Is 4 months a normal waiting time for hospital test results? Please advise, very worried

[queenoftheuniverse101]

My daughter had a test at in late December, it's now May, and we haven't heard anything back. We are very worried.

Can anyone tell me, is this normal waiting time for test results?

And how do people get hospital test results? In the post?

This is King's College Hospital, consultant not gp arranged this test.

( It was tilt table test for pots )

Thank you!

Write to the consultant's secretary and ask. Include your daughter's hospital number in your letter. Things do get missed.

Phone the secretaries tomorrow.

Yeah don’t write, telephone the secretary.

I work for said trust as a secretary, just echoing pp's advice to say go directly to the secretary!

They'll be the one typing up the result letters or will be able to see if the results are in the consultants tray for review.

I got my results on the day at Guy's. Although I did almost pass out during the test and it was apparent quickly that it was indeed POTS.

Chase. Email secretary and ask for test results.

How do I find out his secretary's contact details?

He also sees private patients, and I only found his private secretary details. She ignores if you are an nhs patient.

I cannot find his NHS secretary details anywhere.

Were you referred by your GP? Get them to chase it.

Ring the hospital main number and ask the operator for Dr XXXX’s secretary.

Don't do this. We are snowed under already. Ring the hospital you went to and ask for Mr Consultant's secretary.

Phone the main switchboard and ask to speak to the consultant's secretary; ours will transfer you. Are their details not on a letter from them?

Thank you everyone for your replies!

I will contact the hospital/secretary tomorrow.

Just to say you are not alone on this. My DH results following cat scan for heart issues was completely lost. He got them last week - after the scan last year. He'd chased several times. Both GP and hospital.

All was clear, so I hope that if there's an issue they get back to you and no news is good news - but that's not really something you want to rely on.

The communication between hospital and GPs on this seems unbelievably poor. I can't quite understand how they lose results on such important tests like this.

Can somebody please help?? I called his secretary a million times and it goes to voicemail. I left a million voicemails, no reply. No call backs.

Today I got a letter saying we a telephone appointment in ONE years time!!

But it doesn't say what the result of this test is! What her diagnosis is??

Her health is getting worse and she is struggling to walk.

GP says he doesn't know anything and can't help and we should be contacting the hospital for results. I contacted the department a million times, voicemails, no replies either.

What should we do???

Oh gosh that's very frustrating. Can you contact PALS perhaps?

@Queenoftheuniverseandgalaxy that's really not good enough, have you tested her yourself with the sit stand test? Two of my kids were diagnosed with pots but I found out you can get a good idea if it's that by getting them to lie down, test the pulse then stand and test again at 5 mins and ten minutes I think it has to rise by a certain amount. I found a video explaining how on YouTube

You need to complain to PALS and ask them for help. I wonder if the secretary is off sick or left the job. What happens then is the consultant often has to share a secretary with someone else. Either way the results are needed and you need to make a fuss!

I'd be tempted to physically go to the hospital when the clinic is on and don't leave until you have the number and email address of someone who will answer your questions.

DS had tests in December.
He was meant to see the consultant in March. Cancelled.
He rescheduled for the middle of July. Cancelled.

1- I'd like to know what's up with my child.
2- I'd like to be able to buy some travel insurance!

PALS all the way here. I was meant to see my consultant in June which was cancelled and rescheduled for July. That was cancelled with nothing else offered. I emailed PALS, they got back to me that afternoon and 2 days later the consultant secretary called and sorted it all out.

Definitely send PALS an email. That usually gives them a kick up the bum.

I contacted PALS.

Got a phone saying the consultant still hasn't looked at the results and to wait for his letter whenever he does look at them.

They sent me a copy of her test, but I'm not a doctor, I don't understand what they mean, GP says he can't look at them either, only the consultant.

It's been like 8 months. I don't know, is it normal the consultant still hasn't looked at them.

Her health is getting worse everyday. I think we'll go to a private cardiologist and ask him to look at them.