Going to hospital - handhold

[slushpup1]

Hi - just posting for a bit of a handhold because I’m feeling really worried and frightened .

I’m going to try and keep it anonymous without being cryptic . I went to the GP because I’ve been unwell and it got significantly worse today , she found something worrying and phoned the hospital and I’m going straight there . It’s not to a&e it’s for a specific department - I know it’s nothing life or death but I’m just feeling so worried and upset . Obviously there’s been a lot of stories on the news about delays at a&e and long waits and so on , does anyone know if it’s the same for outpatient departments too ? Just so I know what to expect before going there .

thanks kindly . x

Over the past year, I've had a number of pre-booked outpatient appointments to see a gynae consultant and a gynae-oncologist. The initial appointments were issued under the 2 Week Wait suspected cancer referral pathway.

The gynae-oncologist's clinic has always run late because I think that patients being seen under the emergency 2 Week Wait pathway are slotted into the day's pre-booked clinic list.

The longest I have had to wait in the waiting room is one and three quarter hours, but that was an exception and I am usually called in within half an hour to an hour of my booked appointment time. If the clinic is running very late, the clinic nurses would often suggest going off for a coffee within the hospital and on one occasion, a nurse offered to make me a coffee.

Your experience may be different but I doubt you will be waiting hours to be seen at an outpatient clinic.

I'd suggest the following:

ask at reception when you arrive how late the clinic is running in case you need to let anyone know who might be picking you up; take a good quality face mask and if you can, sit by an open window; take a book, Kindle etc and a cold drink. If you have to nip to the loo, let reception know where you are.

I do hope all goes well for you today, that the consultant and clinic team are kindly and that you'll come away feeling less worried.

Good luck OP. I don't have anything informative to add, but hope you get seen quickly and are feeling more comfortable and less worried soon. Everyone will be in the same boat, so hopefully there'll be some spirit of solidarity and you'll have other patients to chat to 🌻

I'm sorry op you must be very scared

in my experience, being referred straight to the department in this type of situation is usually quicker but I don't have recent experience.

Take a bag of supplies with you just in case- drink, snack, charger, book etc - so that you can stay comfortable.

Good luck x