First PSA level after radiotherapy and hormone therapy.

It's the same everywhere I'm afraid. Gp' don't get funding for taking bloods requested by the hospital and as most doctors are in it for the money and not because they care, the patient loses out. The GP contracts need ripping up and a new one that puts patients first imposed.

Good Morning Safeways 

That's very shabby!!  I am afraid I am one of those who would push this:

* I would be in the GP practice asking to see the practice manager and asking for the detailed policy which prevents me having a PSA test at their practice. I would be pointing out the risk making a 77 year old drive 40+ miles.

* I would also be pushing the hospital to release my PSA figures - after all they are YOUR results and YOU are entitled to see them.

I am very lucky - I am under The Christie a specialist Cancer Trust in Manchester. They e-mail me when a PSA test is due. I arrange my own test online with a choice of days and times to suit me at a hospice about a  mile away and my results are e-mailed to me to following morning. Top drawer.

Best wishes - Brian.

I just want to tell you that your observations are not my experience of the GP surgery I attend. 

At no point have they refused me treatment at all, nevermind based on cost. 

They offer a bloods clinic once a week where a nurse takes blood samples. 

The doctor requesting can book that for you. 

The alternative is a hub closer to my place of work which I can book myself. 

They use the new online triage system, which I looked at, and thought "I can work this".

Everyone I have used it I have received contract from a doctor, a nurse or paramedic on the same day. Which person contacts you depends on the triage, which is carried out by a qualified doctor . What you get depends on the information you give. 

Overall they get a 9/10 from me. 

They drop the ones because I have twice had to explain to a receptionist how the system is supposed to work.

Hi Safeays

We have had similar experiences! when my husband was just being monitored, he received a hig PSA reading on his GP record. We were worried silly. We checked it the next day and the entry had been altered downwards! |No explanation given!

As far as blood tests go, we are not affected because we choose to go to a hospital within our Integrated Care system. However, many patients find it easier to go across the ICS border to another area and another hospital.  Some surgeries will still take blood for hospital requested testing but some won't (ours is one that won't) They then have to travel out of the ICS to somewhere within the neighbouring ICS to get their blood taken. I have been told its because the collecting of samples is not provided by the hospitals 'across the border'. So, why do some surgeries manage to get these collections? I think payment might be part of it as you suggest but have no proof.

Equality of access? Patient choice? Both of which we are promised but does not always happen without us paying the price!

Not a lot of help, I'm afraid. II suggest you complain bitterly to all concerned parties.

My GP practice doesn't do blood tests but our NHS Trust offers on-line booking and has a number of locations available, our hospital is just over one mile away so it's no problem for us but I can see that it could be for others. The local bus service goes onto the hospital grounds and almost to the door so that must be good for those who need to use a bus.

With reference to PSA figures, mine six months from the end of RT were reported as <0.03 which they refer to as undetectable and so may they remain.