Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

You should get a letter. I must warn you though, I had an urgent referral and it still took 10 months. In the end they discharged me without even seeing me or writing a letter lol. Might be better where you live.

Do you have any idea how a metal wire got in your ear?

@makeyourownluck This is insane how long you need to wait. Are there like 3 ENT's in the whole country? For urgent stuff, waiting for more than few days means you may get permanent damage. Here in Greece, there are countless private ENT offices, or private hospitals that can see you the same day or the next few for like 50-150 euros. Booking by phone and off you go.

@makeyourownluck Thanks, apparently they said they put me on an urgent list so I should see someone within 2 weeks.

I have absolutely no idea how the wire got in my ear. It's very strange. It looks like a small coil - however it has pierced my ear drum. I took some pictures with my phone and can see it. It looks like a really thin black wire looped around my ear drum and with one end stuck inside the membrane. I can't even make out what it is from the pictures.

This experience has definitely triggered my hypochondria haha

@DimLeb it's called the NHS. A system no one is allowed to say a bad word against, even though it's been failing miserably for years. We are told to be grateful for it because it's free. But what's the point in having something that's free if it doesn't work.

@Steph1710 in states people are always comparing to countries with free healthcare. The way it seems the higher taxes in Europe pays it really isn't free

Plus terrible care

@Rockman to be honest I'm from the US and would rather wait than be stuck with a big bill. Been thru it before and it will be free at the end. Not saying this in a political way whatsoever but it's just the truth. My tinnitus will always be there but the bill would be added stress.

@Steph1710 it does have its drawbacks. Like waiting 2 weeks is a bit crap. However I am in no pain and my hearing is fine, otherwise I would be calling around for a private ENT.

@DimLeb I have to say that I have probably had it there for months and ignored it because I thought it was tinnitus as usual. Been told enough that there's nothing that can be done didn't bother with the other symptoms.

@Rockman the waiting times for the NHS are the worst they have ever been. I've been waiting for an operation for nearly two years now, and that was after fighting with them for four years to get to admit there is something wrong. The NHS is exhausting. Older people still bum the shit out of it though because they think of it as "the good old days".

@Rockman in fact, the state of the NHS is so bad here, that people are having to spend all their saving and have routine operations done privately instead. Most people can't even get a face-to-face appointment with a doctor these days. My neighbour had his toe amputated the other day because he couldn't get a doctor to see him face-to-face.

As far as I am aware @Ricardo1991, the urgent list is supposed to be 2 weeks, and maybe it was pre-covid. After covid I waited 10 months for an urgent referral. Maybe your area has cleared the back log..

Crazy that you have wire in your ear though. One of life's mysteries.

@Steph1710 your posts sum it up perfectly. We've had two misdiagnosis' in the family since 2019, both people are now dead. This is happening all over the UK. The NHS is a riot. I've never been so angry with an organisation.

So difficult looking at these rainbows saying thank you NHS, when there incompetence has killed your family members. No accountability either. I'll leave it at that, because I could write a book on the issue.