Hi,

I’m not a doctor but I have experience as a cancer patient and as an NHS manager. I’ll keep this brief:-

I’m  guessing the offer of a full hysterectomy was made regardless of whether cancer is present. At least the operation isn’t being delayed while they wait for further tests. If it isn’t cancer (they genuinely won’t know for sure until the biopsy results come through) that will be a relief - if it is cancer she can start her cancer care knowing it has been removed.

You’re right, everything in her discharge letter should have been discussed with her in person before it was sent to her GP.

The NHS is in crisis with over seven million patients waiting for operations etc. and no capacity to keep people in hospital while they’re waiting for an operation. The only way to operate earlier would be to operate on her ahead of someone (possibly with an even more urgent case) already on the waiting list. 

In an ideal World, the NHS wouldn’t have been deliberately under-funded for so long (austerity measures were originally only planned for 18 months - not 13 years) but it was and cancer patients are suffering as a result. Many people are turning to the private sector to avoid such a long wait, they shouldn’t need to but it’s an option for those who can afford it.

I hope your relative has a good outcome, I know from experience how scary it is to have such a long gap between diagnosis and treatment. 

Best wishes

Dave

Hi,

I’m not a doctor but I have experience as a cancer patient and as an NHS manager. I’ll keep this brief:-

I’m  guessing the offer of a full hysterectomy was made regardless of whether cancer is present. At least the operation isn’t being delayed while they wait for further tests. If it isn’t cancer (they genuinely won’t know for sure until the biopsy results come through) that will be a relief - if it is cancer she can start her cancer care knowing it has been removed.

You’re right, everything in her discharge letter should have been discussed with her in person before it was sent to her GP.

The NHS is in crisis with over seven million patients waiting for operations etc. and no capacity to keep people in hospital while they’re waiting for an operation. The only way to operate earlier would be to operate on her ahead of someone (possibly with an even more urgent case) already on the waiting list. 

In an ideal World, the NHS wouldn’t have been deliberately under-funded for so long (austerity measures were originally only planned for 18 months - not 13 years) but it was and cancer patients are suffering as a result. Many people are turning to the private sector to avoid such a long wait, they shouldn’t need to but it’s an option for those who can afford it.

I hope your relative has a good outcome, I know from experience how scary it is to have such a long gap between diagnosis and treatment. 

Best wishes

Dave