Hi All,
I'm writing this message in the hope that somebody can point me in the right direction.
My father immigrated to Romania and has been getting treatment for his PD over there for the past few years but has started to lose weight quite dramatically over the past 3 months.
Does anyone know if taking high calorie meal replacement milkshakes would help as it appears his appetite has disappeared?
He is currently being prescribed Levodopa and a mix of other drugs for his arthritis.
I would really like to get him to see a neurologist in the U.K (as does he) to speak to someone in his own language to give him peace of mind that nothing is getting lost in translation and to discuss future treatments etc...
They have discussed a neural stimulation device and stated that if they were to go ahead with this it would have to be done soon (before he turns 65)
We need a second opinion prior to making any decisions on this and also need them to look over his medical records and confirm that none of the drugs are conflicting which in turn have caused the "offs" to become more frequent.
I've rung a few of the NHS and private practices and they have all told me that he requires a referral from a GP to get an appointment.
Now, I've spoken to my local GP and they have informed me that because he is being treated for it already with a specialist in Romania that they wouldn't be able to give him a referral to a UK neurologist! (really?)
Please can someone confirm if this is the case?
Wouldn't it suffice for my fathers current doctor/consultant in Romania to refer him to a UK specialist or is this not possible?
Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated as we need to get this arranged ASAP as need to arrange flights to get him over to the UK as his "offs" are starting to get worse.
Thanks in advance,
Flinch.
I would find a consultant(see for instance: www.drfosterhealth.co.uk)and give their secretary a call and ask what (paperwork probably as they will want to know all medical records of the patient) is required to get an appointment. I am sure that cross border referrals must be possible and frequently done nowadays with all this international travel/moving around.