At the beginning of July my Mum visited the doctors surgery and during examination of her abdomen the doctor blurted out "oh, that shouldn't be there" and without elaborating told my Mum she would send her for a scan and asked her to book a blood test appointment. Obviously this sent my Mum into a panic so she made the blood test appointment the same day and was able to get one the next morning. She was lucky apparently to get one that soon because they had nothing within four weeks, only that somebody had cancelled and a spot had opened up that same day.
She was told by the GP at the surgery that if she didn't hear about an appointment for a scan within a week to call the surgery. She hadn't and when she called was told that the doctor hadn't requested an appointment until the Wednesday after seeing her on the Monday. I figured this was strange because it sounded like it had come across as something that had a bit of urgency about it. When the appointment did arrive it was for four weeks and a day after visiting the surgery. Again, I figured the length of time meant it wasn't urgent. She was also told by the receptionist that her blood results didn't look concerning after she scanned them, but that the doctor would have to look at them to be sure.
We never heard from the doctor about blood results and despite being somewhat assured that the appointment wasn't urgent, both my Mum and I are still obviously worried.
it's worth pointing out that she'd experienced no symptoms at all in connection with this thing that shouldn't be there.
She visited and had the CT scan and was told she would hear about two weeks after it, which brings us to today. On Tuesday next week it would have been two weeks since her scan and given the fact we'd heard nothing were reassured. No news is good news so to speak and it's almost six weeks since her original GP visit.
Then, out of the blue this morning, she gets a text message from the surgery asking her to contact them to arrange a telephone appointment to discuss the results. It sent my Mum into a panic. The exact wording is "to make an appointment with the doctor at some point to discuss the results." Because she was in a panic I told her to call the surgery and the receptionist was very belligerent, completely unmoved on the need to put her mind at rest and told her the doctor was fully booked today. My Mum was emotional yet she wasn't bothered at all.
I was really upset when I heard that, surely the surgery should prioritise patient anxiety especially if they can do something about it and a phone call ouldnt take no time at all.
This means that we have a weekend of anxiety and stress, midday on a Friday afternoon is a bad time to get a message like this.
My question is whether a "phone call at some point" sounds like it is something to be worried about. Surely if it was we would have heard much sooner and it wouldn't be such a casual message?
I'm not one to be critical and obviously COVID is still around and the hospital were brilliant, but the surgery has been less than impressive.
