NHS /GP surgery communication / faff

[Orangesandlemons77]

Is anyone else finding it really difficult to communicate with the GP surgery?

I had an MRI scan 2 weeks ago and trying to get the results has been difficult.

I hadn't heard anything so thought it easier to email the radiology dept where I had the scan to see what was happening and they said they sent it to the GPs the following week.

Tried emailing the GP surgery who say they have not had it and then they did email the hospital and got the results which was good.

But they they told me they had scanned it in but I was not allowed to see it because the GP who ordered it isn't in till Friday and I had not been authroised to view the results.

Then they told me to book a phone appt if I wished to discuss my results with a GP- there is nothing for weeks.

I have eventually managed to persuade them, as the GP had left a note on my records that I could get a call back on Friday, that the GP can do this but I now have to phone up on Fri at 8am for an emergency same day appt...last time I did this I got a message I was 60 in the queue or something..

It just makes it all more stressful when it is stressful enough waiting for results.

I don't really understand this need for phone calls / queues when they already have it recorded to call me back, it seems unneccessary and I now feel bad that I am taking up an emergency appt.

They did say it is a reduced service this week due to Christmas so maybe it isn't always this bad...

2+ weeks waiting for results of an MRI, even when there hasn’t been a Christmas break and there is no urgent action needed, is not unusual tbh. Depending on how busy the radiology dept is it can take a couple of weeks to get reports at all.

The GP may well have planned to call you back once they have viewed and reviewed the results if there is something that needs further action, but they can’t review them until they are in. If they don’t review them until late on Friday then you’d likely not hear until the following week, at least if you book an appointment they will be able to look at the report and discuss it there and then.

The reports do get sent to the GP practice (never as quickly as you would like) but then admin have to attach the report to your notes, then send info to the GP who ordered it that they need to view the results. They won’t then be instantly viewed and reported on by the GP as they will join the queue of however many other reports and results the GP already has to work through. Our GP’s have 100’s of results (blood tests, urines, sputum, X-rays, skin swabs,CT/MRI scans etc) to review and reports to comment on each week. I know it’s frustrating but it is a bank holiday week too, the first day open after being shut for 4 days is always mad busy as well as people have fallen ill when the surgery was closed. I know it’s frustrating but Routine or non urgent results will always come behind more urgent results I’m afraid.