Lack of technicians.  Emergencies take priority. Surgical inpatients take priority. The NHS is underfunded.

Hello and thanks for posting

I’m sorry you are having to wait 8 weeks for your biopsy results.

In some areas, there is a shortage of consultant pathologists to read and interpret results. Some biopsy specimens do need to be sent off to larger more specialised pathology laboratories for analysis, and this can add to waiting times, depending on the number of samples that each lab is currently seeing.

The best thing to do is to speak to your specialist team about this. If you have access to a specialist nurse you could discuss this further with them.

Hospitals will do their best to address any concerns patients have about their care. You may find it helpful to contact the hospital's Patient Advice and Liaison Service ( PALS)   to discuss your concerns.

I hope you know more soon. Give us a ring if you would like to talk things over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kind regards,

Celene

Hello

I was told by the nurse, when signing my consent form it would be 5 weeks. On.my discharge papers it said 5 to 6 weeks. My cancer nurse then informed me that it would be 8 weeks. My surgeons secretary doesn't return my calls. 

I'm really sorry that you are waiting so long but I'm afraid it's a fluid situation and as time goes on the waiting time is getting longer. Post Covid waiting times were 4 weeks (double the 2 weeks it used to take 5 years ago) but then the doctors strikes,& a lack of histologists have seen an increase from 4 to 6 weeks and now to 8 weeks. Please also factor in that all results, once received by the consultant, are discussed at the weekly Multi Disciplinary Meeting before they can be given to the patient. If the consultant dealing with your care is absent it won't be discussed until the following week unless they've passed it to someone else to deal with.

Were you given the contact details for the Cancer Specialist Nurse that works with your surgeon? If not, search the hospital website as they are sometimes on there. The consultant's secretary won't be available to answer calls if it's a clinic day (at least at my hospital) so if you know what day(s) the clinics run try to avoiding ringing at that time.

Good luck, I hope they come back quicker than the 8 week timeline & that the results bring good news.

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)