AIBU to be cross at GP over this? Or am I over-reacting?

[DittoDaisy]

Phoned GP on Friday wanting to book an appointment after having had pain in my breast for over two weeks. I assumed first it was hormonal pain (I sometimes get general breast soreness for a day or two mid cycle) but this has continued and has gotten worse, is very much at the back of my breast under the nipple, in a concentrated area - very different from my normal hormonal discomfort. I was offered an appointment in 3 weeks. I asked why I couldn't be seen sooner and was told as I cannot feel a feel a solid lump it is not considered urgent, thus I have to book an non-urgent appointment. My SIL in currently battling breast cancer, so I may well be over-reacting here and over-worrying. Is this a normal reaction from GP or should I push back?

I'd push back, as not the GP who made that call, a non-medically trained receptionist has.

I'd actually ask to see the nurse though, they have training in this and can make the same referral.

Also, there are some charities you can self refer to for a breast assessment so might be worth a Google search too.

Only know the above as same happened to me recently. Got the 2 week referral through and thankfully all fine.

Good luck!

I’m the first to say my surgery isn’t great but one of my friends called with a similar issue earlier in the year and she had a same day appointment and was seen at the breast clinic within two weeks.

I would go back to them if I were you. Three weeks just for an initial appointment is ridiculous.

Frankly I would call back and say you think you’ve just felt a lump. If this is a computer says no moment, play the game and get into the room.

But she can't feel a lump. Their triage arrangements make this a non-urgent appointment. People lying about their symptoms are the reason people can't get urgent same-day appointments when they need one.

I'd call back and tell them you can feel a lump. Breast tissue is lumpy so not a lie as such.
As for seeing the practice nurse, no, most aren't trained in this. If the surgery has advanced nurse practitioners, they (likely) will be and can refer.

Push back. DH turned yellow in lockdown, initially he was told by the receptionist it wasn't an emergency and he could wait for a routine phone appointment. After a lot of faffing about he was seen (and completely let down by the NHS but that's another story). Long story short, it was bile duct cancer, died in February this year.

I'm a breast surgeon and would very much like to reassure you that the likelihood of this (breast pain with no other breast symptom including a lump) being cancer is exactly the same as is you had no symptoms at all and had a cancer picked up by chance. This is the reason that it is not part of the list of symptoms that need an urgent 2ww breast clinic appointment (although currently ALL breast symptoms are seen within 2 weeks anyway which is why you / others on this thread will know people who are seen so promptly with breast pain).

So please don't play the game and lie about having a lump (as someone suggested), google "breast cancer care breast pain leaflet" which will take you to the information leaflet we give our patients to help you treat your pain, and try not to worry.

Keep an eye on things and if you're symptoms do change before your appointment (if you notice a lump or anything else that worries you) then call back for a sooner appointment

Not really. It's more the regulars (who come in for every little thing) people who can manage conditions at home but don't (3 day cough, 2 day rash, for instance), and the extreme lack of GPs and other clinical staff.
I wouldn't take chances with an unusually painful breast.

Please ring your GP back in the morning. I couldn’t feel a lump in my breast but had cancer. You need to be seen soon because then you’ll have a 2 week wait for the hospital appt.

This is helpful, thank you

@CharlotteUnaNatalieThompson it was me that suggested lying and thank you for your explanation. I wouldn’t normally suggest lying but it seemed that this was a case of someone interpreting criteria unhelpfully (something I have experienced more than once myself in the past). Very happy to be corrected if this is wrong.

My mother (60) had breast pain for 1 week. Her only symptom was pain. She contacted her GP via econsult on Fri 8th, had a text back the same day booking an appointment for Mon 11th. She’s been examined, reassured, given antibiotics (some redness appeared later and it’s now a suspected skin infection). She has a follow up review appointment on 18th.

She is post menopausal so it’s not a direct comparison but it’s similar enough to be relevant.

Maybe try econsult as you have an opportunity to present your narrative direct to a medic rather than be triaged by a receptionist. 3 weeks is a long time to wait worrying in pain.

People lying about their symptoms to get what they want is one of the reasons the NHS is on its knees. Triage and guidelines exist to manage demand. If you don't respect them you're prioritising yourself over people with greater need.

Exactly, all the just call 999 andlie tell them it's chest pain and you'll get an ambulance quicker 'advice' !! 🙄

What I don’t understand is how “the regulars they come in for every little thing” get past reception? Surely something like breast pain, should take precedence and if it does why are the receptionists allowing these people who book to see the gp for minor things allowing them to? Seems inconsistent

Wait for your appointment. 2 weeks of breast pain that you thought was hormonal doesn’t sound like a red flag. Have you pulled a muscle? Is your bra ill fitting?

@MichelleScarn - I genuinely did have chest pain. Excruciating chest pain. I called an ambulance after an hour and was told get a taxi to A&E as the wait was 3 hours for an ambulance. So even lying about it won’t get you anywhere. It’s not people lying it’s the lack of funding, the government is just good at getting us to blame each other.

@MichelleScarn I couldn't agree more! People that suggest this are just selfish idiots. Anyway there are only 3 things that will get you a category 1 ( 8 min response time) ambulance and chest pain isnt one of them so they are wasting everyones time including their own.