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Concerned at the waiting list

Posted By polarbear11

"Concerned at the waiting list"

About: Musgrave Park Hospital / Rheumatology

(as a parent/guardian),

I am really concerned at the waiting list for paediatric rheumatology at Musgrave Park Hospital. My daughter has been on the waiting list for 5 years and anxiously waiting an appointment. This has led to A&E referrals which are inappropriate and distressing. I’ve recently received a letter asking if we want to remain on the waiting list, which implies there is still a significant wait, which isn’t ideal when it’s affecting a child’s life.

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Responses

Response from Jenny Wyatt, Paediatric Rheumatology Nurse Specialist, Paediatric Rheumatology, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust nearly 2 years ago
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Jenny Wyatt
Paediatric Rheumatology Nurse Specialist, Paediatric Rheumatology,
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

I provide education, advice and support on managing rheumatic diseases including initiation and management of disease modifying medications. I offer child and family centred support from diagnosis through to discharge or help transition into adult services.

Submitted on 21/07/2023 at 10:21
Published on Care Opinion at 10:58

Dear polarbear11,

My name is Jenny, I am one of the nurses that works in Paediatric Rheumatology. Thank you for taking the time to share your story on Care Opinion and providing this feedback on how the long waiting list for Paediatric Rheumatology has had such an impact on your daughter and family. It sounds like this wait has been extremely difficult and I would like to apologise on behalf of the Paediatric Rheumatology team that your daughter has had to wait so long for an appointment.

As a team, we are aware of the long waiting list for Paediatric Rheumatology and the impact this can have on young people and their families and are urgently working to rectify this.

The letter you received was part of an initiative that we have recently undertaken to try to address the long waiting list. A letter was sent to all those on the waiting list to assess if an appointment in Paediatric Rheumatology was still required. For some people the reason that they were referred may have resolved or they may have been seen elsewhere and no longer require an appointment. This would allow more space for those that do still require an appointment.

I apologise that the letter has added to your distress and worry. We are currently in the process of allocating phone review appointments with our Drs, starting with those waiting the longest. We are also implementing measures to prevent this issue occurring again.

I hope that you will receive an appointment for your daughter soon. In the interim if, your daughter’s condition has changed or worsened, I would advise you to attend your General Practitioner and request them to send in an update for our Drs to assess so they have the most up to date information available.

Once again, I would like to apologise on behalf of the Paediatric Rheumatology team.

If you have ongoing concerns or would like to discuss this further please contact us via the patient experience email address: patientexperience@belfasttrust.hscni.net

Best wishes

Jenny Wyatt

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Paediatric Rheumatology

Musgrave Park Hospital

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