Malignant melanoma

I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma at the end of Apr 25.  The consultant promised me at my consultation before the biopsy that if it was bad news he would tell me face to face.  Well this wasn’t the case and told me over the phone not even bothering to ask if I had anyone at home which I didn’t for a week. When saw me in clinic to discuss the next phase a couple of days later he was rude and offered me no paperwork about my condition or even a cancer nurse specialist.  I had to go to the local cancer research office and pick paperwork up.  After me chasing up on what the decision of the multi disciplinary team had come to I saw him again at the end of May, then finally at the end of June I finally had a wide local excision and skin graft, again he was rude to me.  Luckily he didn’t do the surgery.  I am still currently waiting on the results. I feel have had no support and think I should have at least had a nurse specialist to be able to speak to.  Should this have been the case.

Parents
  • Hi Fraggle

    Im sorry that you have been diagnosed with melanoma and your experience of NHS has not been the best. Often due to extreme pressures of workload a consultant will often phone, it lets you get your results earlier than waiting weeks for a face to face appointment and saves time for you not having to make a journey to hospital and the consultant with an impossible work schedule. My diagnosis arrived by letter! You definitely should have been appointed a nurse to contact and give you information and letting you know the support available. Many really good consultants have poor bedside manner and can be quite short and to the point this can sometimes be mistaken for rudeness. I hope through all this what really matters is that your surgery and any subsequent treatment is a success. Wishing you all the best in the coming months.

    Ed

Reply
  • Hi Fraggle

    Im sorry that you have been diagnosed with melanoma and your experience of NHS has not been the best. Often due to extreme pressures of workload a consultant will often phone, it lets you get your results earlier than waiting weeks for a face to face appointment and saves time for you not having to make a journey to hospital and the consultant with an impossible work schedule. My diagnosis arrived by letter! You definitely should have been appointed a nurse to contact and give you information and letting you know the support available. Many really good consultants have poor bedside manner and can be quite short and to the point this can sometimes be mistaken for rudeness. I hope through all this what really matters is that your surgery and any subsequent treatment is a success. Wishing you all the best in the coming months.

    Ed

Children
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