Is there any point in me trying??

Hi. I had a consultation with Mr Johnson at the Ridgeway BMI Hospital quite a while ago now and have been planning to have my surgery with him privately. However, i am really struggling to get the money together :( i feel like its going to take me ages to save as something always pops up that i have to pay for! I was originally planning on May/June time for my op but im nowhere near in terms of money. I think i need to start being realistic (says my mum lol).

Anyways on the other side of things my mum has said from the start that she thinks id be eligible for a boob job on the NHS. I am very flat chested but not sure this would be enough to qualify?? They have always been small but even worse since iv had my daughter. My confidence is getting lower and lower as the years go by. I am a 32A and have been told i can have 280 possible 320cc at a stretch. And i have seen woman on here have 320cc through the nhs purely on lack of tissue.

I am going on a bit now but basically i want to know if there is any point me going to my GP for a referral instead of going ahead private (which may result in me not bothering at all as i might not be able to get the money together)??

I hear it can be hard but is it worth a go? Also if my GP did think i was eligible how long is it going to take before my actual op date?? (roughly) Some woman on here are saying 4 years and others are saying 6 months?? im confused! Does is just depend on luck, where u live and who is sorting things out? I am in Wiltshire. Does any1 know what my chances are in this area??

Sorry for all the questions but this is a new thing that i am considering as i have always had it in my head i was going private!

Hope u girls can help me!

Thanks :) xxx

There is no harm in going to your GP about it hun, they can try a refferal, yes it can be quite difficult to get a BA on the NHS and many of the people on here that have gone through the NHS have started their journey months or even years ago and have finally had their op. It's a bit of a postcode lottery where the NHS is concerned, yes it is a matter of luck and whether you PCT has any money set aside for it. I dont know what your chances are, I went to my GP back in 2007 and was told a flat no, there would be no hope in hell. Things have tightened up since then even and the government cut backs have affected everthing, especially spending on the NHS.

I would say try hun, it's a good idea to talk to your Dr about any depression you feel and even if they can't help you with surgery they may be able to help you in other ways and help you cope with the depression. If you do have to save, there are many ways of achieveing your goal. I know many people have used ebay to sell things to make money, others have downgraded or sold their car etc. The old saying where there is a will there is a way. It can be hard to save especially in this current climate, and I think many of us understand and remember the upset and frustration we felt when we had to spend so long saving. There are other ways as well such as finance through companies and also bank loans or putting it on a credit card. I dont recomend getting yourself into any debt that you wouldn't be able to afford, but if you can get something where the payments are small and easily managable then this may be an option for you. There is also loans from family or help from them. Never give up hun, it may take some time, but you can do it. I waited 2 years from my first consultation, I even had an op booked and couldn't get the money together. I got there eventually and you will too, either through the NHS or private.

Thanks for your comment misf1 :) i think i will give the nhs option a go! like you said there is no harm in trying! i will keep you updated once iv spoke to my doctor.

If its a no then i will continue to struggle until i get there! :) it means so much to me and i will do it privately if i have to. Thanks for your advice in terms of money. I have tried the BMI card options of paying monthly but got declined :( I am only a student at the mo and working part time so thats prob y!

Anyways im going to get an appoinment with my doctor on tuesday so will keep u posted!

Thanks again.

Louise xxx

Good luck hun, let us know how you get on, on tuesday

There ALWAYS a point to trying if you feel you might qualify for surgery on the NHS Louise .

'Cosmetic surgery' does seem to be something we're hearing less and less about now, but were there is hope there is always a way hun, so do try talking to your GP and see where it leads you, you've nothing to loose in trying have you?

If things don't go well, like I said Louis, were there is hope there is a way, so don't give up on your dream darlin'. I know MyBreast do a 'saving scheme' I'm unsure if other clinics do this but if there is a specific clinic you're interested in, it may be worth giving them a call to see?

I know that if you're anything like me, if the money is sat there I'll find a way to spend it, but if I didn't have it, I'd have to find it and if it's a desperate situation, I always to seem to manage somehow, so with a saving scheme you're unable to dip into the money you're putting away, it's kinds 'spent' already, so if something does come up your BA money is untouchable if you get my meaning?

It's just another option for you to bare in mind Louise and I hope all goes well for you Tuesday sweetheart.

Thank you cookie :)

I will see what my doctor says tuesday, but if it doesnt look like an option i will look into the saving scheme or maybe put my money in a savings account where i cant touch it! As i think its too readily available for me at the moment!

il keep you posted!

xxx

Hopefully all will go well for you on Tuesday sweetie and yes, please do keep us posted babe. xx

There is no harm in trying! The NHS is really a bit of a postcode lottery I'm afraid though, both in terms of funding and waiting time. I know that the pct where my parents live would have flat out refused me but where I go to uni now thankfully said yes!
If you were wandering on wait times, then I waited 18 mnths from gp consultation to surgery date.... There's lots of processes and people you have to go through to get funding on the NHS and it all takes time!
First of all you will need to see you're gp, who will refer you to a surgeon (waiting list), you then have to get your surgeon to support your case and agree to write a letter to the pct, the pct then have to hold a board meeting to asses your eligibility (again takes a couple of months), they will then probably ask for a psychologists' assessment as well (another waiting list), then your case goes back to the pct for final approval (more waiting), then if you get a yes you'll get sent back to you're surgeon and hopefully put on ANOTHER waiting list for surgery. The problem is that, understandably, it's not priority surgery, so you are literally put at the back of the que.

That all said, you have nothing to lose by seeing you're gp so you might as well! Hopefully things go well for you! Xxx

Hi Louise

Thank you for your comment.

It all sounds very in depth but i know it will be worth it in the end! I am going to my doctor on tuesday so hopefully if they think i need it then everyone else will.

Fingers crossed!

iI totally understand beig put at the back of the que, but to be honest i would just be thankful to be in th eque at all! :)

I shall keep every1 posted when iv been to see my doctor on tuesday!

xxx