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
