Hello everyone,
I’d like to know how you get an appointment with your oncs?
I have to go to my GP, who then has to refer me, I then have to wait for an appointment. This all takes ages, too long when it’s something I’m worried about…( my GP obviously agrees because he does the referral.)
Looking forward to your replies…Sandra x
Hi sandra i can understand your worries appointments are quite quick once you get a referal not sure if you can see onc without one phone yr gp and ask to see him 2moz sorry i cant help more take care
Hi there - have you been allocated a Breast Care Nurse ? I always found if I rang her with any queries she would either speak to him on my behalf or get his secretary to get in touch. So if you havent got one you could always ring the hospital and ask to speak with your Onc’s secretary - hoe this helps x
Hiya,
I’ve got my ONC’s secretary’s number and just ring her. My Onc or her Registrar then ring me for a chat to see what’s wrong. Or if it’s for an appointment secretary makes appt.
Only had to be referred when I very first was diagnosed now am ONC’s patient don’t need referral.
Hope this helps.
Good luck with the red tape,
Jo
Hi Sandra
That does sound quite a long process. I’ve been under the hospital since the start of treatment. I’ve had several routine check ups since completing it all-not sure if they will be less as time goes on- and I have called the BCN if I’ve needed to check something-if she’s thought it needs her or the Onc to see me she’s made me an appointment.
Hope that helps
C x
Morning all, many thanks for your replies.
I don’t have BCN contact, perhaps because I’ve got secondaries?
I’m gonna call oncs secretary today and see if I can book an appointment that way. It’s all such a stress!
Sandra x
hi Sal, I can’t believe you have to go through such a long winded process to be able to see your onc. I have secondaries as well so no BCN input, but can ring my oncs secretary if I have concerns, either to arrange an appointment or to speak on the phone. If this is not possible at your hospital, it would be worth questioning why.
nicky
Hi Saj,
I too have secondarys and am oncs list so seen through appts system quite regularly, however if I have questions or want to see if I need to have an unscheduled appt I ring my onc’s secretary, I know it’s all stressful but often the secreary can get answers or get things sorted. Hope you managed to get hold of them today and something has been set-up for you.
Love Julie
Morning everyone, thanks for your replies, there doesn’t seem to be any hard and fast rule!!
I took a trip to my hospital yesterday to try and find out if my referral had been received and if I had an appointment.
I spoke to the secretary, who told me a letter has been sent to my GP. I’m “assuming” my GP will contact me to let me know what the letter says!!
The secretary confirmed the process for contact is via my GP…as I said to her,"All this to-ing and fro-ing leaves me in the middle not knowing what’s going on!"With that I stormed out, very upset and still worried.
I’ve spoken to her before and have the feeling she is one of the protective types, a bit like the infamous doctors receptionists!
I’ll call docs today and see what he has to say.
Sandra x
I’m so sorry you’re not really any further and that the oncs sec was not receptive to your needs. I don’t think it’s good enough, you’ve enough to worry about without all these problems getting an appt. When you do get to see the onc perhaps you could clarify the appts process with her/him there should be a more straightforward/less stressing system, it may also be worth talking to PALs at the hospital too,they may be able to have some influence about systems.
I do hope you get this sorted and get to see your onc very soon, thinking of you with fingers crossed for speedy appt. With best wishes, Julie
Hi Julie, who are PALs? Are they at every hospital?
I’m going to a support meeting tomorrow and I’m going to speak to the Mac.lady re this issue…haven’t managed to speak to GP so far today.
Sandra x
Hi Sandra
I think PALS stands for Patient Advice and Liaison Service - basically people that act on your behalf if you have any problems with care/service received. I think that’s what it is anyway. Maybe you could try looking on NHS website or ring the reception at your hospital for contact details for them. I would have thought that you should certainly have been given a name and contact number of someone regarding your care at the hospital, it does seem very long-winded and stressful - not what you need! Hope it gets sorted very soon.
Best Wishes
Samm xx
Hi Sandra
I think PALS stands for Patient Advice and Liaison Service - basically people that act on your behalf if you have any problems with care/service received. I think that’s what it is anyway. Maybe you could try looking on NHS website or ring the reception at your hospital for contact details for them. I would have thought that you should certainly have been given a name and contact number of someone regarding your care at the hospital, it does seem very long-winded and stressful - not what you need! Hope it gets sorted very soon.
Best Wishes
Samm xx
hi saj,
Glad you’re going to talk to Mac tomorrow and hope she can help.
PALS is the Patient Advice & Liaison Service and I think it is available at all hospitals, they are there to try to help you, you can find out more about them and what they do on the following site
Good luck, love Julie
This doesn’t seem right at all. The usual process is that you can ring the Onc’s secretary. When you see your Onc I would ask if you could have what they call an ‘open appointment’ meaning that you’re not signed off from his care and can then call yourself to make an appointment. Actually I’d be very surprised with your diagnosis if you were actually discharged from his care after each appointment. Normally it is only when you have been discharged that you need to go the route of a GP referral.
Sounds like you may have met a real job’s worth without any empathy in his secretary. A chat with PALs certainly may help with things although it can be a bit of formal route. Speaking to Macmillan first sounds a very good idea.
Hope you resolve this without too much hassle.
take care, elinda
Hello all, Update!
I’ve got an app with the consultant surgeon at the breast clinic tomorrow. Not sure this is who I need to see, but at least it’s an app and he can refer me back to my onc.I do have some lumpiness in my breast, but I think they are the same as ones in the lymphs in my neck, which is why I’m not sure he’s the one to see!
Terrified of what’s going on, plus I feel exhausted with the stress of getting an appointment.
(this app has come via a separate referral my GP did)
Hope everyone is feeling well
Sandra x
dear saj,
so glad you’ve got some kind of appt at last! Hope it goes well tomorrow, will be thinking of you, do let us know how you get on.Best wishes, Julie x
Hi all,
I’ve had my appointment and the consultant (who is such a lovely man!)has taken lots of biopsy’s from the various lumps around my right breast (original bc was left breast,previous history on my profile).
He agrees with me that everything looks very suspicious.
I’ve also got tenderness / sore places all round my ribs and consultant has booked a bone scan for Monday.
App with onc has been booked for 22nd Sept, once all results are back
I’m feeling a bit numb at the mo, only finished chemo at the end of June. The consultant was bewildered as to why the original lumps in neck have gone, but the new ones have appeared so quickly.
Oh well onward we go, can’t do anything until results come back and at least someone eventually saw me.
Isn’t funny how we seem to know when something isn’t right with our bodies and I’m glad I kept nagging for an appointment!
Have a good weekend one and all…Sunday weather looks good! Sandra x
Thank goodness you got to see someone. Probably best it was the surgeon so the biopsies were taken. I really hope you have some good news.
take care
Elinda
Glad you got seen, well done for the nagging!-such hard work sometimes, but as you say you knew something wasn’t right.All the very best
C x