My partner was diagnosed last Spring 2018 with Prostate Cancer which had already spread to his bones. After the diagnosis and the various tests and scans etc he began a course of Chemo in Sept 18 - through to Jan 19. He coped really well , had hardly any side effects ( apart from fatigue ) and went back to work on a phased return and light duties in November. He saw his Consultant in November - roughly half way through his treatment. His Consultant ordered scans ( Bone and Thoracic / Pelvis ) just before Christmas. He did not get the results nor did his GP ? After many phone calls in January he spoke to a member of staff who looked up his details and said there was only one scan result. The one carried out on Christmas Eve was not there. She promised to pass on his concerns and explained he should have been sent an appointment to see his Consultant at the end of his Chemo - which had ended on Jan 15th.
Nothing further was heard and his GP emailed the Consultant - the reply to the GP and my partner was that he had failed to attend his appointment in January ( an appointment we knew nothing about and clearly the member of staff he spoke to knew nothing about either. If letters came in the past they came in duplicate on the same day. The member of staff he spoke too suggested he had slipped through the net !
He was offered another appointment in April ( too long to wait as he was going rapidly downhill and in a lot of discomfort with back pain - radiating down his legs. Appointment was brought forward to March. When he saw his Consultant all above was brushed to one side as he wanted new scans which took place two weeks ago and a week ago ( different hospitals) The Consultant said he would ring him as soon as the results were through but yet again nothing. Many calls this week and there is no one there to answer the Consultants phone or his P.A.'s phone. My partner is getting worse by the day and is at the end of his tether with pain and no sleep. He is on Paracetamol / Ibrupofen / and Codeine. His GP said he should wait for the results to see what the next treatment may be but surely he shouldn't be waiting weeks and weeks. Why can he not have a pain management plan in the meantime ? If anyone here has experienced this or could give advice I would be grateful. I feel it is getting to the point of taking him to A&E - then hopefully they can give him a stronger pain medication. He is going upstairs on all fours and could not get out of bed until lunch time today as the pain was so bad. He does not want to make a fuss but I am getting desperate on his behalf. He is very emotional and weepy.
