Can i have a telephone appointment instead of face to face

Hi Natz75.

Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to our online community. My name is Sherrye and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

I’m sorry to learn that you’ve been fast tracked for screening and are having to wait till the 29^{th of} November for your MRI results. Understandably waiting for results is not easy and can bring on several different emotions. A time like this can also affect your concentration and sleep as you describe.

If your preference is to receive your results over the phone then a conversation with the medical professional in charge of your care at this time is needed. The appointment letter you received via the NHS app should hopefully have a contact number for the consultant you’d be seeing.

The contact number is likely to go through to the consultant’s secretary who will pass along your preference and arrange for one of the medical team to call you back. The secretary won’t be able to give any results out as they are not clinical staff and won’t be able to answer any questions you may have.

You mentioned that if you take time off work you lose pay and that last time you had treatment you got into debt, I’m very sorry to hear this. As I don’t know what you do for a living I can only give general information about this but I hope that it’s useful if you were to need treatment again.

When an individual has cancer there are employment rights in place to protect that individual from being treated unfairly. Most individuals are entitled to sick pay and reasonable adjustments should be made to support employees to keep working or when returning to work.

If you are diagnosed with cancer again it may be helpful to contact our Welfare rights team as they can do a benefits assessment and help you apply for a Macmillan grant.

If you think it will be helpful you are always welcome to call us on the Macmillan Support Line, we are always happy to speak with you.

I hope this information helps. Please feel free to get back in touch if you want more information or support.

Best wishes,

Sherrye H,

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm), send us an email or contact us through webchat.

Ref SH/DW

Hi Sherrye 

Thanks for yr reply ...the number on the appointment letter has not been answered for the whole of today ...i managed to speak to someone 30 minute's ago where they told me i have to have a examination.  In my notes it clearly states i cannot have a internal due to the effects of radiotherapy and the rest of the trauma . She said she would speak to the consultant that my appointment was with but im fully aware that it is my human right to decline a internal , however last time( 7yrs ago) i was told that if i didnt let them they wouldn't give me treatment, eventhough they had mri scan and ultrasound scan & this was my oncologist and biopsy results .. then leading to me never to return to them again after my all clear ....i am today at the point of just not bothering with anything to do with the results as i find it to traumatic to mentally and emotionally deal with this hospital , however im pretty sure that it is illegal to withold any findings from me and should be given to me on my request 

I feel mentally exhausted with all this waiting as its been 4 weeks now and how i feel is if it is cancer i dont even want the treatment as i was ruined last time .

Natalie 

Dear Natalie,

My name is Liz, and I’m one of the cancer information nurse specialists on the Macmillan support line and a colleague of Sherrye.

Thank you for reaching out for further support. I’m glad that you have managed to speak to someone about your concerns about having an internal examination.

You are completely correct that you can decline an internal examination and doctors have clear guidelines about gaining consent before any examination, you should also be offered a chaperone.  

In relation to accessing your medical records, you can formally request your medical records in writing from the hospital who holds your records.

It is exhausting waiting for results, some people find that talking can help to get them through this time. Perhaps you would like to phone us on 0808 808 0000 so we can support you further.

Take care.  

Liz 

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist  

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. Ref LZD/ KE