Hello BBBOOP

I'm so sorry to hear not only about your experiences at your GP surgery but also about your Mum and your own recent diagnosis. It sounds like it's been an incredibly difficult time for you. 

You don't mention in your post if you've ever raised your complaints in a formal capacity. Sometimes it can be daunting to do this but in order to try and make changes sometimes, we need to make these formal steps. 

Making complaints differs slightly across the four home nations so I'm going to give you this link to the NHS website which has information about how to make a complaint about GP services in England. If you live in one of the other home nations please do let me know and I'll send you the appropriate link. 

I do hope that your new GP surgery, and the hospital team responsible for treating your cancer, are helping you to feel supported and well cared for. If you'd like to talk to one of our team of nurses about your diagnosis then you're most welcome to call them on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm. 

Best wishes, 
Jenn
Cancer Chat moderator 

Hi Amhe

Like you I was feeling fit and healthy but I had started to have spots of blood in my stools, hardly anything really.  I finished my treatment at the end of December.  I had radiotherapy and chemo in the form of tablets.  The radiotherapy was for 5 and  a half weeks monday to friday   I struggled with the treatment but everyone is different.  My skin is very sensitive and I burnt really badly badly from the radiotherapy.  Make sure you moisturise really well all round the whole pelvic area as often as you can after each session but not just before a session and drink loads of water.  This Wednesday I will get the results.. 3 months ago I was told it had shrunk by 90% which they said was really good but the treatment carries on working for 6 months after it  stops so I have everything crossed for Wednesday.  I am feeling so much better now and like my old self.  The moisturiser I used was moo gloo which I loved  and got on line it is recomended by oncolcogists.  The hospital give you E 45 cream.  Also dont be afraid to talk to mac millans I still talk to my councellor now he has been so supportive all the way through my journey.

I wish you all the best with your treatment and hope everything goes really well   

Hello BBBOOP

Thank you very much for your reply, It is really good to hear of other people's experiences. I am very anxious about the side effects as anything I have read on forums describes it as horrendous, that's the most common adjective. When I asked the consultant he told me not to Google, though when he went through the radiotherapy treatment and had to discuss the side effects there were quite a lot. I also have sensitive skin so thank you for the tip about the cream. I take it factor 50 doesn't work . I really hope Wednesday goes well for you and I will be thinking of you. The suggestion to speak to a counsellor is a very good idea, thank you for that.

Thank you for your kind words, I'm not looking forward to the next few weeks but hopefully it will all be worth it - for both of us 

I went to the hospital for an appointment yesterday l asked a receptionist if l was in the right place she said oh l think so not checking for me so,l sat and waited for half an hour, then l received a phone call from the consultant asking me if l was expecting a phone consultation, l explained where l was waiting to see him , he saw me but lm lucky he didn't just go to lunch,  so they were so unhelpful and I nearly missed my appointment. 

My old job within NSS [National Services Scotland] involved working closely with a huge number of GP practices over Scotland.

I think receptionists get an unfair flak over all things medical just because they happen to be the first person the patient comes into contact with.

Receptionists aren't medically qualified, so they can't triage patients in the manner a lot of people think they do. That would border on litigation. Instructions are passed down to them from management/doctors/gps without fail. So when a receptionist tells you your symptoms don't warrant an appointment within the hour, that's because they've been told by those above them your symptoms don't warrant an appointment within the hour. I'm using hyperbole in case someone thinks I'm insinuating we all want appointments within the hour.

Your first point of contact when complaining about your treatment should always be the practice manager, not the receptionist. Whilst there are awful people in every line of work, I often wonder how a lot of the people complaining about receptionists the internet over (not just cancer related) would fare if they kept getting constant grief over the phone on a daily basis. A lot of these people put up with awful verbal abuse on a daily basis. It would grind anyone down. However, the people who do make these decisions are often out of the firing line.

Same goes for being told there's a 2 week wait for an appointment. Ignoring cutbacks etc, the reason for most of the waits is because of your fellow patient. The amount of no shows are staggering. For example, the last time I was at the gp, they had a sign up stating there was 400+ no shows.In a single week. 400 appointments that could have been given to others had folk had the decency to call and say their symptoms had either improved or they wouldn't be able to make it for some reason or another. Even an appointment cancelled an hour before can be given out as an emergency app. The "no-show" thing affects all parts of the NHS. The numbers are staggering. If you ask, a lot of GP practices will actually provide you with the no show figures. They don't hide them.

You seen the same in pubs and restaurants after the lockdown. A lot of businesses had to close because folk weren't honouring their bookings.

Hi.  I really think that when I tell a receptionist that my stools are coming through my vaginia this warrents an appointment. This would set off alarm bells in anyone.  I did make two complaints to the practice and on my next visit to pick up a perscription  for my foster child tne practice manager jumped out of her box and shouted that I was banned from the surgery infront of all the other patients.  The gmc are investigating the doctor for a misdiaognoes as when I first went to the doctors I rold him I had blood in my stools to which he replied not to worry it is probably heamphroids.  NHS England phoned me yesterday as they were looking at my case and asked why I did not complain about being banned.  I said I was too upset and ill with cancer at the time This has now gone to the very top of NHS England as they are not allowed to ban someone with cancer.  This has cost the nhs afortune because everytime during chemo and radiotherapy I became ill I had to see the oncologist instead of a doctor same with blood tests.  I have heard receptionists being rude for no reason with other patients.  When I was refused an appointment I went private to see a gastrologist and then a colonoscopy which cost me £5000 that I had to get a loan for .