I saw Dr S on the 7th Nov, he told me they were moving premises, but I would get a letter telling me where my next appointment would be. He seemed really happy about it.
To be honest his clinic is in what feels like
The bowels of the hospital, very dark dingy rooms but I didnāt care I was so glad to speak to him and finally know Iām not going crazy!
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Hi all,
I meant to have my usual telephone check up with Dr Suren in November 2019 and he never called. I got a new appointment letter saying heād call me today. I know he never calls the exact time he says but has anyone had an appointment with him recently?
Thanks
Jo
I havenāt seen him since last October and he was still based at the Medway Maritime Hospital. My next appointment is a telephone appointment in July - hopefully he wonāt forget it!
I guess Iāll try his receptionist as Iāve had no letter with a new appointment yet. Although his receptionist is pretty impossible!
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Hi all
Just an update. Had a short call with Dr Suren this morning we went through the usual. He said his NHS clinic is closing in 5 months it has not been picked up by any other trust. He will make a plan for my GP to carry on the treatment. I feel so sad but so grateful I met him. I am 70% better, I donāt think I will ever be cured and Iāve accepted that. Hopefully anyone else here that is an NHS patient of his will have a similar update soon.
I guess if I really need to see him I will pay to see him privately.
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Thanks for posting this info Joanna. Those involved now know to be aware. Itās such shared information that makes this forum so useful for sufferers. Very unfortunate news though as itās pushing the VM cause even further into the long grass. It seems to me to be another indication the NHS just doesnāt acknowledge balance issues/VM. Most annoying as these people can be really suffering and through taxation they pay in the same dues as others and get less. Any reduction anywhere within the NHS in much needed facilities is to be deplored. Helen
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Thanks for that. Iām due my NHS phone call in a few weeks. Itās so sad that no other trust will pick his unit up, it canāt be that expensive to run (compared to other areas) and does so much good, especially because he sticks with you and doesnāt remove you from his list when you are a little better like other clinics Iāve been to and he believes what you tell him about your symptoms. Like you Iām operating at about 70% most of the time and donāt think Iāll ever be cured. I do hope he keeps a private practice, I saw him there first and Iād happily eat beans on toast for a few months to save up to see him if needed. Not confident given my history with my GPās about moving over to their care (they hold to the āall in the headā, āGADā mantra and that dizziness can only be episodic and linked to the prodrome of a resulting migraine headache).
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How bizarre! Given the number of good reports we get on here thatās a crying shame.
Hopefully he can join one of the NHS neuro-oto clinics?
Same! No GP has ever understood. Makes my blood boil when I read their notes about me before I met Dr S I was apparently an anxious young girl that needed to stop being mollicoddled by my mum! 
He has been looking for a new home for sometime. He told me at my appointment in October 2018 that the clinic was closing and he was looking for a new place. I think Medway have a new balance clinic headed up by Professor Rahul Kanegaonkar, Consultant Otorhinolaryngologist and specialist in major ENT surgery. I did ask in 2018 if I could write letters of support etc but he said he was sure they would find somewhere and that he would take all his patients with him. He also hoped to take his VRT and pyschologist with him too (although Iāve not met them).
My GPās believe it is āall in my head/moodā too Joanna, Iām written off as a stressy person.Theyād be stressed too if they had all the symptoms we put up with and the knock on effect on finances, jobs, housing etc. The local headache and pain clinic specialist believes that dizziness can only be short lived and part of prodrome before the onset of a actual headache migraine. Apparently my symptoms and dizziness āare something else.ā Iām not looking forward to being back under their care.
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Hi there,
The closure of the Medway Balance Centre is tragic as far as Iām concerned, really should not be happening. Over on Facebook this has been discussed by some of us in the āVestibular Migraine Professionalā group, and a lady called Charlotte Marie has written to the Trust to get more info, particularly on why this is happening. After no response for a couple of weeks, she has also sent in an FOI request. The idea is we will take action/ start some sort of campaign to stop the closure (at least try). We are also currently writing to our local MPS. We also now have a Facebook group āKeep Medway Balance Centreā, so please come and join that for updates and to participate, if you feel so inclined. Thanks.
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Hello everyone,
Some of you in the UK may have heard the awful and disturbing news that the Medway NHS Trust are going to close the Balance Centre later in the year, which of course includes the services of Doctor Surenthiran and his team. I learnt about this on my last phone appointment with Dr S.
A number of his patients have been talking about it over on FB in the group āVestibular Migraine Professionalā and Charlotte Marie has set up the āKeep Medway Balance Centre Openā Group. Please come and join us - so far Charlotte has written to the Trust to find out why and when this is happening. She has also sent an FOI request.
Weāve heard that they plan to put the job of dealing with balance disorders into the hands of GPS - taking it away from the experts - to me a dreadful idea.
Below is a petition Charlotte has started. Please sign and share far and wide
We are also recommend those who are affected to write to your local MP, emails are usually clearly available.
We plan to take more action when the Trust has responded.
Thank so much everyone.
Thanks. Iāve signed and will get f&f to sign too.
I had a follow up appointment with Dr S last week, he said the closure is going ahead and he made an 18-24 month plan with me and my GP so they can follow up, I donāt hold much hope my GP has just been closed by CQC 
DR S is fantastic what a shame
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Dr S cancelled me last appointment and never reissued me another one. Iām on Nortriptyline but my heart rate is too high so will need to come off it but need another medication. Will he not see me now? Iāve been his patient for 4 years now and canāt believe this is happening and they are shutting him down.
I got the impression when I saw Dr S in July that he would not be seeing NHS patients once the Medway clinic shuts, which is a great shame. I have been discharged now, but if I ever need to see him again I wouldnāt hesitate to arrange a private appointment, but I know not everyone can afford to do this. I think the petition was a good idea but sadly don 't think it will make an iota of difference . Maybe I am just an old cynic.
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Hope its ok to post this here on this thread - Iāve been trying to arrange a private appointment with Dr S for weeks it seems impossibleā¦ Iāve been given an email address to send my booking request tooā¦ is this how it usually works for anyone that has had a private appointment with him? how long does it usually take to get the appointment arranged? Iām trying to be patient but Iām so keen to get in to see him as im struggling so much and he sounds great.
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Even before the talk of the clinic closing there have always been people on here complaining how difficult it was to contact him or his office. Even established patients. He is very oversubscribed I suspect. Of course there are other specialists about.
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Hi Rachel, I saw Dr S at the London Neuro-otology Centre at Devonshire Place , London as a private patient and the phone number is 08445 129 0003. I was charged Ā£300 in 2018 for a 45 minute consultation and diagnosis. Hopefully one of these numbers will lead to tracking Dr S down!
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