"Lengthy waiting times for hip replacement"

As a patient of NHS Grampian, I would like to address the ongoing issues with patient waiting times for routine operations. On following up my concerns with the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, at the Scottish Parliament, they confirmed that each regional health board is responsible for providing adequate patient treatment and delivery. I guess this maybe the case, however, my own personal experience of late is that the NHS, the Scottish Government and our local health board are all too quick to point the finger of blame at others...or COVID!

My reason for highlighting my concerns are as detailed below:-

I was told in June 2022 that I needed a full hip replacement. I am one of many patients suffering in pain whilst awaiting a call for a routine hip replacement operation within the Grampian region. My own personal experience has opened my eyes to the shocking mess, from the top down, within NHSG. The current level of patient care is totally unacceptable and needs to change.

I started suffering with leg/hip pain in 2021 and assumed this was nothing more than post exercise issues that would clear up. Unfortunately, the pain got steadily worse and decided to visit my GP, who assumed it was nothing to worry about. I foolishly put my trust in my GP, continuing with oral pain relief, until my hip locked in June 2022. This resulted in a  7.5 hour wait at our local A & E department, only to be told by the duty doctor that they didn’t know why I was in A & E!

On revisiting my GP to discuss my experience at A & E, they  quickly arranged for an X-ray on my hip. On receiving the X-ray results, I was referred for a full hip replacement in October 2022. Eight months later, I received a letter to attend the Outpatient’s clinic at Woodend Hospital to discuss the X-ray results/procedures for a full robotic hip replacement. On attending this appointment, the consultant confirmed that my hip was in a "bad way" and needed surgical replacement as soon as possible.

Immediately after, they confirmed current NHSG waiting times of 18/24 months due to pressures on our health services. During our conversation, they  discussed the option of going private and quoted me a price of many thousands of pounds all in! Myself and my husband made them aware that we do not have private medical insurance cover nor could we afford to pay that kind of money for private treatment.

The only option I had now was for my GP to write a letter to support my case in the hope of bringing the operation date forward under the NHS. Some eight weeks later I am still waiting to hear if my GP received a response to his letter. 

Much to my frustration, I arranged an appointment with the same consultant I saw at Woodend Hospital to discuss private treatment costs at Albyn Hospital. I paid for a ten minute consultation to discuss the same procedures they had already discussed with me as an NHS patient at Woodend Hospital, and costs, for going private. This consultant carries out weekly hip, knee and shoulder replacements at Albyn and on NHS patients at the ARI. 

They offered me two dates over the next eight weeks at a cost of many thousands of pounds - this did not include medication, OT support or cover should things go wrong during/following the hip operation. Sadly, this was not an option as we don’t have that kind of money at hand.

We have lost all faith in our MSP’s over recent years as nothing ever gets done about the desperate state of our NHS. 

This whole experience has been very frustrating and challenging for me and my family. My health is deteriorating daily and there is no easy solution, or option, available to me, and many others in the same situation other that wait a further two years before we get a date for a hip replacement operation at NHSG.

We are all fully aware that the NHS is on its knees, however, failing to ignore this horrendous situation we have with hospital waiting times is mind-blowing. It’s a shocking state of affairs and unfortunately all the empty promises to rectify this are wearing thin with myself and many others in the same situation.  We have GP’s working for a failing NHS that can no longer care for the welfare of their patients and this has to stop!  

My story may sound familiar, or just another rant. Sadly, my story is one of many real life situations and we should not be suffering like this in 2022!