Bleeding from bum and 3 x nhs GP seen and getting nowhere. What do I need to ask for if I go private?!

[Flowerycap]

fed up with local GP keep getting fobbed off. None will see me, only ever phone appointments and this is now ongoing over the last three years and I’m starting to get worried. They keep just saying it must be piles.
if I was to go private who do I need to see, as in what type of doctor? I have insurance through work and finally had a terrible bout of bleeding with dark clots (sorry if tmi) and had enough, I’m scared now.

Hey, has the GP ever examined you and taken a look at any piles? (If visible?) Did you have any tests at all? Or did you get completely fobbed off at the telephone triage stage? So sorry you haven’t had better help.

Yes if you have health insurance I would definitely use it

@MySocksAreDotty thanks for the reply. First one said piles and prescribed me anusol over the phone, second one said it’s probably piles again and third one said I probably need to eat more fibre and get my weight down (I’m bmi 26 so slightly overweight) but the first two appointments I was a healthy bmi none will see me they are too busy apparently, it’s very difficult to get a phone appointment as well.

I’m tired of trying to deal with them tbh now. Last doctor did say if I’m not losing weight it won’t be anything serious. I just hope that’s true as I have put on weight in the last year. But I am worried as have young dc and don’t want to miss anything serious.

You are being taxed on your insurance, you will have to pay a one off charge but otherwise a visit will be covered.

our work health insurance has a dr and self referral service, talk to your people team and see what they say :)

good luck

That’s really poor of the GP, definitely get into the private insurance tomorrow.

You need to see a colorectal surgeon who will examine you and then is likely to suggest an endoscopy ( camera up the bum)

What makes you think it isn't piles?

My son had bloody diarrhoea....told over phone IBS . Eventually someone did a faecal calprotectin and it was over 1000 and he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

As a retired GP we need to stop telephone consultations for all but simple reviews and get back to doing our job the way we were trained!! That is seeing and examining patients. We did this in our practice in November 2021. My own surgery is still phone first even if it's barn door obvious you need examining!!

Son had told me nothing about symptoms so couldn't advise him. My son didn't lose weight.

Why on earth are you not using your insurance?

I have work BUPA, I use it to the max. We have a private GP scheme, you see them, they refer you to a consultant and you get an appointment within days, and they give you all the attention you could possibly want. If you don’t have private GP I guess you’ll have to get referred first by an NHS GP but look closely at your insurance as sometimes you can self -refer. Crazy not to use it!

Dark clots? Might be a stomach ulcer.

If you have any more instances of dark clots, go straight to A&E.

Sorry to hear that OP. DH had similar but milder symptoms. He saw a private GP for an online consult using work PMI, got a referral to see a consultant gastroenterologist on the same day, had an initial appointment with the consultant and then had a colonoscopy. Consultant discovered and removed 20 polyps that were causing the bleeding and have sent them for testing. It was two weeks from seeing the private GP to the colonoscopy. Is there a reason you haven’t already gone private when you are covered through work?

Do you mean colonoscopy?

I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy on the same day. The endoscopy went down the throat; the colonoscopy was the other end. It was done under sedation.

Last doctor did say if I’m not losing weight it won’t be anything serious.

I don’t want to scare you any more than you already are, but sadly I am (living!) proof that this is not true!

It’s probably not cancer, but it needs to be ruled out.

As a PP asked, did your GP examine you for haemorrhoids? [edit: sorry, I see you answered this]

I and everyone I know with similar concerns (even through a positive FIT test) was referred for a colonoscopy. It’s the only way to really see for sure what’s really going on.

Again please don’t panic! There are many possible causes and cancer is only one of them. But don’t let them fob you off again.

A lot of health insurers will send you straight for bowel cancer screening with those symptoms without even needed a referral. Certainly Bupa did for me. Just call your insurer, tell them your symptoms and that you are concerned about bowel cancer and they will tell you what needs to be done.

My specialist didn't even bother checking me for piles before arranging the colonoscopy because he said that even if I had them it could be a red herring. You can have piles AND bowel cancer, and the only way to find out is a colonoscopy.

You can have piles AND bowel cancer, and the only way to find out is a colonoscopy.

Exactly! I have piles and was still referred for a colonoscopy.

I'm sorry, but my late husband was fobbed off with a piles diagnosis. It was wrong. He had not lost any weight when he was finally diagnosed (18 months later) with stage 4 bowel cancer.

Your GP sounds just as much of an idiot as his was. Please use your insurance and don't wait for 18 months.

Of course there are lots of less scary things it could be. But you have the means to take this private, so please do it.

Both are types of endoscopy. Which means a camera into a natural opening.

No I meant ‘endoscopy’ … all camera tests are types of endoscopy ( just means look inside) . Flexible sidmoidoscopy , colonoscopy and upper GI endoscopy/ endoscopy) are all endoscopies.

If the blood is fairly red , they may just look at the left colon ( flexible sigmoidoscopy) . A colonoscopy looks at the whole colon.

I had the same issue just before covid, GP suspected piles but could not feel anything on examination. Referred me to the hospital but when I chased the hospital they had rejected the GP's referral - dont know why. Fortunately I then hit the age for postal bowel cancer screening which I knew would show blood as I could see it. Within a short time I had a colonoscopy which found a polyp, which when removed was rated as having a 'high' chance of turning cancerous. I was monitored for the next 3 years and I am now back on the routine bowel cancer screening programme. Cant blame the GP but why the hospital rejected the GP's referral I do not know.

Yep. The down throat one is a gastroscopy (veteran of many!).

@Flowerycap , I had this. I went to A&E. Mine wasn’t on and off though it was sudden and dramatic. If it happens again go to A&E or go and see a colorectal surgeon. Mine wasn’t anything nasty and they tried to tell me I had diverticulitis (I didn’t). Good luck.

Even if they think it is piles - they should refer you for an endoscopy- camera up the bum.

(I was referred and it was piles.)

Mine was a sigmoidoscopy.

Thank you for taking the time to explain to me. Genuinely appreciated.

That's disgraceful. I went to the Drs recently with a change in bowel habits and I had the works, they couldn't have done more for me, bloods, stool samples etc, the Dr even emailed gastro at hospital to ask for their opinion. Because your bleeding it should be taken serious, I wasn't bleeding & my FIT test came back as negative, but the help didn't stop there. Demand a FIT test, you will be sent for a colonoscopy.
It's disgusting you're being side lined.