"5 month wait for breast referral"

After finding a breast lump and visiting my GP 2 weeks later I was referred to Aberdeen Breast Screening Clinic.

I waited 2 weeks for an appointment and called the clinic to querie if my appointment had been sent as we had been having issues with our postal redirection. On calling the clinic I was told that I was on the system for a routine appointment and the waiting list was 20 weeks.

I called my GP practice to querie whether this was correct. The receptionist rang back to say that my appointment had been downgraded and the waiting list was indeed 20 weeks, my GP advised he had put forth all the relevant information and if I had been downgraded then he wouldn't be able to change that.

I am young (28) so I guess this is why my appointment has been downgraded. My Mum passed away last year after being diagnosed with breast stage 4 cancer at 39 (after being sent away a year previous by an oncologist at Aberdeen Breast Screening Clinic).

I have found the communication pretty poor. I understand I am young and therefore low risk but a 5 month seems pretty shocking to me, having a breast lump when there is a history of it in your family isn't something that is easily your to the back of your mind