I am waiting on surgery and it has been over 6 months and the hospital have said that my surgery date is not even on the horizon. I asked if I am covered on the 18 week rule and they said yes but that they are not meeting that target. Am I right that I can insist that they pay for me to have the surgery privately?

I have had HRC and LRM since 2005 for mental health problems. I have been under the CMHT since then and have tried different medications and different psychotherapies but nothing has seemed to work. I have gone through different diagnosis from depression to anxiety to agorophobia, borderline personality disorder and recently PTSD. My CMHT worker has now said there is nothing more that they can do with me and that I am stable (even though I regularly overdose on medication to make things go away) and that she wants to do a rapid referral back to my GP. So that I would be under the care of my GP but if anything changes or I get into crisis then I can get a rapid referral back to the CMHT. My DLA is due for renewal in August of this year. Would the fact that I am signed off by the CMHT make them think that I am better and so lose my claim for DLA and then IB?

Accoreding to GPNotebook.co.uk it says that So it souds like with surgical treatment he should be able to go back to driving a van.

My friend was disgnosed with an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm for the last few years. It has been closely monitored and it has now reached the size of 5.5cms which means he is no longer able to do his driving job. He has been self employed contracted out to do the work for a delivery company. Should he claims JSA or ESA? He is trying to convince the hospital to do the repair surgery on him at which point he would be allowed to go back to driving.

He has called the PALS but only got an answering machine. Just hoping they will call back soon. He called the GP but could not get in umtil next week. He is already seeing the head vascular surgeon so I have explained that he is allowed to go to a different PCT into a different hospital to get a second opinion. He just seems so fed up and it is diffocult for me to push him to do something. He lives in Birmingham and I live in Swindon

Hi My friend has an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm which he has had for about 3 years. It was initially diagnosed when it had ruptured and he went to the A&E but it had clotted itself so they did not do surgery on him then. It has been regularly monitored and has slowly been getting larger. Yesterday he went to see his specialist who has now told him it has reached 5.5cms. The NHS website says that The specialist he saw still will not to surgery to fix the aneurysm. I have told him to see his GP and point out the instructions on the NHS website and get referred to another specialist for a second opinion. He was working as a lorry driver and so immediately on being told his aneurysm has reached 5.5cms he has had to give up his job. If the aneurysm reaches 6cm then he will have to give up driving totally. He wants the surgery to get this fixed. Any ideas on what I can tell him to do. Thanks Toni