"Worrying waiting for Chest x-ray results"

in the middle of July 2013, I attended the x-ray department of East Surrey Hospital for an x-ray on the advice of my GP. I attended on time to be told that my appointment was not registered in the system but that I could wait and have my x-ray. I did so.

Having developed a persistent cough I attended my GP because, as a young man, I had been exposed to asbestos. The x-ray is therefore an important diagnostic tool and I keenly awaited the results, being told that these would take approximately one week.

It is now August and I am still waiting for the results of my x-ray. Having contacted my GP three times, I have been told each time that the x-ray department at the hospital is in chaos due to the implementation of a new system and it is not, at the moment, unusual for patients to wait 4 weeks for their results to come through.

I think this delay is unacceptable: were staff trained before the new system was operational? How can it be that a "new system" can cause such delays if staff have been thoroughly trained? Why is there not a way to access results, even if only verbal in nature, to put patients' minds at rest? This is a worrying time, made worse by a system that is failing patients, namely that there is no appreciation of how much anxiety this delay is causing myself and, I suspect, others.

If there is a way for my GP to work around these delays please let me know and I will convey it. If not, could you please inform me when I can expect my results and what is being done about these delays for other patients.