NHS workers, please help me to understand what is going on!
References to cancer and the 2 WW
I would like to clarify that this is not an NHS bashing message. I truly believe that there are so many wonderful individuals that are doing their very best.
My background: I had breast cancer at a (relatively!) young age (45) and needed a mastectomy and radio. I have annual mammograms for 5 years.
I had my 2nd year, routine mammogram recently. At the appointment I was told that it would take 8-10 days for me to receive the results. Waited patiently, no results. My husband reassured me that if I haven’t heard anything it is good news but I am, by nature, rather less trusting! I managed to get the number for the breast team at the hospital and call to be told the consultant hasn’t written the letter but she will chase him. Told to wait for a week which I do but still no results. Repeated the above twice more and finally receive the result (which was clear -hurrah) 4 weeks after the initial 8-10 day wait.
Now, clearly, it was all ok but what if it hadn’t been…. This kind of delay is crazy for a cancer appointment. The ‘you’re ok’ letter was also sent by post (not uploaded to the NHS APP) which again is crazy in this day and age. The first breast cancer diagnosis was the same with letters
Coming every 2/3 weeks for appointments for further scans and biopsies. In all it was over 6 weeks to go from initial mammogram to sitting down with a consultant to be told it was cancer.
It all feels far too long and inefficient.
Third example. I went to the GP (who was excellent) a few weeks ago with another lump on my body. I was put on the 2WW immediately and given assurances that the 2WW would mean that I was seen within 2 weeks as I was high risk because of my previous cancer. I have just received an appointment through which is 4 weeks after my GP appointment.
I am just really trying to understand what is going on. Clearly, these kind of waits for cancer are not acceptable. Is it just the sheer number of appointments and the lack of doctors? Is it just hugely inefficient and despite more and more money being pummelled in things are not improving or is it something else completely?
I’m really hoping that NHS workers can help me understand.
Some of my closest friends work for the NHS, I know how hard they work, this is not a thread to bash them. Neither do I want it to descend into politics. I just want to understand how all of my experiences in the past 2 years have been so slow and involved me pushing and chasing so much.
Many thanks for reading this far!