To think urgent should mean urgent??

I did…

You implied that NHS staff were beyond reproach though as you suggested a reasonable response was disrespectful.

Who on earth mentioned superheroes in the nhs? I just asked for some respect for the many many many professions working there.

The NHS in its current form is untenable, so much money for such a patchy service. I think it should retreat to an accident and emergency service, and we have insurance for everything else.
I work with several Americans who can’t believe the waiting times and delays we have - they are used to swift action when they’re not well, not a 6wk wait for a GP appointment!

The sooner the NHS is reformed the better. It’s not working. Let’s look at European models and shut down the screaming it will be like the US model next year.

Yes. Parents on standard pathways waited a year or more (or went private).

So you had a 4 months wait too but they counted that as urgent? Hope she’s doing ok now.

Took DD to the doctor beginning of June 2021, she was diagnosed in October by colonoscopy on the urgent pathway - she was expedited due to previous resection in infancy.

This kind of blame is unhelpful, but I was in hospital in 2006 and 2008 under the last Labour govt and promise you that the situation was appalling even then. Dangerously understaffed and barely functioning. My kids were in hospital in 2009/10 and the hospital hadn’t got enough basic stuff. Like sheets and beds and staff. It’s been broken a very long time.

Here are the NICE guidelines for constipation,

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/constipation/management/adults/

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng12

Above are the guidelines GP’s should follow regarding referrals for cancer investigations. Check the section about symptoms and check if the gp has followed the guidelines for a 2 week wait.

I know! It was another few months before the right meds were found and by then he’d had some kind of mental collapse. He basically lost well over a year before he was back to normal (well, as normal as it gets once you have Crohn’s).

I discovered that 'critical' is when the NHS takes action. I was 'urgent' for almost 4 months then, when I finally saw the consultant, I was told I had to be admitted immediately and was operated on the following day because it was actually 'critical'.

It's not surprising that more and more people are taking out private health insurance anyway as well as contributing via NI. Hardworking staff in the NHS doesn't change the fact that some serious reform (not the party!) is needed.

Thank you. If there is any suspicion of cancer /malignancy, you will be referred to the 2 week pathway

This is someone's opinion of the NHS based on their experience of it. Other people may have better experiences, some may even have worse.

Complaining of disrespect and calling people pathetic is not going to fix the real and many problems within the NHS. Politicians of all stripes looking at various ways of addressing those problems just might find a way to fix them.

Go into A&E. If you present more than once with the same complaint they have to investigate. You need further tests, colonoscopy etc. Make sure you're taking a gentle iron supplement in the meantime. Losing blood means losing iron

I have been on the urgent pathway twice in the last two months (for 2 completely different things - just bad luck I think) and this is the exact opposite of the treatment I have had, both from HCPs and the system itself which has been nothing short of amazing. So that blanket condemnation of the nhs is just not right.

OP I’m not surprised you’re worried. How helpful are your GP receptionists? Could they do some chasing / know what buttons to press? Could you afford a private consultation? Just to get onto the system?

I really do wish you all the very best

There isn’t only two options here. We can recognise the current system is a shambles of a lot of people trying their best without adequate resource and management, without saying that we need a USA-style insurance based system.

Worshipping a dysfunctional institution isn’t the right answer either.

The NHS and the people working there can do things wrong and can deliver suboptimal outcomes, even when trying their best. But it’s made of up of humans and I’m not sure everyone can do their best every single day when under institutional strain. There’s no superheroes working there.

Shocked you weren't put on the 2 week cancer pathway for a colonoscopy. Not saying it is cancer but most doctors would go for the worst and then work backwards.

That's awful! I was diagnosed after a blood test showed I was anaemic. I did a fit test which came back positive and had a colonoscopy 6 days later! That was 2021 so not long ago. It must be a postcode lottery.

The Tories destroyed the NHS and this is our new reality

I haven't got such concerning symptoms as many PPs, but I was referred 'urgently' to dermatology for severe skin problems. This was in early July, and no appointment yet.
I must have tried every cream under the sun, had at least 4 doctors appointments, been prescribed steroid creams and antifungal tablets to no avail.
Finally tried sudocrem which has improved things a little. I've no idea if I should use this, but am desperate for anything now.
I hope you get an appointment very soon.

A couple of years ago, my poor 11 year old DC had calpro over 2000 and blood and mucus in stools, severe anaemia, losing weight, not growing, couldn’t get out of bed and had to wait 4 months for a scope. And that was with me jumping up and down and making a LOT of noise (was diagnosed with Crohn’s eventually).

I used to work in a fixtures surgery. Unfortunately, the word ‘urgent’ was overused and abused, and could up d mean anything needed that day, or that week.

However, repetitive blood in stools must be a red flag.

Did they say what could be causing the solid stomach bloating? I know someone who suffers from this, and is trying to to work out the cause.

It sounds like you’ve had a high calprotectin test and the approach sounds appropriate. The symptoms and high test result would be indicative of IBD, not cancer so you won’t be on the 2 week cancer referral pathway.

I had exactly the same and went on the urgent referral list. I had my appointment about 5 months later, but then everything happened very fast, CT scan, more bloods, colonoscopy all within about a week. I was diagnosed with pancreatic insufficiency, though they were investigating Crohn’s.

It’s hard waiting, but you have to be mindful that even though it’s awful, the really urgent appointments are for people who need them, for whom waiting 2-5 months would be the difference between curable and incurable. The waiting sucked. It took me a year and a half for a diagnosis. But when I actually had cancer (totally unrelated), I was very grateful that those very urgent appointments were available to me.

Don’t hesitate though to keep them updated on any changes. Find the consultant’s secretary’s email and email with updates so you stay on the radar. If those changes mean you become more of an urgent case, they can push you through.

No, what's pathetic is my OH still waiting for an "urgent" MRI scan connected with his cancer that he was referred for by the oncologist six months ago!

It's a complete shit show and people need to stop believing the "World leading" crap.

I've spent 25+ years in the NHS and I agree with them TBH. I didn't read the post you're replying to as being nasty or derogatory but just honest.

We can't create extra slots where there aren't any. Urgent means we want to see you sooner, but ultimately if we can't, we can't. Urgent means urgent. Stat means RIGHT NOW. We're doing our best, but it IS a lottery as to whether it's you who gets called out of the dozen(plus) urgent cases when a cancellation comes up.