How long does it take to get a medical appointment?

i-want_that_one

Hi just wanted some advice about how long I should be waiting for medical appointments, I've not had many appointments before so don't know what's normal.

I've had lower abdominal pain since Nov, I went to see my gp who referred me to a consultant and booked me in for an ultra sound.
I had an appointment with the consultant mid December which was a waste of time as I had not had a scan. I had my scan late January a week later I booked an appointment to see my gp to get the results. Since then I've not heard anything, I thought my appointment with the consultant would have come through by now.

I'm starting to feel a bit anxious, it feels like its been going on forever. I just want to know what's wrong with me

j.e.j.

to give you some idea:

I went to my GP, needed a hospital referral. That took a few weeks to come through.
Hospital decided I'd been sent to the wrong department so wrote to the 'right' department, asking that I be seen there. Another few weeks wait.
They decided I needed a scan. Another few weeks
Result of scan took another few weeks after that, and they then decided that I needed to be seen in yet another department. Yup you've guessed it, another few weeks wait.

I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say getting something looked at on the nhs, especially if it is not what they class as an urgent problem, is a very slow process!!

You could try ringing the consultant's secretary and seeing if the results are available and if they are who you should go to to get the results?

geoffky

Around here.21 days or sooner if urgent...Longest is a month...This is neuro i do not know if others are longer..

any_name_will_suffice

it took me two weeks to get an 'emergency' appointment for a scan.....

Fag_ash_lil

Hi,

If i was you i would make another appointment with your GP .... and explain that the problem is still " ongoing " ... and that you are very worried .. and ask him to chase up the appointment with the consultant for you ...

You never know but perhaps your " appointment date " has gone missing in the post ? ... or it may well be that there is a very long delay in them sending the appointments out ....

My doctor managed to book me in for a scan within 48 hours ..... and i had results back within 24 hours of the scan ..

So as i said ... please don't just sit back and wait for the appointment ... contact your doctor to help you ... nobody should have to be in pain ..

I really hope that you feel better soon ..

terri x

Ich_2

It depends on what they think is wrong with you, I've had CT scans at 24 hrs notice, consultant appointments within a couple of weeks and surgery at 10 days notice.

i-want_that_one

Thanks everyone for the advice, will book an appointment with my gp sometime this week. I just want to feel better although the pain is not as bad as it was a few months ago I just feel exhausted all the time.

pigpen

If nothing significant was picked up on the scan then it won't be soon.. about 6 months + is usual here for most depts. If there was something of concern they would have called you.

getmore4less

i-want_that_one wrote: »

Hi just wanted some advice about how long I should be waiting for medical appointments, I've not had many appointments before so don't know what's normal.

I've had lower abdominal pain since Nov, I went to see my gp who referred me to a consultant and booked me in for an ultra sound.
I had an appointment with the consultant mid December which was a waste of time as I had not had a scan. I had my scan late January a week later I booked an appointment to see my gp to get the results. Since then I've not heard anything, I thought my appointment with the consultant would have come through by now.

I'm starting to feel a bit anxious, it feels like its been going on forever. I just want to know what's wrong with me

Once in the hospital system with a referal you need to chase them for followup apointments each time you go, also try to stay in the system and not get signed out back to the GP, it all starts again.

Next time try make sure you get the follow up appointment signed off, you might not get a date it might be in about X weeks/month and they fit you in but at least the piece of paper is in front of the person that makes the appointments.


With GPs sometimes you have to just keep at them to make things happen or in extream cases bypass them and go via A&E because it has suddenly got a lot worse.

tyllwyd

My OH has ongoing bowel problems, so waiting for a consultant's appointment is a common thing in this house. I wouldn't say that waiting from late January to mid March was unusual. Having said that, finding that he's fallen off a waiting list is also not that unusual either! So I wouldn't panic, but no harm in phoning the hospital and seeing if you can chase it up at all.

FBaby

So did your GP gave you the result of the ultrasound and it showed nothing? In the end, either your situation and urgent or not. Your GP would be expected to follow guidelines criteria, which would include the ultrasound and depending on a number of factor, decide if you should be referred urgently or not. If he hasn't (and his a competent GP), your referral will be routine and in this case, it could be anything from 6 weeks to longer depending on the waiting list at the trust.