Nightmare at Sleep Clinic after 3-year wait!

[James @ Intus]

Fancy that!

http://www.independent.ie/health/lastest-news/my-threeyear-wait-to-see-sleep-specialist-wasted-1375971.html

A SLEEP-deprived patient has hit out at the health service after her three-year wait for a hospital appointment to cure her condition was ruined — by constant interruptions to her sleep.

...

But speaking on RTE's Liveline she explained that despite coming in at 9.30am and leaving

at 6am the next morning, the mother of two didn't even get to sleep, with cleaners constantly waking her, toilet conditions “atrocious” and the ward’s heat “making it impossible to sleep”.

...

Backing up her claims, Avril Fagan (51) — a “priority” patient who “only” had to wait 16 months for the appointment — said no-one could sleep at the sleep clinic.

Poor people, such a long wait and just when you think it's all over, you get seen at facilities like that.

How did you find your hospital's facilities? Hopefeully not as bad as those in Ireland!

[puffin]

My clinic/hospital has a 12 week first visit time scale with follow ups around 6 to 8 weeks depending on the department. They are pushing for trust status at the moment, so they are pushing hard to be quick.

Atn: James one out post.

[gvader]

I was seen at the Churchill in Oxford. Room was fairly basic but clean, toilet was opposite and was clean, window in the room opened so I had cool air. As it was part of a busy ward there was a bit of noise but I did manage to get enough sleep for them to confirm "fairly-severe" OSA with an AI of 55 and O2 levels down in the 60% range.

Follow up and fit out with kit was in just over a month.

[puffin]

The clinic measurement unit at my hospital handled my case, I was just handed the test kit on one day told to go home and bring it back in next day. Much better then trying to sleep in a hospital.

I still have to pick up an oxy-meter every 3 months for an overnight check.

[wytco0]

I guess was very lucky I only waited 3 weeks between seeing the consultant and having a night in the sleep clinic. I then had to wait 8 weeks to get the results.

Some of the lady in the Independents experiences were familiar, I was put in a day room which was very hot and had no curtains and it was next to the nurse area for preparing things which was equipped with very noisy machines. I had a far worse nights sleep than normal and I left at 0630 which was the earliest they would let me leave!

[Sleep2Snore]

I was first tested in hospital ward.
Nurse lost the results in the morning.
Was not ideal as it was a normal ward and nurses and people came and went.

Second night I was given a private room and all was well.
Went to Sleep Lab after that (A days trip and an overnight stay which I was going to have to go back for) where they found I had already done a nights test so they got the results sent to them (why were they not sent to be there before me!) then I did a half and half study i.e. half nights test and then the rest of the night was setting the ideal pressure for me, otherwise I would have had to spend two nights at the Lab.

Sleep Lab was fine, but a bit warm, but then you can't expect nurses to sit in the cold. Edinburgh Staff were great and just couldn't do enough to help.

[ohcrob]

bloody hell the edinburgh staff were nice and helpful - where are those ones when i go?

[Yotchie]

I have just come back from Papworth Hospital after having my second nights stay there. This time I went into have a CPAP machine set up. I have to say what a great hospital it is from the point of the staff. It is by far the best hospital I have ever been too. The staff are great and if you have any problems they will help you. It just makes the stay a nice and pleasant one. If there are any staff from this hospital reading this you should all take a pat on the back. You are the best

[Poppy56]

Mine was very quick to see me - about a month between initial GP visit and the overnight stay in the clinic. Then a few days to get the CPAP - another overnight stay to test it out and home with the machine in the morning. My clinic is in a house a couple of miles away from the hospital. You get your own bedroom and there is no noise. I must be very lucky, I think!

[LION59]

been on the machine for a couple of years on and off!

St Thomas (London) - excellent once you are in there, private cubicles with fantastic air con in each (I like it very cold and so wacked the temp gauge down to 16 degrees).

Had the original home oxy meter -which gave me a reading of on average 80 events per hour (bad so the consultant said).

After a year or so of reasonable use of the pump, I suddenley started to have panic attacks (within 15 to 30 minutes of putting my mask on, which resulted in me using it 2 or 3 days a week only) I my lost sleep pattern - staying awake until 2 or 3am (bright eyed and bushy tailed not groggy at all) getting around 3 or 4 hours sleep, then inevitabily crashing out in an open plan office with about 100 colleagues listening to my rather loud snoring!

Anyhow after some time, got an appointment to go back to St Thomas (London). Technicians excellent, room great (as described) the only problem was the wait fro the de-brief. It took from early August (when I went in) until early novemmber when I finally saw a doctor. He prescribed what he termed as legal "speed" - a drug that is supposed to prolong my awakening hours until I falll asleep exhausted (he said in order to re-set my sleep clock). Been on this ofr nearly 3 weeks and so far nothing has happened