Covid & hospital referrals.

[Francescaisstressed]

I apologise in advance for the saga... But since August 2020 I've had abnormal bleeding and bleeding after sex. My smear was delayed because of covid so I had a zoom call with a Dr that I had to wait almost a month for. She agreed a pelvic examination needed to take place and I waited a further 3 weeks for that, unfortunately she was working from home that day so it was agreed I would have a smear. Smear done, nurse said cervix was friable and bleeding easily and Dr would likely refer me, but had to arrange for another zoom call with Dr which was another 2 weeks. She then advised referred to gyno, and I was advised it was an urgent referral however I'm in Wales so no two week marker and apppintment ws in 6 weeks time (next Tuesday). I've now had a text to say because of covid demand my appointment is cancelled. They have asked not to contact and that they will be in touch.
I am gutted. I am so bloody angry. Not at the NHS and the staff, but by the situation. I know I'll likely be fine, but I'm worried and terrified for the people with serious illnesses that will be missed.

AIBU in being absolutely raging at people that don't understand how covid impacts all parts of the NHS?

Any advice would be much appreciated on what to do next. We do have some savings but they are for emergencies, I'm considering going private but my most lical private hospital the gyno is actually the. One I was due to see on the NHS

Speak to your GP again and push for the referral, you could also contact PALS who may be able to help you with this.

I’ve got no advice but sending my sympathies, it must be constantly on your mind. It’s shocking how they can leave you waiting like this.

I would class this as an emergency OP and pay to go private. At least then you will find out quicker what the problem is.

Do you have PALs in Wales? Have you checked the NICE guidelines for what should happen? We have recently been through a cancer diagnosis in the first lockdown and we had to fight every step of the way, unfortunately the delays have had huge repercussions for DP.

Your anger is justified. The referral was classed as urgent for a reason. Is your GP aware of the cancellation?

In your shoes this isnt something I'd wait around with. I'd think it was emergency enough to pay for private care

I actually think some of your anger should be directed at the NHS. They have a duty of care to you.

Pow normally has a private gynae option called Bridgend clinic. Could you stick it on a credit card and get seen ASAP if this is still running? I had an issue pre Covid and did this for piece of mind as I was told the wait to be seen was quite long as they had a backlog or something at the time and I know a friend also did the same there. Not sure if this helps at all. Sorry about your situation xxxx

Pay for private referral..the damage from a delay isn't worth it..hopefully yields nothing sinister

There is a duty of care.
I would contact PALS at the hospital you were due to be seen at.

I would also look to pay for a private appointment. I know you shouldn’t have to but better to be checked sooner rather than later. I’d also raise it with PALS too. I hope everything is ok.

Have they offered a new appointment?

I would escalate via a complaint asap.

Thanks for all your replies. I've contacted two private places to I tonight for call backs tomorrow. Anyone know how much an initial consultation and scan is? I've tried to contact my gp, called over 20+ times today no answer. I have also emailed them regarding concerns previously and had no reply, although they confirm they have staff issues because of covid. Wish me luck, and sorry to hear other people have had the same issues, wishing you all well xx

Go private. I wasted years mycking about with nhs gynae.

It may be the same guy but under a private appointment you wills till get more attention and they can eg offer you expensive scand that you may ned but which they wouldn’t mention to a nhs patient.

YANBU at all! There are so many stupid people saying that the NHS is focusing too much on Covid- there is no option not to- all of the hospital resources, beds etc are going to be occupied with Covid cases by February.

I hope you get a private appt very soon- it sounds like the best option at the moment.

My DD found a breast lump two days ago. She sees a Consultant on Thursday. Her GP told her that Covid isn't making a difference to the two week pathways. So it must be varying between areas. We are in the NW. I'm glad you've got the money to go privately.

I think my appointment may have been 175 or 225 - something like that. For me it was an initial consultation and quite fortunately my issue was diagnosed then and there and any worry was removed but I don’t know about scans or other appointments. Even if you did that and they thought it was serious then surely you could get fast tracked back on the NHS I would hope if it’s a consultant that works for both? No expert here but I would hope so! X

I disagree with Lemonpiano, I don't think the blame lies so much with the NHS, as with the selfish people who have gone about as if Covid doesn't exist. I've been warning about this for weeks now, and was told on Mumsnet when I posted about what would happen if people continued to go about their lives as 'normal', to 'take a tablet', as if I was a bloody idiot. It's not people like me that have followed all the rules during the pandemic, but maybe blame some of the idiots on here, who thought it was a great idea, to mix with parents and family over Christmas and before, the writing was on the wall, but they chose not to listen, and now you and others like you are having to pay!

I do hope you can get some answers and any treatment needed soon OP, and wish you the best of luck.

I’ve spent almost all of lockdown in hospital. During the summer I spent my hours sat outside watching the world go by on a bench. Every so often someone would sit the other end of the bench

One afternoon I met a lady. Who was almost hysterical. She’d tried to go get a coffee after finding out her husband was in ICU and dying but they wouldn’t allow her. So I offered to go get her one. She was so grateful she just gave me her credit card and told me to help myself. Thankfully I’m a super honest person. But it goes to show how upset she was. Not thinking clearly. I tried to give it back.

Anyway. It turns out her husband had a pain in his shoulder. He being a man took ages to go to the drs. But for months the doctors fobbed him off saying it was w pulled muscle. Fast forward 6 months and he collapsing in pain screaming. She calls an ambulance and when they did w scan it turned out he had a tumour that encased his chest. His throat and his shoulder. They took him straight into theatre and spent 20 hrs operating. This whole time she didn’t see her husband. Anyway during the operation they took his voice of out so he wasn’t able to speak. That was in March. I met her in august and she’d seen him twice. In 6 months. He took w turn for the worse the day I met her. We spoke. I consoled her. She said they’d already told her it had been sadly missed due to corona. He hated no grudges. Neither did she. Just pure pure sadness.

I saw her two weeks ago. He’s doing much better. He’s still in hospital. Still poorly. But he’s going to live. He can’t speak. He can’t see his wife. He can’t have visitors and I just cannot imagine how isolated that man must feel.

Another time whilst sat on a bench when I met this man who was about 90. He’d rushed to the hospital after finding out his wife had fallen whilst he was getting some milk. We’ve got these people on the doors who I called vultures. I know they are doing their job but my god. They were so heartless. He ran to the door so upset. The young man said sir. Do you realise there’s a pandemic on......

I managed to go to the ward and let the nurses know and they took him to see his wife. But he was also so isolated. They didn’t have phones. Neither could speak to each other.

I just cannot imagine those 4 people. It’s a weird suffering to hear your most loved is dying. Yet you can’t see them or even speak to them. Horrifying.

I’m in England and I had irregular bleeding that lasted 4 days. I spoke to my gp the same week on the 29/12 and she’s referred for a scan and internal scan which I’ve got on the 21st jan. mines not on the pathway either. COVID definitely hasn’t changed things in my area so I would push for a referral quicker. Anything to do with bleeding needs checking .

I'm so glad you've been seen so quickly, but so shocked now by how completely fobbed off I've been. I mentioned the two week urgent referral but apparently that isn't a time frame in Wales anyway, so was ignored when i brought it up. Its been painful just getting a GP appointment let alone anything else. Thanks for giving me advice, definitely going to go private. I'm lucky I have savings that allow me to do it, even though we don't have much should be a ough for initial and scan. I know cancer referrals have reduced to 77% of normal or something I'm starting to wonder if that's an issue with GP surgeries and appointments, rather than people actually being afraid to visit the gp/hospital as suggested.