That's an awful long wait for an urgent referral, l was seen in 14 days, on February 28th following  GP urgent referral to breast clinic, My doctor made the appointment herself while l was with her following a breast examination . 
I live in south of England, our breast service has always been really good with seeing me when I have asked for referral, l have an open appointment and the longest I have waited for non urgent appointments has been 6/8 weeks. 
The waiting is the worst part you could ring the breast nurses for a chat they are really helpful and up to date with what's happening in their hospital, re referrals and appointments ect.

take care hope your appointment arrives soon 

susie

Hi Susie, 

It really does feel like ages, especially when I was told a couple of weeks and I assumed it would be around about the 2 weeks as per Englands targets. I just don't know how I'll be feeling come 7 weeks as I seem to be getting more anxious as time goes on. Not even about the results, but more about the test procedures and such. I also notice I'm checking and hoping the lump has disappeared more often, even though its been there since January. 

I do wish Scotland had clearer targets, but I do know this 7 weeks doesn't meet the 31 day target they do have from GP appointment to diagnosis which is a shame. I really feel for people who know they are high risk and having to wait.

Do you mean the phone line on here or the nurses at my actual hospital? It was the breast clinic I called yesterday to get this info :neutral:

I hope your appointment went OK in February. 

Thank you xxx

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Hello TessTea05 and thanks for posting, 

Unfortunately, NHS waiting times have been affected by the pandemic, so this could account for the seven week urgent wait you were told about, but I don't know how normal it is to wait this amount of time. I think waiting times can vary locally as they tend to depend on things like referral volume, capacity and staffing which aren't the same from one place to another. 

It sounds like this clinic is reviewing their referrals presumably to try and prioritise them as some may be more routine than urgent. For example I think in Scotland a new breast lump in patients under 30 years with no other suspicious features would be a routine referral. 

You are right in saying that Scotland doesn't have two week urgent suspected cancer referral waiting time targets, but it does have urgent referral pathways and a sixty two day standard (which England has as well). This means that if breast cancer is detected after an urgent referral, treatment is meant to start within sixty two days from the date of the GP referral. 

I think you already know that breast cancer is uncommon in young people so hopefully when you are seen, everything will be ok. But I do appreciate that waiting for appointments can be an unsettling time.

If you want to have a chat about anything do give us a call on Freephone 0808 800 4040, we are here from 9-5 weekdays. 

Best wishes,

Julia

Hi Julia, 

Thank you for your reply. 

I totally understand the pandemic affecting things and the pressure it puts on the NHS, and my first thought was staff shortages and such. I just hoped to see how normal that was, and now dread to think how long the routine referral wait time is haha. I feel so sorry for the NHS just now, and have done since before the pandemic. 

They did clarify that that time frame given was for any and all urgent referrals they have at the moment, and not my one specifically as it hasn't been reviewed yet. That was the part that stuck out to me most, as I completely understand someone in their 30s being put down the list below someone in their 70s. But for this to be the average for them all was quite a shock.

The hospital I have been referred to covers a huge area (Grampian) and have always struggled a bit with capacity as far as I've known.

I was aware of the 62 day target, but for instance, I was referred 10 days before I called to ask and it hadn't been reviewed. Then she said the 7 weeks was from the time they review the referral. So that's at least 59 days  before I will even be seen, so it seems unlikely they are hitting that target at all for anyone. Such a worrying time for people, and I'm sure it affects staff in the clinic massively aswell. I really hope my post didn't come across as complaining at all, just more of a curious question with concern for everyone haha.

I am already sure I am fine, but always better to be safe than sorry and let the GP decide if I need seen. I'll be honest and say I didn't even want to waste their time but my partner wasn't having it lol. Though I do know there is every possibility of anything happening, so I'm glad I went.

I may have to take you up on that if the questions about a potential biopsy become too much to bear over the coming weeks/months haha! I'm such a wimp.

Thank you again xxx

I mean the hospital breast care nurses they are really helpful and they have knowledge of the breast care in their hospital at the moment. I saw the surgeon in February and she gave me some tamoxifen a cancer drug for my breast pain but I didn't take it as l have a blood clotting condition, she ended up ringing me the following week and saying don't use it! 
Return it to your pharmacy! 
On Monday I received a text with an appointment for 28 March no department on it l spent hours trying to get an answer as to where it had come from, yesterday I received a letter saying breast clinic appointment for Monday morning, l was not expecting one until end of April! They have been so hard to contact l will just go back and find out what is going on Monday, l bet they read the request wrongly, 

It shows that there are appointments available! 
The nhs tries to keep up but the demand for care takes over in some areas, it does vary from areas in England depending how close you are to the services required also to Scotland and Wales l live between two big hospitals and could be referred to either, 

l was a surgical nurse for 30 years and saw the patients coming through for surgery some greatfull and  pleased to be seen, some moans and groans their social life was interrupted as dates  not exactly when required, others downright rude demanding instant attention. 
 

 I hope you have your appointment soon 

susie
 

Oh no, that's terrible that you were given the wrong drug! Thank goodness you didn't take it!

I hope your appointment goes well, especially now you know what it's for and where to go!

The whole situation is such a shame for people, especially people way more anxious and higher risk than I am. I just wish more could be done to help the NHS just now, because it's not nice them not being able to do the things they set out to, due to no fault of their own.

I could never imagine moaning about being seen about something I wanted seen to. Its beyond me how ungrateful people can be. I will be eternally grateful for my appointment when it comes and all of this is behind me and my mind is at ease. We are so lucky to have the opportunity to be seen at all. Hopefully their waiting times come down some so people have less time to over think. My problem was I wasn't worried at all, and convinced myself my GP would tell me I was totally fine and to go on my way. I feel like now I've been referred, I can't stop thinking about all the tests I'm possibly going to have :cry:

Goodness knows, but I'm just glad I'm on the waiting list. 

Take care xxx

I have been trying to get a pain clinic appointment for over a year and no one would actually refer me back to them. my breast problems include rib pain under my breast that nerve injections under X-ray improve. lve had many of these over the years, these pain appointments are really hard to get. 
The nhs is a great service as any hospital clinic appointments cost £160,   GP appointments are about £60. Many being wasted by no show's all it takes is a call to say no thanks. Then you could have a short notice appointment ie come tomorrow. 
If your waiting anxiously you would be delighted to go. 
As it's just a phone call l would ring the breast appointment department next week and ask if they have any short notice appointments/cancellations its worth a call   areas hold lists for this. 

The waiting is definitely the worst part as you have time to increase your anxiety which is very difficult to avoid. The maybe it's not good news,  the l think it's getting bigger, we all do this.

Once you have a date you will feel more relaxed and ready for the appointment and what will be will be, l would take someone with you they are allowing this again, they hear more of what's said then you can talk about it later. write down anything you want to ask. We all forget when we get there.
 

Covid is actually being relaxed a bit in the hospitals at last. The no visitors rule has been hard on patients, 
Enjoy the weekend in this lovely weather take it easy

Susie