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4 week wait for breast clinic

Posted By Keepingpositive

"4 week wait for breast clinic"

About: NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Vale of Leven General Hospital / General Surgery

(as the patient),

Went to my gp with a change in my nipple/ breast and was referred to breast clinic as an urgent referral. 1 week later I get an appointment through for a further 4 weeks time. NICE guidelines state all potential breast cancer cases should be seen within 2 weeks. Why do I need to wait for 5 weeks for something that the nhs state should be seen within the 2 week timeframe? ? I called the appointment number to be told that was the first appointment available. This is so not acceptable when you have this potential diagnosis hanging over you! ! !

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Responses

Response from Lorna Fairlie, Patient Experience, Public Involvement Project Manager, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 8 years ago
Lorna Fairlie
Patient Experience, Public Involvement Project Manager,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

I work in a small team in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde which seeks to involve patients and carers in the work of the NHS. The biggest part of my role is in managing feedback projects across the Board area, one of which is Patient Opinion. It is my job to give our patients and carers the opportunity to give us feedback, and to make sure that this is passed to the right people to help us improve the services we provide.

Submitted on 30/10/2015 at 11:12
Published on Care Opinion at 11:46

Dear Keepingpositive,

Sincere apologies for the delay in getting back to you - I can completely understand the worry that you will be feeling and the frustration at not being able to get an earlier appointment. I've asked the General Manager for this service to come back to me with more information and I am hoping to get something back soon, however in the meantime if there is anything else that you would like to add, please do not hesitate to get in touch again, either through Patient Opinion or directly on lorna.gray@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.

I will be back in touch as soon as possible,

Kind Regards,

Lorna

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by Keepingpositive (the patient)

Many thanks Lorna. I did in fact phone up appointments again the next day and I pushed for an earlier appointment. Lo and behold after I asked to speak to a supervisor, I was told a cancellation had just become available!!!!

So I have now been seen by a consultant and thankfully all is clear. But if I hadn't pushed I would still be waiting with weeks of worry and distress. I wonder if the "cancellation" was always there and only becomes available when they are pushed into giving earlier appointments.

Credit where credit is due, I have to say the quality of the service through the appointment day was fantastic. From seeing consultant to mammogram, scan etc and back to consultant for results the same day was very efficient. I was treated with the utmost respect and dignity by all staff from receptionist to radiographers.

Excellent service by all.

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