Contacting the Primary Care Trust (PCT)

After not receiving any confirmation on the funding approval for my surgery from hospital 23/11/2011, I decided to phone the PCT direct myself on 25/11/2011.

Once I got through to the main switch board and explained I was trying to check on funding approval for Gastric Bypass surgery which had been sent by the hospital, I was directly patched through to the correct department. However with great disappointment no one answered and I was transferred directly to an answering machine.

I Left my name, Hospital reference number, and what I was calling about, hung up and hoped that someone in the near future may return my call or advise the hospital.

Well I should have had more faith, as within one hour of calling the senior PCT manager called me directly at home, confirmed that he would approve the surgery funding and additionally would write to the hospital next week (28/11/2011) to confirm.

Wow......I am now on the home run and now have the green light for surgery; the big question now is when.

Waiting for Funding Approval

After contacting the hospital back on 16/11/2011, I still hadn't received any confirmation
as to the next stage or in deed if the Local Authority, Primary Care Trust (PCT) had approved my funding for surgery. So as suggested by the hospital, if I hadn't heard anything within a week, then I was to again contact them.

I really didn't expect the hospital to phone me, however if any confirmation was to be sent by letter then going by the past this may take a number of weeks before I got any correspondence, assuming that nothing had been lost in the system.

Not really impatient, but just really needed to know what was happing as at this stage not a day goes by without me thinking about the surgery and my journey.

When I phoned the hospital again they advised me that this could take some weeks, which was totally different to the previous week, when they said they should have an answer within a week. Not happy with this and without sounding negative or obstructive I asked if I could have the details for the contact at the PCT. I was given a name and asked to quote my Hospital 8 digit reference number.

The hospital did help in providing the above and after searching the internet I was quite easily able to locate a central number for the Local Authority PCT.

Decided to contact PCT direct, not only check that they had received the letter, but in fact made a decision about the funding for my surgery.

Hospital request Surgery Funding

Today (16/11/2011) I received a letter, typed 21/10/2011 from the hospital confirming that they had written a letter to the Local Authority Primary Care Trust (PCT) and that as soon as a decision had been made regarding the surgery funding for my Gastric Bypass I would be informed.

This is now of concern as originally I was under the impression that funding had already been agreed, based upon my Doctor referring me.

So a lesson here is to check as soon as possible if you’re funding has been approved.

All I can do is now wait...& wait......& wait.