Hi Susan-K and thank you for your post.

I am sorry to learn of your wait to be seen by a dermatologist.  Waiting any length of time when you are worried can be stressful.

NHS England has introduced a new target called the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS). The target is that you should not wait more than 28 days from referral to find out whether you have cancer or not.

We are hearing from some people who tell us they are waiting much longer to be seen after being urgently referred by their doctor. We know that the NHS is under extreme pressure right now, and unfortunately, dermatology is one of the busiest departments. As a result, there can be long waiting times for appointments.

I am not sure if you can speed this up but if you have not already done this let your  GP know. They might be able to refer you to another hospital with a shorter waiting time.

It might also help to talk with the hospital's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), they can investigate this and it could speed things up, but I'm afraid this is not guaranteed.. You can contact them via the hospital website or by ringing the hospital switchboard. 

There is always the option of going private . I'm afraid I don't know how much it would cost. But in most hospitals now there is a Private Patient's Officer who may be able to advise on this further. The Private Health website has information about private hospitals in the UK and may also be able to give you some idea.

Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5 pm Monday to Friday.

 Kind regards

Tina