AIBU to be annoyed with the NHS that they misdiagnosed me at my colposcopy??

[Onlyrainbows]

While visiting my family abroad, I've taken the opportunity to get some second opinions on a couple of my conditions... Both of them need completely different treatment but what really annoys me is that during my colposcopy thy missed a huge section with severe abnormalities. And that was on the 10th of May so it's not like it just showed up. I need urgent surgery that can't wait the 12 months that the NHS is telling me to wait. So am I being unreasonable for being annoyed with them? PS if anybody knows if ways to convince them that I need the surgery rather than having to fly back over here I'm all ears

I had similar. I honestly don't trust the NHS, so many mistakes that cause harm to people. I think I'd find the cheapest private option overseas and get it done.

You can ask for a second opinion with the NHS - its easier winning a defamation trial in the US than getting one!

I'm seeing 'issues' here. You need to be far more specific as to what was apparently 'missed'.

Please don't go 'cheapest private option overseas'. The NHS spends a lot of cash mopping those up, when they come home to roost.🤔

Are you sure it wasn’t the second place that made the error?

also, sometimes things really do change, just that quickly

I think I was fairly clear? They said I had low abnormalities but it turns out to be severe. I need cone surgery done within 6 months max (not 12 like they recommend). The oncologist suggested I could get it done ASAP but I'm flying back on Monday.

The other is just not wanting to give me regular iron infusions but I'm not the only one...

And these aren't "cheap doctors" BTW.

It's impossible for something to develop that quickly, not even a month! But yes I saw it with my own eyes, they magnified it for me to see and showed me how different stages look, and how they look is text book severe abnormalities.

Are you medically trained? Genuine question.

I've heard stories of various misdiagnosis'. They are over worked and under staffed just trying to plod on. YANBU it is not good enough.

No, I'm not medically trained but the oncologist showed me, I mean it definitely looks different.

They advised you to have urgent surgery with them?
I think your best bet is to get a second opinion in this country.
there’s been a lot in the press over the last years about unnecessary colposcopy/ biopsies especially in younger women eg theconversation.com/amp/doctors-must-stop-misleading-women-about-cervical-screening-90496
id definitely get a second opinion from nhs or private but I wouldn’t pre-judge the conclusion

I was told I had severe abnormalities after a colposcopy, I saw it on the screen, it looked awful, I had a lot of my cervix cut away as the area was so large, they tested the tissue and it turned out it was actually grade 1 changes which are common and normal in young women. I would urge you to get another opinion in this country.

Will you be paying this oncologist?

So much this.

Yanbu, my friend had smears that came.back clear but following diagnosis of stage 2 cervical cancer (after doctors also on several occasions dismissed classic symptoms of cervical cancer) the smears were re-reviewed and clearly showed of a series of 5 smears (so several years) with changes starting at borderline and noving to severe, she has gone through the menopause in her early 30's after her treatment and lost to chance to have more dc.

Go back and cause merry hell imo.

If you have a report from the colposcopy and have severe dyskaryosis you won't have to wait a year.it is an urgent referral.If you have a lesser abnormality it will be LONGER .Discuss with your GP again and make sure you have all the information and a translated

Get an nhs second opinion —— either through your GP or your current UK hospital. You mentioned oncology so I presume cancer may be on the cards. You can ask for an urgent referral to the Marsden in London or any other London hospital that is light years ahead in dealing with cancer & has the top consultants and access to trials etc.The Marsden definitely (Dame Deborah) but maybe UCHL too, or Barts. Have a Google and look for bowel specialists.

I have metastatic breast cancer and am having treatment at my local hospital trust but they’re absolutely shit. I was however able to fairly easily and quickly get an NHS second opinion at the Marsden with their top breast cancer consultant which was reassuring. Their treatment plan is basically the same as my local one but with more bells and whistles —MRI scan which I haven’t had for example, & extra blood tests for tumour markers which they weren’t doing. The consultant told me that usually when they send their findings to the treating hospital the hospital follows their plan. I now have an MRI scan booked for July and tumour markers being monitored.

If you need urgent surgery, a second opinion from a good consultant will go a long way. Unfortunately you have to be your own medical secretary and jump through hoops & chase appointments and referrals. But good luck.

Nope, I won't have to for surgery. As I have no private insurance, they'll do it in a public one and I won't pay a penny, but I'll have to fly back.

Overall with the infusions the NHS GI is actually more or less of the same opinion of the hematologist I saw. The main difference is that the hematologist says that given my history, it's silly to wait to have extremely low ferritin, I might as well just get them regularly rather than wait for the levels to drop and then wait for the IV referral. (It's so I don't have to go through this 2-3 months when I have to hibernate waiting for said referral).

What is the actual cytology result?
It is that which treatment is based on not how it looks
in which case I would get a copy of this and show it your GP who would be able expedite your appointment if further along than previously report.

She didn't take a sample. I was bleeding a lot because it's the first day of my period. I think her observations would at least warrant a second colposcopy (on the NHS).

I’ve had abnormal smears. The first back in 2008, the smear itself was “abnormal” the follow up colposcopy was CIN1, the biopsy took it to cin2, and after the letz I had done to remove the abnormal cells it was cin3.

it wasn’t that it developed to cin3 that quickly but you couldn’t tell it was until further investigation. I’ve been clear for a few years now but in between I kept having abnormal but with a “wait and see approach” to any further developments, which isn’t a very comforting suggestion for seeing if you’re going to develop cancer!

If I were you I’d get back to the uk and ask for a second opinion based on what the overseas doc has said, it’s obviously unnerving to hear you need quicker treatment but it may not be necessary and to get all the facts first is best.

Interesting that you chose to visit a doctor while visiting family? Has there been a feeling that you needed a second opinion?

I agree with others, get a second opinion from a NHS consultant. I can’t quite make out whether the biopsy was done here, or abroad, but as Soakitup37 has said, sometimes biopsies are superficial and don’t tell the whole story, or the view of the cervix hasn’t been good enough to give a clearer picture. I’ve seen biopsies that come back from the lab saying no cancer, yet once further tissue sample are obtained, it is definitely a cancer. Or biopsies saying that there is suspicion of cancer, but it actually isn’t. In addition, internationally agreed protocols on how to treat something, or what is classified as cancer, not cancer, tend to be a bit different. The safest thing to do would be to take your reports, both of them, to a good consultant here in the UK, and see if this can be clarified for you.
I hope you get this sorted out for yourself soon.