Hello Happyhiker, and thank you for posting,

I can appreciate that it must have been a shock to see that you have been put on an urgent referral to the hospital, and I am sorry to learn you found out by text.

It is not unusual to be referred urgently, especially if the doctor is not sure what might be causing a symptom. It can be hard for GPs to decide whether or not someone may have cancer or if they have a minor condition. As a result, guidelines have been written for GPs to refer patients to the hospital for urgent tests.

It is important to know this does not mean that you have cancer, and most people referred this way do not, but it is a quick way for the doctors to rule this out. If cancer is seen, then treatment can be started quickly.

If you are able to it might be worth clarifying with the GP why an urgent referral has been made.

I hope you can get some answers soon. Please feel free to get back to us. If you would like to speak with one of our nurses on the helpline you can call between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday and the freephone number is 0808 800 4040

Jemma