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"Need more help getting a diagnosis"

About: Carmarthenshire Lhb

(as the patient),

I have for the past few months been getting increasing abdominal pain, bloating and now back ache. I saw my GP over two months, they did some bloods CA125 normal etc so sent me away. Pain has persisted and increased went back to ask for referral for scan. Pain got so bad I went to A&E they sent me back to GP saying get them to speed up referral for scan.

No one can offer me any idea or theories as to what causes this inexplicable pain, but obviously I am aware of and fearful of ovarian cancer. Returned to GP to ask to speed up scan referral and the response was a shrug of the shoulders. I was told that they don't take any notice of GPs and I felt that there was a general air that I should go away and stop making a fuss (as if I am a hypochondriac, despite the pain keeping me awake at night and generally making it harder for me to carry out usual duties).

I have come to expect poor service from our GP practice and the Welsh NHS but it makes me sad and angry to be treated so poorly. I am fearful that since I know the waiting list for a scan is 6 months it could be something serious and the delay - apart from impacting on my life with the pain - could have further consequences.

Surely it's not true that GPs are not important gate keepers to access health services and can in fact speed things up. What on earth can I do? I am very worried.

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