How soon would you expect your doctors surgery to see you if you'd found a lump?

[Avelina]

My head is all over the place at the moment due to a few different things, so I'm finding it hard to tell if I'm annoyed for no reason. I found a lump in my breast on Monday, and I have a family history of breast cancer. With our surgery you have to use the ask my gp service and submit a request on there, so I did that and explained what I'd found. It's taken this long for them to even acknowledge it, and they've responded to me to say they've booked me a face to face appointment with a gp on the 7th May. Surely I shouldn't be waiting 8 weeks, or is this normal? I don't want to push it with them if that's just a standard time frame

Given what you've said, I think an eight week wait is outrageous. It's so hard to get an appointment with my GP since Covid but I would at the very least expect a same day telephone consultation, followed up by either a quick face to face appointment or a breast clinic referral. Although the chances are very much that the lump you've found is benign, a wait of that long is ridiculous. I would call the surgery and explain your family history. I'm not one for demanding things but in this case I think you do need to demand a much earlier appointment.

That's outrageous, when I had a lump i got seen that day and they referred me on the 2 week pathway. Can you call to speak to reception at all? I'm wondering if wires have got crossed.

Thanks both. I think that's sort of what I was expecting, that they would get me in pretty quick to either tell me it's nothing or see if it needs further checks. I feel better pushing them now I know I wouldn't be wasting my time

When this happened to me I received a telephone consultation followed by a face to face the same day. (Did end up being cancer), and my surgery is usually pretty useless. If you didn’t state possible cancer on the consult then try that again but otherwise calling or even popping into the surgery, no way you should be waiting that long.
all the best

Same day or next day.

8 weeks is outrageous! I would contact them again this afternoon and be a little insistent (or a lot if you have to be), that given the potential cause, and your family history, you should be seen asap.

When I called my GP with a lump (not breast), even though I was fairly sure it wasn't sinister the triage doctor wanted to see me the same day. It turned out to be a boring boil but needed immediate attention due to risk of rupture/infection.

Mine took 2 weeks when I found a lump in my armpit. I had to submit an econsult as they don’t do phone and book appointments. Then waited 2 days for a reply asking for a picture. I had to submit another econsult just to tell them there was nothing to photograph and then waited 2 days for them to say they had booked me a face to face for the following week. I was terrified but it did turn out to be nothing. 8 weeks is utterly unacceptable .

Absolutely disgusting OP

I found a breast lump, same day appt then I went on the two-week pathway

Good luck 🤞🏻

Bloody outrageous, no words, push back @Avelina

I have had two lumps.

1. I found the first one at about 8pm so I did an online consultation. They rang me at 7am the next morning and booked me in for a same day appointment.
2. The second time I did an online consultation early morning and was called and asked to come in later that afternoon.

At my practice I found this was the best option as you can detail your problem and it’s read through asap while skipping the battle of calling reception.

That's crackers OP.

In my area its self referral to the hospital breast clinic for any kind of breast issue. There's a poster in the surgery with the phone number on. Might there be something similar in your area?

Otherwise I'd be walking into reception and telling them you've found a lump and you want to see a GP today.

I would expect to be seen within 24 hours. 8 weeks is a disgrace. Definitely complain to the practice manager. Can you afford a private GP appointment?

I would try 111. They can direct you to someone who will see you urgently

Same.

Do not wait.

Can you look up your nearest walk-in unit (Urgent Treatment Centre)? I had been told I had to wait 2 weeks for a blood test and went in to mine when I nearly passed out and luckily they caught an embolism.

Our GP practice is beyond awful for appointments, often weeks of waiting for a phone call to see if you need an actual appointment!
But, when I had a lump, they did actually see me the same day, which was a bit of a waste of time as all they did was refer me to the breast clinic which was supposedly 2weeks, but was actually 4weeks.
9/10 breast lumps are nothing to worry about, and mine (a cyst) had started to go down on its own by the time I went to the hospital appointment.

8 weeks must be a mistake, maybe try 111 as suggested above - the gp is pretty much just a gatekeeper of the referral to the breast clinic so hopefully they can help. Good luck.

Last year I found a lump in my breast in the shower. Called the GP that morning and was seen the same day. Referred for a mammogram and scan and the appointment for that came through a few days later for the following week. Waiting until May to even been seen is ludicrous.

Within 48 hours at most, not May!

Breast referrals get out on the two week appt system.

Ring the surgery back, and if no joy, demand to speak to the practice manager.

I'd go in and refuse to leave until I'm seen
May???? What the fuck!

That’s completely unacceptable. Speak to the practice manager.

I was seen within the hour when I found a lump, was at the hospital 3 days later (they had a cancellation so I took it) and all clear 48 hours after that. Scary week though.

8 weeks wait is ridiculous, I would be standing at the desk asking for an urgent appointment tomorrow at 8am (or whatever time they open)

Two week cancer pathway referral should be undertaken. Send in another request saying you think you may have breast cancer and want to be referred. How old are you? If you are very young they may not realise you have a family history so you should remind them of this. It is most likely a cyst or fibroadenoma depending on your age but you do need to be seen asap. Good luck and keep pushing

Thank you everyone, you’ve all confirmed what I sort of thought would be the case but having never had this before I was a bit unsure. It’s not even that I necessarily do think it’s cancer as I’m sure it’s probably not, I just thought they would want to rule it out as quickly as possible. I’m 30

I assumed 111 or a walk in centre would just tell me to speak to the gp? But if it’s worth it then I will try them too

I rang my gp at 10am to report a lump under my bra strap. My lovely GP found me a few minutes at 4.15pm same day.