The wait for NHS test results is cruel and anxiety inducing

[Summortime]

I had a routine NHS mammogram a week ago. Was told up to three weeks wait for the result. I cannot believe this is considered acceptable. In USA for example you can get the result within the next couple of days. My American colleague was shocked that here in the UK we are just expected to wait.

My anxiety is sky high. I appreciate this is a problem I need to get help with but if results were given in days rather than weeks my anxiety would not be so bad. It is the waiting that’s the worst.

How in a so called first world country is a long wait for test results considered acceptable?

Leave. Go. See how u get on whinging the way you are somewhere else. One less moan about the nhs that WE ALL pay into.

When Millais became president of Argentina he brought in a rule that the words "taxpayer funded" had to be used for government services instead of "free". I think that's a good idea. It makes it clearer where the money comes from.

Really sorry you had to wait so long for your appointment. That is certainly not the case for all areas but absolutely not good enough. I hope all turned out to be ok for you.

My actual post was more in reference to the wait for results to come back- mammograms booked for patients with symptoms of breast cancer are booked on a different pathway and are therefore reviewed much more quickly.

In my experience if there’s something obvious you’ll hear much quicker - I was told there and then before I left they’d seen something that concerned them on my mammogram (I went in symptomatic though)

Waiting is awful though, I do have breast cancer but the 4-5 week waits for post-surgery pathology results are a real kicker 🫠

Agree! It’s a routine mammogram fgs!

Not many more. Most people pay in less than they will take. Soz.

You aren't the only patient. People who are urgent will be prioritised. Pay private prices if you want immediate results. Its a routine screening, it takes the lowest priority. In America people pay thousands for every scan.

A mammogram can cost anywhere from
$100 to $360 or more, depending on your location, insurance, and the type of mammogram (2D vs. 3D). With most insurance plans and Medicare, the cost for a screening mammogram is often $0 or significantly lower after considering preventive care coverage under the Affordable Care Act. However, follow-up tests for dense breasts are not always covered, which can lead to unexpected bills.
Cost breakdown

• Without insurance: The cost can range from about $100 to $360.
• A 2D mammogram might cost around $139 (median).
• A 3D mammogram is often more expensive, with costs ranging from $195 (median) to $360.
• With insurance:
• The Affordable Care Act mandates that most insurance plans cover screening mammograms for women aged 40 and over at no cost, meaning no copay or deductible.
• Medicare also covers annual mammography screenings for women 40 and older.
• Follow-up tests:
• If a mammogram shows something unusual, follow-up tests like ultrasounds or MRIs may be needed.
• These additional tests might not be covered by your plan, even if the initial screening was free.
• Unexpected bills for these follow-up services can range from hundreds to over a thousand dollars.

its those follow up tests that the insurance companies can get their money back....

But then you'd also be opting out of emergency treatment which you're unlikely to get privately in the UK. For me that would cause more anxiety than waiting a few weeks for the result of a routine scan!

Please dont be anxious - it is a routine mamogram. I have/had breast cancer (tenses are difficult with cancer). When i reported symptoms i was seen very promptly by the breast clinic and scans and associated tests were done quickly and with a great deal of compassion. The wait is longer for routine scans because there is currently no cause for concern. Try not to worry. In all likelihood it will be fine. If there is any cause for concern with the results, you will be prioritised at that stage.

Mumsnet seems to be in the minority. When you actually talk to people not hiding behind a keyboard who seem to hero worship the “free” NHS, the consensus is that people’s mental health in this country is destroyed by our healthcare system.

The desperation trying to get an appointment, having to fill out a form and wait for someone to decide if you’re worthy of a telephone appointment often with a paramedic not even a doctor. Then being told to wait from 8 am to 6 pm for a phone call. If you miss it through no fault of your own (my phone rang for one second then they hung up) you have to start the process again.

Heaven forbid you do need diagnostic tests you’re put on a waiting list for months or a 2WW, having researched the 2WW I can’t find any similar practice in other first world countries. You then have to wait patiently for the results and consider yourself grateful you were even given a test despite paying into the system. If you dare to complain you are told to “go private”.

I have a family member who had a breakdown after being referred for cancer tests. Except they kept cancelling her colonoscopy. Somehow she was meant to just carry on going to work and looking after her young family. When she complained to PALS in desperation she was told sorry not enough staff. And that’s what we’re meant to be grateful for?

Why don’t you get help with your anxiety now, in case you have something to really worry about? 3 weeks is nothing. If there was a problem, they would ring you.

Thank you. Yes, it turned out okay. (It also turned out okay for the lady at the gym.)

While I was waiting at the Breast Clinic at the private hospital, I got chatting to another woman there - about the same age as me. She'd driven up to Edinburgh from the Borders for the same reason - the lengthy waiting list.

This is the solution, get some private insurance, or save up and pay for your mammogram.

I understand the worry, of course, if you are symptomatic, but if this is just a routine mammogram that you knew was coming up, why would you be more anxious after having it done than you were in the time waiting for it to happen?

call and chase if you are still waiting, but response times for routine screenings and referrals screenings are different.

Often though you can call and they will get back to you sooner.

You do realise that if it shows anything abnormal, the radiographers will flag it to the radiologist speed up reporting on it! You could have always paid to have done privately, but you didn’t so stop knocking a service that’s free at the point of care!

Just a head's up, you can usually see your results via the NHS app under documentation or GP record. It has a warning that you may see things your medical team hasn't been able to inform you about yet, so you read at your own risk. But it's worth having a look if you're on tenterhooks.

I’d like to see some figures rather than an opinion. My bloke’s paid in a lot and probably taken more. I’ve also paid in a lot and, so far, have taken virtually nothing out.

Well said!

Some of these responses are Stockholm syndrome level shocking, and appalling. Just because you don't have an out of pocket cost doesn't mean you don't have a right to complain!

Three weeks for test results is shocking, routine or not.

Having lived in the UK and elsewhere, the worshipping of the NHS to the point of not entertaining any criticism of it is so uniquely British, and absolutely unhelpful.

Oh god the “shut up and pay private” comments 🤦🏻‍♀️

They do have co-payments for treatment though. I was shocked to find a drug I needed to pay privately for last year would have cost more in the US even with insurance as their co-payments are so high.

Not every treatment is covered by all health insurances and its totally down to the insurance provider what treatment you are allowed, not what is recommended by your doctors and what would be best for you.

Nobody in the UK goes bankrupt due to medical costs, maybe holding onto this thought will help you while you wait. Things are not perfect here but we do not have to pay

OP if this was a routine screening mammogram, why are you more worried now than you were a month ago when you hadn’t actually had the mammogram? It’s not as if you’ve found a lump and you’re worrying what it might be. The position you’re in now is no different to the position you were in before you had the mammogram.

Its fine to complain about wait time and the NHS is constantly failing people by taking too long to get back or make appointment or not having the right information so you have to go back again and again.

They have a lot of work to do on offering important and needed care in a timely manner.

but i don't think a routine mammogram is on the top of the list and "usually" if something is irregular they get back immediately and you'll get a message from them.