What the fuck do I do?

[Bakewellisntjustacake]

I have suspected lymphoma but they can't rule out breast cancer because after my MRI which showed 3 big lymph nodes in my neck and chest, I did a breast exam and found a sizeable lump that I hadn't noticed previously . My issue is my referral to the breast clinic has been cancelled because the hospital I have been referred to has been inundated with covid patients and they've moved staff from out patients to covid wards.

They have cancelled my Wednesday appointment and rebooked me for November, all the rapid access appointments have been cancelled and my county won't allow my GP to refer out of area. My Gp is beside herself because she's so angry, but says there is nothing she can do other than write me a letter I can take to other hospitals. I have 4 hospitals near me but none can accept a direct referral from my GP because they're not in the same area.

I've written to my MP to complain but it just feels like an absolute death sentence

Sorry for all my spelling mistakes,

@Blinky21

The NHS isn't fit for purpose, covid has shown that, it makes me so angry, I have a close relative with a aggressive and terminal diagnosis who has effectively been abandoned by the NHS during the pandemic, whereas I have friends who are in other countries, with worse covid rates, who are accessing cancer care within a week

The real culprits here are those parties/politicians who underfund the NHS, ALL those who vote for those parties/politicians who underfund the NHS, and those who fail to wear masks/have vaccines when they could do so, thereby putting much more pressure on the NHS w.r.t. Covid than the rest of us who do take proper care. NHS waiting lists had shot up from 2010 levels well before covid struck, that's why we are coping far worse than the other countries you mention. Just compare how many ITC beds we had before the pandemic per head to how many Germany, France, Ital, etc. have.

@OmgIcantbelieveshedidit

And email your mp And the Secretary of State for education

Why the SOS for Education?

@TILFA yes please to also helping. I didn’t release you couldn’t share those on here.
I’m not on social media either 😖

Are you a nurse in the same trust @Bakewellisntjustacake? If so here is what I’d do. I would look up the consultant on the email directory and email him/her directly. I would ask them if they are aware that their clinic has been cancelled and just what they intend to do about! I’d also include a copy of the letter from your GP. Hopefully the consultant will be so horrified they will kick up a stink too!
Next I’d refer myself urgently to occupational health and explain that the stress of the situation is ridiculous and you can’t work until it’s sorted.
I would call the waiting list secretary every few hours looking for gaps, if I knew for definite a clinic was on I’d be tempted to go down and stage some sort of sit in.
I’d also as others have said involve MPs, local councillors and anyone who’ll listen.
How awful for you I hope you get an appointment soon

@TILFA

I just feel like they've gone 'oh it's not covid it's fine'

I have so much empathy for you OP. Can you do a go fund me and advertise/send your predicament to local yv broadcasters and other media to highlight this type if civd related scandal?

I know you can't advertise a go fund me in here, but I really want ti help you and would happily coordinate sending PMs to others who'd want to help you.

I'm a similar position with a life threatening condition. It started one year ago this week. It took 7 months to see the relevant qualified specialise, despite (at that time) 5 emergency/critical admissions and another 5 since May. They know the primary symptoms and these have been extremely well observed and documented yet I still hadn't been allowed ti havw the relevant diagnostic tests. I could be dead by tonight and my GP surgery have not once allowed me an appointment to discuss it (and the fear).

Very best wishes to you, and if you'd like my help I suggested above I'm happy for you to PM me.

It is absolutely disgraceful.

I feel so sorry and angry at what it happening to you, and others in the same position. It should not be like this, covid or not. OUr NHS was crippled before covid, so there was no slack anywhere in the system, thanks to idiot politicians thinking long waiting lists and close to 100% bed occupancy with no margins for contingency is possible or sensible.

Your GP surgery also sounds like a load of crap, excuse my French. I'd say a formal complaint is in order.

You dont just have a choice of local hospitals OP, your gp should be able to refer you further afield. Shitty but this is urgent.

For all those who are sick of this COVID thing, please remember that the people in hospital with COVID are also at risk of dying. So short of tossing them into the street, what would you have the hospitals do?

“For all those who are sick of this COVID thing, please remember that the people in hospital with COVID are also at risk of dying. So short of tossing them into the street, what would you have the hospitals do?“

I want them not to shut down completely unrelated wards because of something happening elsewhere. At no time in history have we cancelled cancer appointments because of a bad flu season. People die every day. We can’t keep prioritising one group of people over the other

This makes me furious. The whole doctor situation not allowing people in makes my blood boil. Trying to explain over the phone just doesn’t cut it. Doctors must see patients. You need to go to the papers make a big fuss! Also go private as time is of the essence ...borrow from family or get a loan. It’s shocking that yet again it’s all about Covid and so many other serious conditions being pushed down the line which is so wrong ...

So why are they shutting the wards? I'd assume it is due to staff shortages. So you are back to the same question. Do you prioritise the people dying today over those who might die tomorrow?

If ward closures are due to funding, which is also a possibility, then we are back to the fact we dont want to properly subsidise the nhs and people like the OP (and thousands of others) are suffering because of it.

@OmgIcantbelieveshedidit

And email your mp And the Secretary of State for education

Gav is finding education hard enough, I am not sure that he Dan do health as well

If the OP wanted to buy a fireplace then he us your man.

Can you pay privately for diagnosis and then move to Nhs for treatment? The initial consultation will be about £209 but more for scans etc

[quote NoWigNoWit]@TILFA yes please to also helping. I didn’t release you couldn’t share those on here.
I’m not on social media either 😖[/quote]
Thank you.

Obviously id only help in thus way if the OP would be OK with this and a quick private initial appointment could considerably speed up a diagnosis.

OP, I won't be offended if you don't want ti take up ,y suggestion. There is no need to reply, contact or otherwise acknowledge me, I just understood what a terrible time this is fir you and your family.

Oh this makes me feel sick. All of these stories. It’s horrendous- but be under no illusions- this isn’t “just” Covid overwhelming the system. It’s year of systematic dismantling and underfunding. And it’s horrifying.

I’m so sorry for all of you going through this. I really am sick to my stomach for you.

Present at a and e not at the weekend with breathing difficulties? Chose a hospital with the specialism you need

Not sure that helps but that was the advice a doctor gave my husband when he couldn’t even get a gp appointment.

He managed to get a gp appointment after 4 weeks of failure by claiming non crud breathing difficulties and was being treated in hidputsl for cancer within 5 hours

allBlueMongoose thank you for your support. I feel si angry that the OP is in this awful predicament, even with a great GP.

Do you have family out of area? Who you are staying with?

I would visit your MP in person if possible and I would look up contact details and email your story to your local paper and the daily mail, having the press pick up your story can only help.

I would also get a private appointment in the meantime and stick it on a credit card or remortgage if I was going to go through that for treatment and I hate debt but this is necessary debt. I’m sure your family would also help financially if they could.

I would take every opportunity to complain both by letter and on social media, maybe even changing the thread title to add Daily Mail please help. Possibly we should share this story to their Facebook page if you wanted and were willing to go public?

@DrBlackbird

it’s an almost inevitable consequence of what happens when a totally free health care system experiences a pandemic

FGS it is NOT a totally free health care system and what’s happening now has nothing to do with how we pay for it. You think private health care insurance is the way to go have a look at the US.

Covid is definitely part of the problem but also a convenient excuse to cover up the fact that It’s been chronically underfunded for a decade. Going into this mismanaged from day one by mr let’s all still shake hands bloody Johnson, the NHS had far fewer ITU beds per 100000 than Germany for a start. And years of lack of funding to train UK doctors and nurses rather than counting on overseas recruitment etc etc etc

None of that helps you OP and it must be so scary . Absolutely show up on the doorstep of your MP’s constituent surgery because it’s on them to remedy the scenario they’ve created.

This. Chronic underfunding of the NHS is the root of this, covid has just highlighted it. Don't let the Tories continue to gaslight you that covid has caused this rather than their decisions to underfund it.

None of this sadly helps the op though however as a bit of practical help, if you work as a nurse in the same trust as the breast clinic I'd second emailing the consultant directly to see if they can do anything. Not to ask them if they are aware their clinic has been cancelled as per a previous poster because of course they will be, but to see if they can fit you in.

I'm an NHS consultant (clearly not in your area as we are running our cancer services as normal and have been throughout covid apart from the first couple of months) and would do this for a colleague if I could.

@Porcupineintherough

You dont just have a choice of local hospitals OP, your gp should be able to refer you further afield. Shitty but this is urgent.

For all those who are sick of this COVID thing, please remember that the people in hospital with COVID are also at risk of dying. So short of tossing them into the street, what would you have the hospitals do?

I want GP, some type of nationwide triage services (surely this is possible) and diagnostic services prioritised so those at greatest risk of loss of life can be seen, diagnosed and found an appropriate treatment centre.

Do you genuinely believe that normal compassionate people want anyone dying, let alone tossing people hospitalised with COVID and at risk of dying into the street. Being facetious isn't always appropriate.

I want GP, some type of nationwide triage services (surely this is possible) and diagnostic services prioritised so those at greatest risk of loss of life can be seen, diagnosed and found an appropriate treatment centre

Good idea in principle but where I work patients often won't even travel to the hospital that isn't their closest one for a sooner appointment (we have several within 25 miles offering the same appointments within the same trust), so no way would a national triage system that might send someone from Devon to Manchester (for example) be practical.

However it certainly should be possible for GPs to refer out of area for those patients who are prepared for this, although in practical terms I suspect the local CCGs can set their own rules on this...

I wish all the idiots who didn't follow the rules, won't get vaccinated, don't believe covid is real could realise the consequences. I am so sorry for you @Bakewellisntjustacake and really hope you get somewhere. Definitely ring everyone every day to see if there is a cancellation. I wish I could help.

@BobISMyUncle totally agree we are stretched to the limits and cannot cope...the health service is on its knees. How the heck the government thinks it’s ok to add to that by bringing more people in is bonkers....we simply are full to bursting and we don’t need more people when services are struggling already ...it’s sad but true...

OMG op this is horrendous.

I would ring a radio station like LBC when they have a high profile presenter on like Nick Ferrari ana see if they can get some momentum building for you .

Absolutely shocking and unfortunately the way of things to come I fear.

If needs be stick it on a credit card and go private.

Of you can said up a go fund me page I'll contribute some Dosh x