28 day pathway

Good afternoon Mr H,

Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to our online community.  

My name’s Karla, I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

You shouldn’t have to bear the pain. It sounds like more could be done to manage it and make you more comfortable.

We’d recommend getting in touch with your GP today to talk through your pain and the medications you’re currently taking. This will allow them to plan the best way to support you.

Often, it’s a case of trial and error until your doctor finds the best tablet, combination of tablets and dose that’s the most effective for you. When they prescribe pain medications or make any changes it’s important to ask for guidance around when you should see improvement. For example, if your pain should improve within minutes or hours of taking it.

Your medications should be taken regularly as prescribed. If you don’t notice any significant benefit, it’s worthwhile getting back in touch with your GP so it can be reviewed again.

Your colonoscopy sounds like it was incredibly difficult. If your symptoms of possible PTSD haven’t improved, we’d recommend talking to your GP about how you’re feeling. They can refer you for any treatment or support if needed.

NHS England’s new target is the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) that aims to diagnose whether you have cancer or not within 28 days.

It’s not unreasonable to expect to be kept updated by a member of the multidisciplinary team about your colonoscopy under general anaesthetic.

I wonder if you’ve been offered the support of a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the hospital. If so, you could call them to discuss your concerns. You can also speak to your consultant’s secretary. They should be able to explain why the colonoscopy is taking longer than expected and advise what the next steps will be. You also need to let them know your symptoms are worsening.

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at the hospital is there to resolve problems like this. They can also guide you if you wanted to make a more formal complaint about the delay.

Waiting is tedious and you’re not alone in finding it tough. I see you’ve joined our bowel cancer forum. You might be able to connect with others who are in or have been in a similar situation. The understanding and support offered here is hard to beat.

Sometimes it can be good to talk about what’s happening with us. On our helpline we offer a variety of support where you can talk through what’s going on and how you’re feeling. 

Take care and best wishes,

Karla (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 or use webchat.

Ref: KS/SH