Urgent hospital referral- how long usually?

[VLCos]

My GP has referred me classed it as Urgent but not under 2 weeks. How long generally would be the wait ? Thanks

Depends what is is...... fracture 2 weeks, ENT, 5 months, neurology 2 months.

More info please OP!

Cancer pathway. Days.

Are you sure you've not been referred as a two week wait?

My husband got an 'urgent' referral to a cancer specialist at Guys hospital. He got his appointment two weeks later but when he went last week he waited and waited and was then told the doctors had too many patients and could he come back next week!! He's still waiting for a new appointment.

It completely varies depending on the speciality and what the waiting times in your area are.

It's for the breast clinic due to severe pain
No lump . Gp says she doesn't suspect cancer ( Mammogram last September) . So in the referral letter it says although I am not referring this patient under the two week wait I would like her to be seen urgently if possible . I just wondered if they would mean that to me the 18 weeks wait ?

@TixieLix that's shocking hope he gets seen soon

Medical sec for a GP surgery here. It completely depends on the speciality and location.

I would suggest asking where your referral was sent, your GP receptionist or secretary will be able to help with is info, then chasing up the hospital directly. You can, in some places, put yourself forward for any cancellations whilst your on the waiting list. Only works if you can be flexible though.

I as the same as you OP, severe breast pain, went to the GP who referred me and I had an appointment 9 days later - all clear.

I’m no expert but medical folk are quite adept at differentiating lumps.

My "two week referral" took five weeks for cervical cancer in March.

@PeterRabbitt thank you I am lucky I know where it's gone and to which consultant if I dont hear in a few weeks I will give then a ring !

@AnchorDownDeepBreath gosh what a long wait !

@BumbleBeeWineGlass ah that must have been a relief ! Was it in just one breast. Did they find out what the pain was being caused by ? Sorry for questions my GP is querying a cyst .

A lot of my job has to do with this... trying to find out if there is a national target. My guess is 5 days, tbh (that's real calendar days, but can be 5 days + 23.9 hours). That said, it's just a target. Local performance might be only 75% are seen in the expected standard.

Tell me what county you're in I may find more info for you.

I am also a bit worried I am starting a new job Monday and hoping they wont get annoyed with me for asking for the time of !

Experienced extreme pain when pressure applied and was seen on day 13. Given an examination and a mammogram then told I was fine and could go home and no explanation given for the pain. It's subsided now but boy did it hurt. Hoping I don't experience it again. Hopefully you won't be waiting too much longer.

@MedSchoolRat thank you I'm in Calderdale, West Yorkshire

@glitterelf ouch sounds painful glad it was all ok . X

It was just one breast and the GO though she could feel a small cyst in the other.

When I went for the appointment the consultant did another examination and said both breast felt healthy and soft, nothing to worry about and pain is either due to hormones or musculoskeletal in her experience.
The GP had suggested I get some evening primrose capsules from the chemist and take 2 a day and if it was hormonal that should ease it so maybe that worked in the 9 days.

I had the same. I freaked out when it was marked as urgent. Got my appointment 2 weeks later - thankfully all clear.

Breast consultant told me pain is not a common sign. I hope that offers you some sort of reassurance

@BumbleBeeWineGlass thank you I'm taking EPO I do think that helps .

@SpideyMom thank you for the reassurance. Glad things turned out ok x

@Tixielix that is shocking! My mum had a PET scan on a Wednesday, phone call on the Monday to see consultant on the Wednesday for results. Referred to oncologist the following Thursday (which was last week), she received her full schedule of appointments through the post on Saturday and had her first appointment today to have a mould done and CT scan before starting a course of radiotherapy which will be starting imminently. I hope your poor husband is seen soon.

OP hope you get a fast appointment and it's nothing to worry about.

(you can tell I don't work in cancer pathways & it's late so my brain is shutting down and I apologise in advance if I speak rubbish...)

Rather than tell you about the data I found (months out of date & needs lots of Excel filtering): I suggest just ring the hospital & ask what the expected wait will be. They will know what % they are recently managing to see within the 2 week target. This is best way to get a picture of how long your wait is likely to be.

This info from Leeds hospital is good. Try not to worry. Vast majority of people referred don't have anything bad.

Phone breast surgeon’s secretary’s and ask usual waiting time for that particular hospital. There are targets for suspected cancers but given challenges NHS faces, targets remain just that - targets. They aren’t necessarily what happens in reality.

There also isn’t a national urgent referral target outside the two week wait. It’s two weeks or non urgent.

The targets are -
Two week wait for potential breast cancers.
Maximum RTT should be 18 weeks for elective non cancer but that’s from point referral received.
A maximum two month (62-day) wait from urgent referral for suspected cancer to the first definitive treatment for all cancers.

Thanks all some helpful information I'll give them a ring instead of just wondering !

(I think)
18 weeks is RTT = treatment.
OP is looking for RTA = wait to assessment. Those are much shorter.

I get impression 31 days might be the target cancer RTT now, too.