How many Cpap units does your clinic dish out?

[puffin]

Last time I went the my local clinic, I was taken to a back room as the consult rooms were full. Not a full visit just picking up my humidifer. There must have been some "50" odd Cpap black bags stacked up agaist one wall. If this is an indication of the number of "customers" they are expecting, then Walsall may be out there as a provider. Or am I just seeing beyond a discounted bulk order.

[Joe McManus]

I have exact stats on the blog but remember the number of undiagnosed and hence untreated OSA sufferers to be in the hundreds of thousands. With just around 200 clinics, every clinic should have at least 1000 units in stock to cover actual demand.

[JackTheSnorer]

Maybe the stack you saw was just the in-home trial ones that have come back since. Behind the little door is like a Fort Knox with CPAP machines instead of bars of gold.

[chelseauk]

Hmmmm - same when i picked up my machine.

Loads of Cpap machines all brand new still in their boxes. Looks like some of the NHS are taking this seriously !

[wombat]

How many Cpap units does your clinic dish out?

Hi Puffin!

I got told the answer to that the other day without asking that question

I rang Papworth Hospital to ask if I could please change to the kind of machine my local hospital gave me for my initial week's test - as I was not getting the same good results from the one I have now. (I did the initial test with one that only blows at you when you stop breathing)

The nurse who took my call said she hadn't seen one of those for a very long time & was sure we all got the same kind now - " .......after all we now have 5000 of you to cater for ............." !!!!

[Joe McManus]

Wow, I knew Papworth was THE clinic in the country but wouldn't have guessed they alone serve 5K sleep apnoea patients. Their equipment delivery must be by the truck load.

[Dopey Plumber]

7000 at Brompton Hosp, Fulham ("and only 5 of us to cope" .

I was referred privately - I imagine it's a major centre.

[Marian]

I was diagnosed with OSA in January 2008 but the hospital told me they had no money in their budget for the CPAP machine I needed. They referred me to another specialist (they did arrange a very quick appointment) from a different hospital who, they said, may have the money. On seeing the second specialist I was told I definitely needed a CPAP machine but he did not have any money for one either and would refer me to another specialist in the next county who may have one, He said the appointment would take at least two months. The next week I went to see my doctor as my whole life and work was now affected by this and asked him to look into it as it was ridiculous that people who need such equipment are denied and as I needed to work to pay bills etc, I now needed a machine, as no doubt did countless others in my county. My doctor agreed with me re the situation and immediately wrote to the specialist in the next county, explaining the position and they provided a machine within ten days of my visit to my doctor, in February 2008. I believed that on diagnosis a machine would be available and wonder how many other people are left in a waiting list as different health trusts appear to be taking a different stance over the supply of machines.

[ChrisP]

A very interesting topic.

I think this reflects just how much of a postcode lottery our modern NHS is.
I was told by my doctor that Hampshire have virtually no sleep treatment at all and that my only option was to go private.

One visit to a BUPA clinic later to see an ENT specialist I was diagnosed with severe OSA (AHI 90+) given a prescription and told to part with £450 I didn't have to buy my own CPAP machine as it was not covered by my medical insurance.
This I duly did. (Thank you mister Mastercard!).
I consider myself lucky as I could afford it but there must be thousands who can't.

I find it frustrating that we all pay national insurance but some get much better service than others depending upon what you suffer from.


Just my tuppeneth

Here endeth this grumble.

Chris

[puffin]

Hi Marian
I think that the problem you have been having is down to the dreaded post code lottery and end of year budgets. If you had been seen at the beginning of the new money year, you would have not been fobed off to another clinic.

[mike lucas]

how units disded out

Hi first thanks for the welcome to the forum. I was seen at the Oxford Sleep center at the Churhill Hospital. The team there where great and must be handing out quite a few they tell me they have had to set up another clinic to cope with both users and new ones.However no machines hiding behind any doors

yours Mike

[Dopey Plumber]

Hi Mike
WHat did they give you? Mine's a Resmed Escape 8.

On the USA site I was told that almost nobody gets a cpap without a humidifier so I whinged to my place (Brompton, London) about dry throat, and they said "OK we'll send you a humidifier".

I'm sure I'd be much happier with an APAP though.

[James @ Intus]

Via the British Sleep Society meeting earlier this year, I heard that Papworth send approx. 80 new patients home with a machine every month. That's a thousand a year.

With one million untreated sufferers (and growing), it would take a hundred Papworths 10 year to cover the current situation alone.

I hope they get more funds available to help more people faster.