How do waiting lists work?

@Giovanna_BCNA, this might be a good thread for everyone to divulge their waiting times. I think it is one of the reasons we have one of the lowest reconstruction rates in the Western world. In the US 50% of women get reconstruction against 13% (?) in Australia. Even the UK comes in at 30%.
This has been a concern of mine since the day I was diagnosed when I mentioned reconstruction to my breast surgeon. She said I was inoperable and reconstruction was not something I should even be thinking about at this early stage of my nasty diagnosis. Do other people know where they are in the queue? 

I've been without internet for the last week due to a visit to my sister so have done no investigating. I'm back on the job!
@onemargie, although I live in NSW I'm so close to the border with Qld that most of the surgeons are on the Gold Coast where I travel for treatment. Maybe I'd be better off looking for a recon surgeon in NSW. I don't know of any up this far north...
@kezmusc and @lrb_03 I haven't filled out any paperwork for consent etc. something I've done when going on a waitlist for other minor procedures. I will definitely contact the hospital to find out how it works.
I could always move to WA where my brother lives...
Thank you, everyone for your advice.

I've been seen in Brisbane, PAH and I had no wait list for reconstruction , as soon as CHEMO was finished I ws seen by P.S. whom scheduled surgery within 1 month. 
Perhaps I'm just lucky.. 

hi there @PatsyN I am on the waiting list for recon in qld have been for the past 2 years and will be for the next 12 months at least, I am category 3 now after seeing them initially and breast recon is considered an elective procedure, and I agree it is elective but it should be the patient who decides if its elective or not not the government as far as Im concerned,  you choose to have it done or you can choose not to have it done, simple, and if you do then the wait times are ridiculous up here, Im so used to not having them now I sometimes wonder if Ill even bother.

I was put on the waiting list straight after my first mastectomy (may 16)  but that was supposed to be for my preventative mastectomy for the right side, but I had that done as a private patient in the public system 6 months after the first one so when I got my appointment at the royal bris I was surprised and when i got there they thought it was for that and not the recon! as no one updated my referal so the first one i was classed as catergory 2 (supposed to be 3 - 6 month wait but took 2 years) and now after ive seen them im now a catergory 3 (6 to 12 months)  so that will be more likely be another 2 years at least, so from my experience the wait time is supposed to start from your first referal, and I hope your wait times are more accurate down there. hope this helps, Margie xx 

Have you signed any paperwork relating to the recon surgery, @PatsyN? As @kezmusc said, contact your surgical bookings area to find out where you are on the list, and how their waitlists work. The region I'm in, surgical bookings need to receive all the documentation before you go on the list. That would include the consent, a request for admission document filled out by your doctor, and possibly a preliminary inpatient election form, completed by you, agreeing to treatment as a public patient.
Hope that helps 

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Umm. How do waiting lists work? They don't if you are a public patient. You will constantly get bumped by incoming cash cows. Sorry,  should have said private patients, which is not gender specific
It's worth dropping  him on the grill and asking.
I'd love to see a system of rating surgeons. Recent reports suggest you do not always get what you pay for.

@PatsyN. If you call the hospitals Surgical booking office they should be able to tell you how far down the list you are and approximately how long the wait is for that surgeon. 

xoxo

Hi @PatsyN 

Thanks thats a great question.  I would check with the treating surgeon or the BCN at the  hospital as to how the waiting list process works,  as I imagine this process may vary from place to place.  There may be a surgical liaison nurse that you could speak with regarding the waiting list process.  I have split this discussion so the thread is not lost and it would be great to get input from other community members.

@Giovanna_BCNA I saw my re-con surgeon for the 2nd time last week thru the public system, however I picked him myself and got the referral from my GP. The visit did not cost me anything. He says 2 years. But I didn't ask him when that 2 years began. He can't touch me for 12 months due to healing, going hard etc, etc, so I said put me down on the list. Then he said it would be ANOTHER 12 months due to healing, going hard etc, etc, lol. I wondering where, precisely I am, on that wait list. I should have asked him when the 2 years begins. My first visit last December, or my June visit last week or my next visit. How do waiting lists work? I'm not in a great big hurry but don't want it to be dragged out forever, especially at my age.