[bluesclues]

I was just wondering something about GI appointments. My family doctor recently made a request for me to see I GI doctor, and said it would be about a month to get in to see a doctor. Well that was in December after about 4 follow up calls I finnally got an appointment. Get this my appointment is schedualed for January 23rd 2003! So I want to know if it is normal to have to wait over a year to get in to see a GI doctor? Any suggestions as to what I should do? That is a long time for one in a lot of pain to have to wait! Any suggestions?

 

[linr]

Don't know about Drs. in Canada but there is no way I would wait that long to see a specialist if I were having problems. Can you ask your Dr. to recomend someone else? You might have to stress the fact that you are really sick or suffering.Whatever it takes to see a GI.

 

[linr]

Don't know about Drs. in Canada but there is no way I would wait that long to see a specialist if I were having problems. Can you ask your Dr. to recomend someone else? You might have to stress the fact that you are really sick or suffering.Whatever it takes to see a GI.

 

[canada dry]

bluesclues:I live in Alberta and I believe the wait to get in to a GI here is about 3-6 months. The big problem is getting a referral from your GP if you are lucky enough to have a GP. Very few GPs here are accepting new patients. At least you have crossed the first bridge and have an appointment but having to wait until January of next year is ridiculous. That shows the sorry state our Health Care Plan is in and it isn't getting any better.My only suggestions:You could try calling the GI's office in the remote chance of a cancellation. I tried this 12 years ago when I had a referral but found it to be a waste of time.If you have money and can afford it you can bypass our health care and go to the USA. I don't believe their health care is any better just quicker and of course expensive since it is not covered by our provincial health care plans.Good luck. I hope everything works out for you.

 

[canada dry]

bluesclues:I live in Alberta and I believe the wait to get in to a GI here is about 3-6 months. The big problem is getting a referral from your GP if you are lucky enough to have a GP. Very few GPs here are accepting new patients. At least you have crossed the first bridge and have an appointment but having to wait until January of next year is ridiculous. That shows the sorry state our Health Care Plan is in and it isn't getting any better.My only suggestions:You could try calling the GI's office in the remote chance of a cancellation. I tried this 12 years ago when I had a referral but found it to be a waste of time.If you have money and can afford it you can bypass our health care and go to the USA. I don't believe their health care is any better just quicker and of course expensive since it is not covered by our provincial health care plans.Good luck. I hope everything works out for you.

 

[bluesclues]

Yeah, although I do live pretty far from the USA. I live in Nova Scotia and the GI clinic is the only one in Nova Scotia that I have been referred to. The one in New Brunswick is no faster, I checked it out. If there is such a need than why is there not more GI Doctors......darn cut backs! Ah well! Any one else with suggestions beacause I certianly can not wait any longer!

 

[bluesclues]

Yeah, although I do live pretty far from the USA. I live in Nova Scotia and the GI clinic is the only one in Nova Scotia that I have been referred to. The one in New Brunswick is no faster, I checked it out. If there is such a need than why is there not more GI Doctors......darn cut backs! Ah well! Any one else with suggestions beacause I certianly can not wait any longer!

 

[deirpg]

I'm from Alberta too, and I had to wait about 6 months for my appointment. That seems a little long to wait...

 

[deirpg]

I'm from Alberta too, and I had to wait about 6 months for my appointment. That seems a little long to wait...

 

[jo-jo]

I waited a bit over 6 months to see a gi. Must be the free healthcare.

 

[jo-jo]

I waited a bit over 6 months to see a gi. Must be the free healthcare.

 

[GrumpyIBSGirl]

Well when I was diagnosed with IBS about a year and three months ago, I had ended up in the emergency room and they referred me to a specialist because they had no clue what to do with me. I got an appointment within the week because I had been referred by the hospital ER. Good luck though!

 

[GrumpyIBSGirl]

Well when I was diagnosed with IBS about a year and three months ago, I had ended up in the emergency room and they referred me to a specialist because they had no clue what to do with me. I got an appointment within the week because I had been referred by the hospital ER. Good luck though!

 

[Kathleen M.]

Sometimes it does take awhile to see a specialist. I think from what I have heard of the Canadian system it takes longer there than in the US. Mostly too many people to be seen and not enough doctor-hours (#doctors times # work hours) in the year to see everyone.One thing that may factor into it is if your GP was specific about WHO he wanted you to see. The doctor that referred me to my GI (my allergist rather than my GP) wanted me to see a specific person in the GI department (a doctor who is a leading researcher into IBS) rather than just anyone in the GI department. It is a reseach hospital so this guy is one of the professors rather than one of the residents learning the ropes (who you usually get to see pretty quickly at this hospital). He doesn't typically take new patients as he is fully booked, but as people leave they take on new people, so you have to go through 6 months to a year before getting the first appointment. After that getting sheduled is less problematic.If there is a shortage of GI doctors in your area that will also make it take much longer to see someone.You may also want to check with the nurse in the office and see if there are any specific symptoms that might warrent getting a quicker appointment (they usually keep some for emergancy situations, so sometimes that gets you in faster than if your situation is just run-of-the-mill... I would think if you have copious bloody diarrhea they don't want you to wait a year before being seen)K.

 

[Kathleen M.]

Sometimes it does take awhile to see a specialist. I think from what I have heard of the Canadian system it takes longer there than in the US. Mostly too many people to be seen and not enough doctor-hours (#doctors times # work hours) in the year to see everyone.One thing that may factor into it is if your GP was specific about WHO he wanted you to see. The doctor that referred me to my GI (my allergist rather than my GP) wanted me to see a specific person in the GI department (a doctor who is a leading researcher into IBS) rather than just anyone in the GI department. It is a reseach hospital so this guy is one of the professors rather than one of the residents learning the ropes (who you usually get to see pretty quickly at this hospital). He doesn't typically take new patients as he is fully booked, but as people leave they take on new people, so you have to go through 6 months to a year before getting the first appointment. After that getting sheduled is less problematic.If there is a shortage of GI doctors in your area that will also make it take much longer to see someone.You may also want to check with the nurse in the office and see if there are any specific symptoms that might warrent getting a quicker appointment (they usually keep some for emergancy situations, so sometimes that gets you in faster than if your situation is just run-of-the-mill... I would think if you have copious bloody diarrhea they don't want you to wait a year before being seen)K.

 

[angry]

In the mean time, perhaps you should continue to go to and bug your GP with yoursymptoms. He/she might come up with something which provides some incremental improvement. If asked why, just tell them 1 year is too long to wait....Too often, a referal to a specialist is a way of getting one out of their office.

 

[angry]

In the mean time, perhaps you should continue to go to and bug your GP with yoursymptoms. He/she might come up with something which provides some incremental improvement. If asked why, just tell them 1 year is too long to wait....Too often, a referal to a specialist is a way of getting one out of their office.

 

[bluesclues]

Yeah they sent me a letter saying that they take people with more severe problems first. So I do not know how much my family doctor told them, she may not have told them much thus I have an appointment set for a year from now and they think I am low priority. But that is certainly not the case! Who knows!

 

[bluesclues]

Yeah they sent me a letter saying that they take people with more severe problems first. So I do not know how much my family doctor told them, she may not have told them much thus I have an appointment set for a year from now and they think I am low priority. But that is certainly not the case! Who knows!