"Waiting List for General Surgical Appointment"

My husband was referred by my GP for an ultrasound as she suspected a Right sided Inguinal Hernia in June 2021. He had an ultrasound that October that confirmed he has a double hernia and surgery was recommended. Unfortunately my husband started to feel uncomfortable and returned to our GP in March 2022. The GP wrote to request that my husband be put on the urgent list. I have telephoned on numerous occasions and left voicemails and never received an update. I am well aware that COVID has had a huge impact on our NHS and all services are under increasing pressure but communication is a vital part of NHS Lanarkshire.

I contacted the hospital. The response was that they have looked into my husband's case. His GP has sent in two referrals and these were both considered routine and based on the information provided, his referral has been vetted as routine. Unfortunately the routine waiting time for the outpatient clinic is 87 weeks and the clinical team are prioritising clinical urgent/cancer patients. They understand my husband has been waiting for approximately 52 weeks and routine referrals can expect to wait up to 87 weeks.

They appreciate this is very distressing for us and have asked the staff to keep my husband's name on file so that they can slot him into any clinic cancellations. If my husbands clinical condition has changed, we are advised to contact his GP.

I am concerned my husband has not been assessed by a surgeon so how can an accurate assessment be made? Has he to wait until his hernias strangulate with all the dangers that scenario has before he is assessed by a surgical team? I have contacted all the relevant people involved to try and get my husband assessed. Unfortunately there has been no communication or update despite my GP writing once more to request my husband be added to the urgent referral list .