4 weeks to wait for urgent referral appointment ....

Hi Annielee

That wait in my opinion is totally unacceptable and you should complain in the strongest sense possible. that is also disgraceful that you are having to pay to see the same consultant. Complain loudly to your local trust.

Let us know how you get on. x

Annielee are you in Scotland by any chance? I've had 2 urgent referrals made by 2 different doctors a week apart (second one was made because of additional symptoms) my breast clinic appointment is actually tomorrow and from the first urgent referral, that's been 4 weeks and 6 days! I've been demented too xx

Good point  

Both Scotland and Wales seem to have a different set of criteria as to what 'urgent' actually means regarding waiting appointments.

Don't know if the same applies to NI but I haven't seen it mentioned here. Seen a couple of posts where some in Wales have had to wait 6 weeks :(

If you are in England Annielee get onto your hospitals PALS dept.

G n' J

Hi I'm in north wales x

Hi

Oh Bugger!!!   -  That may well explain things away a bit then :(

I'm sure Welsh hospitals have PALS dept though so you could check online to see if your hospital has and phone to see if they can chase this up for you.

This has been tried before without much success though as it seems to be fairly common in the land of dragons (no offence meant) and is considered almost the norm...

Seems Wales doesn't have the 14 day from GP to cancer clinic cancer pathway like in England  - Theirs is worded differently.

This is from the NHS Wales website...

Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer

The Welsh Government aim is to ensure that all those patients with suspected cancer undertake diagnostic tests as quickly as possible to minimise any anxiety that they may be feeling.

There are two pathways that a patient may follow:

• Patients suspected of having cancer and urgently referred by their GP, should wait no more than 62 days for their treatment to commence
• Patients who have been newly diagnosed as having cancer, not through a GP referral should start their treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat.

In England it is all 2 week stages - GP to cancer clinic (2)  Biopsy taken to results (2) treatment starting (2-4)

So it does seem to even itself out a bit along the way - G n' J

I know it's postcode blydi lottery these days Dreamtheif  !!

Ithink i can cope with 3 weeks for further tests ...if I knew that there was something wrong which sounds daft but it's the way my brain works I've planned in my head what I will do for every possible outcome....  

It's not nice thinking like that but I'm very much a here's the problem what we gona do about it type person 

it's the not knowing that's i can't cope with, I've read on here that some people don't go past consultation and have good news ...if that's a possibility for me then I'd rather pay and save myself 3 weeks of anxiety and worry not just for me but my family too xx

The waiting really does suck! I've even been calling to check for cancellations but didn't have any luck. Mind you, now that my appointment is tomorrow... I'm pooping in my pants and don't want to go!!! [stamps feet, crosses arms and pouts like my 5 year old does!!!!] xx

Hi Emily

I had a private consult first with a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsies  (which are the most expensive out of the lot )  I also saw a surgeon same day once all scans done - he said highly likely to be breast cancer from mammogram and Scan and talked me through a treatment plan. 

I then had my biopsy results emailed to me 3 days later. This was a bit of a shock as they just came through about 11pm one night ! Fortunately I am a nurse so had some knowledge but it was still a massive shock. I then went back to NHS GP and back in the queue.  

I had my first chemo almost exactly 4 weeks from my first visit to GP wirh my suspicious lump back with NHS.

Make sure you get your scans etc so you can take to NHS appointment - they can usually put images on discs - although if seeing same consultant you may not need to . 

Good luck tomorrow. Xx

Thank you jediknight same consultant I would be seeing through nhs thanks for the advice will make sure I have any scans etc x

Hi  

Just wanted to send our best wishes for good luck at your private consultation appointment today.

Assume you are still going for it ?

G n' J

EDIT - Just noticed you joined and posted about this puckering into the Womb Group ??