list. We are working through our patients in order of clinical priority and we will get to you as quickly as we can.

“You only need to contact us if you feel you no longer need your appointmen­t – details of how to do this are contained in your letter.

“If you feel your problem is getting worse, please follow the advice, which is also given in your letter. The Covid-19 pandemic has been, and continues to be a difficult time for all of us.

“We’re sorry that you’re having to wait longer, but we are incredibly grateful for your understand­ing and support.”

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Hull Royal Infirmary

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