Hi Plet 87

I know where you are coming from in being angry about the disjointed system within the NHS.

For example we have a local hospital 12 miles away and the breast unit is at another hospital 65 miles away.

Our GP surgery is 12 miles away and our local surgery which once provided a full service is now part time only open 2 and a half days a week and now part of the large surgery 12 miles away.

I have recently been diagnosed with a new cancer last Friday.

So far I have had a GP appointment 12 miles away followed by breast unit 65 miles away followed by a bone scan at the hospital 65 miles away and a CT scan at the local hospital 12 miles away.

I will have surgery at the hospital 65 miles away.

I don't think it's because the NHS care providers are being difficult but I think they are trying to fill any spare capacity going anywhere in the health board or health trust  to get those dreadful ticky boxes ticked.

I've  now learned that the appointment is never on time and sometimes changed at short notice and in a department that does not seem sensible.

For example I was referred to Physiotherapy at local hospital 12 miles away to treat a rapid decrease in mobility in my right arm but in fact then landed up with a physiotherapist in a GP surgery some 40 miles away.

I have had to pay for a basic hotel to stay in the night before for appointments in hospital 65 miles away so I could make the appointment. You could not make it up but it is what it is .

You are not alone on the great NHS conveyor belt nor are you alone when it comes to venting.

We are  here to listen and share our experiences and it's surprising how many of us feel the same in similar situations.

For the record ....I now take a book to read and I've even noticed some ladies doing their their crochet in the waiting rooms 

Pj 

I'm sorry to hear about this , I would advise you to go and book a appointment private , the initial costs for diagnosis ect are quite low , it would set your mind at ease I was told I'm 40 mins more or less that I had BC , I am lucky I claimed through my private medical but I looked on my invoices for insurance and the initial costs are quite low , then obviously it goes up a lot when you get operations ect , but the private clinic can transfer you back to nhs for anything further you need .

I really hope you don't get a diagnosis but the anxiety of the wait is the worst part . 
 

good luck Lara xx 

I did go privately due to a hold up with the 2 week wait referral. I did not have private medical insurance so I shopped around and the cheapest consultant appointment I found was about £500 just for a consultation and ultrasound. I chose to go ahead with this despite the cost. I saw the large dark areas on the scan and I think the consultant suspected I couldn't really afford to continue privately.   The consultant thankfully urgently referred me to my local NHS breast clinic where I received biopsies, mammograms and led to surgery with about a month. This first private appoint worked for me, I felt guilty for possibly jumping the queue but I just couldn't cope with a long wait and thought it better value than next years holiday which I may not be able to take anyway.  All the best.

I'm not saying this is the case for every hospital, because i know it won't be. But maybe worth checking if your treating hospital has small accommodation for out of town patients.

Here in Edinburgh, i know the main cancer hospital has such accommodation attached to it. It's not actually in the hospital grounds, but small self-catering flats like you would find on holiday. They are in close proximity, though. My wife has met people from Liverpool, Shetlands, Watford etc etc that use them during chemo treatments, scans and whatnot.

Yeah, so it wouldn't hurt to ask.