Missing pathology results

Hi, I really feel for you. I was diagnosed before Christmas with large, aggressive cancer that has spread to my lymph’s. 3 weeks later I’m still waiting for a date to start chemo. It’s very frustrating when you just them to get on with stuff.

I suspect Christmas and the bank hols have slowed stuff up a little.

Good luck, I hope you hear something soon xx

Good luck to you too. I was advised that it can take 2weeks to refer to an oncologist once the surgeon has signed me off. Therefore not to expect in my case radiotherapy to start until mid January. I  hope you get a start date soon

Hello, that must be so worrying. It's unlikely they have lost your sample. I'm waiting for a promised telemed (phone) appointment since November before I start my next chemo cycle, so nothing near as urgent as your issue. I'm aware that our local day treatment unit is understaffed because of people isolating due to Covid (closing at 4pm when they usually work till 7), so it's most likely a combination of Covid and the Xmas and new year break. That's also my excuse at still dealing with work emails from 21st December anyway!! Good luck and I hope you get some results soon xx

Thanks Fran  I would have accepted Christmas and New Year but even before that they admitted they did not know where it has been sent and could not chase. My results should have been available before then. My dad has since been diagnosed with bowel cancer same trust, has had his results and op thank goodness but in the same time frame I have been waiting !  I hope you get your consultation soon but if you have not tried it yet maybe worth a call to consultants secretary.  Good luck

Underwatergirl said:

they don't know where the sample was sent.

That, I suspect, is a big fat lie. Possibly the person you spoke to does not know, but the hospital records would show quite clearly where your sample went to, so that person needs to start doing their job and look it up, or probably best to ask someone else.

As for how long it takes, I had to wait 7 weeks for one of my own pathology reports. That was no fun for me, and I made sure it was no fun for them either. :/  

Keep putting the pressure on, but find the right person to talk to.

Thanks GreyCats  I have and finally someone thought to call histopathology who told them exactly where it is. It had not been put on the system. Apparently you "can't chase a professor " good grief they are humans just like the rest of us. It's ridiculous that the patient has to to do the chasing for any action.  I have a phone and I am not afraid to use it. 

Good luck with your treatment.

Ah yes. More than once I had to do their job for them. Also recently, while in A&E they found something in a urine test and were ready to start me on antibiotics, completely oblivious to the fact that this particular bacterium is used in the manufacturing of a medicine I am currently on. Blithering idiots; my list of meds is right there on the system if they'd bothered looking.

If it were me I'd start writing to my M.P.......how can a hospital "not know" where something so important went ? There is PALS also. That normally hurries them up, as they don't want people running to Ombudsman.