Cannot get through to GP and suspected cancer - would you go private?

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

DH has always had a small mole just under his eye, really very close to the eye.

In recent weeks I have noticed he appears to have a spot or infected eyelash follicle there. He is very "unfussy" about medical stuff and doesn't like things being raised so I left it.

Up close last night in good light and could see quite clearly it was not a spot, but the mole. It has grown hugely to the point where it is sort of puffing up into the bottom of his eye if that makes sense.

I was pretty aghast and asked him if he didn't think he should see someone. He said that he hadn't wanted to worry me but 4 weeks ago he contacted GP via e-consult and GP had asked him to send photos. DH tried but it is hard to take photos of your own eye up close, and so he emailed them back to say the photos weren't coming out well, and could someone just take a look?

No answer.

I asked him to let me take photos and please do another e-consult. Did the photos, went on website - they have turned e-consult off as they have too many to get through.

Also not answering phone.

DH doesn't want to go private but I think time might be of the essence and it's worth a couple of hundred pounds.

Just

I would try at his optician today.

If you can afford it I’d go private and have it removed even if it isn’t cancerous so you don’t have to worry about in the future.

@thedarkling

What the feck will A&E do? They'll surely just say to see a GP and get a dermatology referral. I don't think they have emergency dermatologists hanging round A&E to swipe off dodgy moles.

If you can afford it go private OP. I went to see a dermatologist under my medical insurance and he said he could treat me as an NHS patient if it needed to come off (it didn't) - he gave me his card and said to call him directly (I didn't get it either but there you are!) But I think it's worth the initial outlay to get into the system.

Actually that's not true - I've got mixed up between this and when my daughter possibly needed something doing. He did tell me to call him directly but I think it was still a private appt.

Sometimes you do need a referral though. I enquired about a scan of my rotator cuff but they wanted a referral, wouldn’t do it without.

The consulting fee might be £200 but that's not going to be the end of it as surgery will be more on top

If the consultant suspects cancer, they can put you on two week referral. Or on their NHS list.

I attempted to go private for a couple of different medical issues last year and it really wasn’t as easy as I’d anticipated!! Considering how much you’re paying, I was quite shocked at how clunky their administrative procedures were and how long the waitlists still were. NHS seem to have commandeered the hospitals so the wait for surgery was lengthy.

Luckily for me one issue resolved itself and the other I managed to get in at a different hospital that could see me around 21 months sooner, just by checking the online appointments system regularly. Can also get lucky by Googling then calling the PA of the consultant and asking for last min cancellation spots.

I would 1. Keep calling the surgery daily from opening time onwards. Can’t believe they never answer, as obtuse and unhelpful as they are at the best of times.

1. Also start looking into private now - because you can’t assume it will be as slick as service as you’d expect.

Go private.

If I hadn't gone private for a consultation 18 months ago I would be disabled right now.

I paid for surgery with my life savings as I would still be waiting for a consultation had I stayed with NHS. I have no savings left and owe my parents some money but I can walk.

If we see a private consultant can they not get him on an NHS cancer pathway if needed?

It is so hard accessing medical care here. I grew up with an insurance based system where you could just see someone when you were ill.

I am totally going to look at private insurance after this. I am so worried about DH

@Mosaic123

I would try at his optician today.

Optician will tell you to see a doctor.

If you can afford it, go private.

If we see a private consultant can they not get him on an NHS cancer pathway if needed?
Some can, it depends. My friend went to a private consultant and after the fast track checks etc, was added to NHS list for ongoing treatment

It's terrible they didn't respond to your dh a few weeks ago but if I'm understanding correctly he didn't chase it up and you were trying to contact them after hours on a Friday evening. So apart from that one econsult question not being answered, It's more a case of you phoning when they are probably closed than not being able to get through. Try again on Monday and be insistent on the phone that you are concerned about cancer not a minor dermatology issue. I do sympathise that it is really stressful to wait though! And I have also had the situation of bring asked for photos for something like that and think it's ridiculous to expect anything useable (although having said that my mil got a referral for a melanoma via photo to gp so can work sometimes).

Don't panic. Take good pictures and fill in the e-consult first thing Monday morning (assuming it's available again then). I had a dodgy mole during lockdown, and got DH to take pics for the e-consult and was then called in for an appointment the same day (thankfully in my case it was nothing to worry about).

e-consult is usually only operational in GP working hours.

I'd try seeing if that works first.

If not, sit down with your phone fully charged, allow at least 3 hours, and be determined.

Even if you go private today nothing is going to get done till Monday. I'd fill in the econsult on Monday with pictures - the GP (if he thinks it's necessary) will put him on the 2 week referral and that's probably no quicker then private. (I have private cover but the NHS is just as quick with suspected/query cancer)

Here 111 seem to have access to appointments if they think it is urgent. A friend had something similar, wasn't able to get through to the GP or get an appointment & 111 just booked her in at 9am the next day.

When in London I went to Moorfields Eye Hospital which ha a specialist A&E.
Other hospitals such as Bournemouth have special Eye Depts A&E. Often even in pre Covid times they require you to telephone first and triage, then they give you an appt. This is Monday - Friday only.
Try a quick opinion with a pharmacist.

Are you in or near London? If so it’s worth knowing that you can self-refer to the excellent Moorfields Eye Hospital, which (so far as I know) deals with eyelid lesions as well as the eyeball & other structures. You could ring them and check, if getting there is realistic for you. People I know have found the care there to be outstanding, and very prompt. It is so specialist that it shouldn’t be affected by the Covid burden.

Cross-posted re Moorfields!

They won't have the e-consult on out of hours. But what do you mean they don't answer the phone? Is there a message saying why they're not/is it just ringing out/too long a wait?
I'd try and contact them again first thing Monday morning and emphasise you're concerned about skin cancer and want to be called back that day.

So DH emailed them, didn't get a response, and tried ringing (when they were meant to be open) but didn't get an answer.

He is very much one of those "I'm sure it's nothing, don't want to make a fuss" people. If he gets put off he doesn't follow up.

He has full care of our children 2 days a week and at work 3, and he will always say "oh I can't be on the phone on hold for ages, the children need me" or "I'm meant to be at work".

I am quite sharp elbowed but he isn't and just won't prioritise himself, and it feels like you need to fight in this system.

Framces - it rings and rings and just no one picks up for say 2-3 mins by the clock. Not always but sometimes, and this happened when he tried to chase up recently.

300 miles away from London sadly!

Can you take a photo/photos of eye currently, and do you have a close up picture of his face from some time ago as a compared to x years ago?
I'd print them all out and highlight the difference by dating the photos, handwritten note saying it's puffing up and just beginning to get into the line of vision, and pop this through their letterbox. They can hardly ignore that.

Why doesn’t he go to the surgery in person? there should be no surgery now that doesn’t have doors open and someone on the front desk.

2-3 mins is nothing to be on hold or ringing out. Just put phone on speaker and carry on preparing the breakfast or something while keeping an ear out.

It sounds like he’s making excuses as to why it’s too hard. My husband woukd be exactly the same. If it came to it I think I would phone on his behalf.

Take photos and send to the gp. Call the gp Monday and tell them you have sent photos and are really worried as it looks like a changed mole to you - you should get a same day appointment. They do review them by e consult but calling doubles up the possibility of a fast response. It's worth doing e consult now as my gp has responded on a weekend in the past, mine works x number of hours per week and is a parent of young kids so puts in time to catch up on weekends