Hello and thanks for posting

I'm sorry to read about your situation and appreciate how difficult it is waiting for things to happen.

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 finding out whether you have cancer or not. This is part of a wider NHS England plan to focus more on the speed that someone gets their results and diagnosis. 

However, hospitals are struggling to meet cancer waiting targets due to staff shortages and the impact of continuing pressures on the NHS. If you have not yet done so, it may be helpful to contact the hospital's Patient Advisory Liaison Service (PALS)  to inform them of how long you have been waiting and express your concerns. They will look into this for you.

You could ring the outpatient clinic to ask if you could go on a cancellation list. They may contact you if a slot suddenly becomes available at short notice. But unfortunately, this is not guaranteed.

Many people with suspected cancer may worry that if they do have cancer it will spread while they are waiting, but we do know that most cancers grow slowly, so waiting a few weeks does not normally affect how well treatment works.  However, waiting any length of time when you are worried is stressful.

I hope you know more soon. 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 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kind regards,

Celene