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Non urgent referral for colonoscopy

Suzybeth
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Hi everyone, does anyone know anything about how long a GP can take to refer you for non urgent referrals. 

I have some symptoms consistent with bowel polyps and a family history of both polyps and bowel cancer.

Because I don't have all the cancer symptoms (no bleeding)  and because of my age 43 the GP said it would be a none urgent referral which I accept, however I can't help feeling worried because of the family risk and recent high profile cases and learning bowel cancer in younger patients is increasing.

I needed to talk to a GP for something else today and enquired if my referral has been done and it had not. It has been over a week now and I know that my local hospital is a 5 month wait for non urgent colonoscopy. I told the GP I was concerned and anxious for the referral to be done and he basically told me it would get done when it got done. I asked what time scales they work to for none urgent referrals and he just said it's in the process and it will get done but it was non urgent and there are people ahead of me that are urgent referrals. Does anybody know if there are any set timescales for GPs to make none urgent referrals? I didn't think it would take over a week to be honest and I know my waiting time doesn't start until that referral goes in. I'm very anxious to get the ball rolling.

 

Thanks all

 

 

Parents
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    Welcome to the NHS as it operates at the moment.  I saw a GP for a problem at Easter, finally had appointment 12th May, the Consultant himself saw me and ordered an urgent MRI, that came yesterday, 23rd June is my date.  So I'm afraid its wait and be patient, there is little else you can do if its classed as non urgent.  Carol 

  • Offline in reply to Dor06

    Hi Carol,

    Glad to see you are getting somewhere now and hope everything goes well for you.

    I knew the hospital wait would be long but never expected that the GP would be so slow! 

    I called the reception later this afternoon and they seemed to think it should have been done by the end of the week that I was seen, so they are going to look into it for me.

    To be honest my GP surgery doesn't have the best reputation and this is the second time they've said they would refer me and then haven't done. The first time they closed my case down and just didn't do it. Rather than just reopening the case I had to go through the process of seeing another doctor to get it started back up again so I have little faith in them to actually do it!

     

    Good luck for the 23rd June.

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  • Offline in reply to Dor06

    Hi Carol,

    Glad to see you are getting somewhere now and hope everything goes well for you.

    I knew the hospital wait would be long but never expected that the GP would be so slow! 

    I called the reception later this afternoon and they seemed to think it should have been done by the end of the week that I was seen, so they are going to look into it for me.

    To be honest my GP surgery doesn't have the best reputation and this is the second time they've said they would refer me and then haven't done. The first time they closed my case down and just didn't do it. Rather than just reopening the case I had to go through the process of seeing another doctor to get it started back up again so I have little faith in them to actually do it!

     

    Good luck for the 23rd June.

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