Is 9 weeks wait (at least) for a biopsy normal in London?

I don’t know about London, but it does sound like other experiences people I know have had. Hopefully someone can shed more light for you. I presume you’ve harrassed your GP about this as well…? They are very over worked and can’t always upturn the system, but if you visited them for stress due to this, etc, that might have some impact in speeding things along. How utterly horrible and worrying for you – my heart goes out to whomever has to go through that kind of turmoil. I hope you have some good support around you to keep you from fretting during the wait (however long it turns out to be).

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous

Kick up as much fuss as you can with them and they may move it closer. This may mean bugging them daily, going to see someone else who might be able to help you (another hospital or a nice doctor you have known in the past), asking to be referred to a better hospital from your doc, or just basically weeping in front of the person who is on the other end of the phone or behind the desk until the break.

Trust me on this one. I am somewhat of an expert.

From finding the lump to having the biopsy it was about a month for me (with a while longer to get the results).

If you need to ask me anything at all then message me and I will email you.

I know the NHS are under a lot of pressure, but no one should have to wait to sort out stuff like this and people cancel appointments that you can jump in on all the time.

Beagleskin (so you know how to contact me)

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous

Hi. You should read the NHS Cancer plan

There are certain types of cancer that, due to their aggressive malignancy, are given priority over other types. For example, leukaemia, cancer in children, and breast cancer are more urgent than other types. For the urgent ones, the target is to have no more than 2 weeks wait between referral and diagnosis, and no more than 4 weeks between referral and first treatment.

For other cancers, the target is to have no more than 1 month between referral and diagnosis, and no more than 2 months between referral and first treatment.

In the words of the plan: “Where patients wait longer, this should be because of the needs of the diagnostic process or their personal choice, not because of in-built delays in the system of care.”

So it looks to me as though the wait between your referral from your GP and your biopsy is definitely outside of the national targets (which all trusts should be meeting). I don’t really know what you can do about it, except badger them about it, but if you do want any more information, please let me know. My girlfriend was Cancer Services Manager until recently, so should be able to answer any of your questions. You can grab my email from my profile if you want me to ask her anything on your behalf.

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous

I’ve found out some more information from the girlfriend.

If a referral is made by your GP under the “2 week rule” (which means possible cancer) then the hospital must:

- Get you an appointment to be seen within 2 weeks. This means the initial appointment with a consultant or cancer specialist, not necessarily treatment or even diagnostic tests.

- Following diagnosis, should a decision to treat be made, first definitive treatment must be within 31 days of the decision to treat.

- The first definitive treatment must be made within 62 days of the GP referral.

That means that the whole “care pathway” must be completed within 62 days of the GP referral AND the first treatment must be done within 31 days of the decision to treat.

At this stage, you’re still waiting for the diagnosis to find out whether it needs treatment or not. It looks to me as though the GP didn’t refer you under the 2 week rule, or that the hospital didn’t record you as being a 2 week rule referral. Both can happen, but in either case it should be rectified. Call your GP up and check whether the referral was a “2 week rule” referral. If possible get a copy of the referral. If it was, get on to the hospital and make them mark you as a 2 week rule referral.

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous

Thank you everyone. It’s all been really helpful. I’ve left a message for my GP today for her to call me tomorrow. Will hopefully will find out what’s going on and see if I can find out why it’s taking so long. At least I now know it shouldn’t be.

Good old Fridaycities: We don’t just help with the nice things in life, we’re here for the shit things too!

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous

Good luck!

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous

Just a final suggestion, that the girlfriend came up with last night. The most likely scenario is that your GP didn’t refer you under the 2 week rule, as hospitals are generally very good at getting that bit right. When you speak to your GP, you should demand that (s)he refer you again under the 2 week rule.

Hope it turns out to be nothing.

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous

But do you see how you are not waiting more than 6 weeks on any one waiting list? Praise the miracle that is ZanuLabour’s NHS!

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous

you’ve probably sorted this out… but yes, from experience with my mother there is a 2 week rule as everyone is saying, and her regular GP always used it. If they think a lump is dodgy they should get it looked at pronto (there’s always the thing that most of these lumps end up being fine, but obviously it needs looking at fairly soon).

One time her regular GP was off, someone else didn’t use the 2 week rule it and it took a while to get something looked at, and it drove her crazy waiting. So it can be arbitary.

Hope youv’e got it sorted by now, good luck x

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous

As well as being entitled to a 2 week wait appointment (which all GP’s should use if you have any suspicious/”red-flag” symptoms/findings) the biopsy should be able to be done by a gynaecologist in hysteroscopy outpatients without any need for a general anaesthetic.

Posted about 1 year ago by anonymous