I was told I needed an urgent scan. The appointment that came through was for 6 months time. Has this happened to anyone else?

[Nicob32]

I have endometriosis and I have had cysts removed from my ovaries in the past. I went back to my consultant in severe pain. I was told that I needed an urgent scan. The maximum waiting time for referrals in Scotland is 16 weeks the appointment that came through was for 6 months time. Obviously I couldn't wait that long and fought back but I want to know if the same thing has happened to other women or is this an isolated case? Please Get In Contact.

[Impatient]

I had a bust cyst in November last year, I was referred to hosp for a scan, I am still awaiting a hospital appointment. 5 times i have been back to the GP ti chase this up as I am petty sure i have a cyst (have had several before) , but still no sign of the local hospital getting round to booking me.

I happen to know that the waiting lists at my local hosp are horrendously long , and my case while uncomfy is not critically urgent so i will not be a high priority and I cannt afford to go private so i have little choice but to either wait like everyone else ahead of me on the waiting list, or to wait for this cyst to pop.

So 10 months and I have still not had my appointment through. GP not happy with this, i saw him on Friday last week again. But all he can do is keep sending requests through the recognised channels.

It is very frustating at times.

The difficulty is once you have a diagnosis of endo (which we struggle to get in the 1st place) any subsequent gynae issues are always blamed on the endo and that is not fair. So we are no longer urgent cases, we are just endo ladies with a life long sentence of illness and these symptoms are part and parcel of having endo.

Hopefully you will have better luck than me. at least you do now have an appointment. I still don't have mine.

[Nicob32]

Dear Impatient,

I was able to get my appointment brought forward by stating that the maximum waiting time in Scotland was 16 weeks not 28. I also told them that I would go to my MP and my MSP and just for good measure that I would also email every other West of Scotland MSP just to make sure that it was not happening to other women in other constituencies' in Scotland. They have now brought my appointment forward however I still went to my own MSP just so they would know in future that I know my rights and have no problem enforcing them. Perhaps you could also go to your local MP or MSP which may speed things up. I hope that helps.

[Impatient]

oo eck...my local MP is my mum's ex-employee, and i really don't think that would be a great idea for personal reasons.

I am actually interested in seeing how long it does take without me kicking up a stink.

[Sheri26]

I'm down by south coast, I also had burst cyst in December and four weeks ago I had severe pain, doctor referred me for a scan, our waiting list for internal and ultrasound scan is three weeks, I phoned the clinic and asked to go on cancellation waiting list on the Wednesday and got a scan on the Friday, very lucky, the good news no cysts bad news developed adhesions. Oh and a stomach ulcer. I know privately down here it will cost approx £350 .

[Nicob32]

Thank you for your reply. I was considering going private and looked at the Spire Hospital in Edinburgh. I've also had adhesions and I can empathise. Glad there are no cysts. Response times seem to be a bit varied around the country.

[Kymmy]

When I was rushed into hospital June 2012, I was told I'd be having an operation and be kept in and have it following day. Then the following day I was discharged, no operation. Then I was re admitted following month, again same story, and again the following month. Then I was told the operation couldn't be done as an emergency, even tho home medications weren't strong enough for the pain, then in January 2013, I received a letter for a pre op assessment in the march. It had been delayed and I'm finally having my operation next week, a total waiting time of a year and 4 months since first told I was having an operation. ( a friend who worked for the NHS, first trio to hospital had an operation two days later, slight endo found, removed, recovered and back to work within 3 weeks)

[Nicob32 in reply to Kymmy]

sixteen months is incredible. I had emergency surgery a few years ago after being rushed to A&E. At the time doctors thought that I had appendicitis. I had two further ops one minor and one major before endometriosis was finally diagnosed. Since then other than waiting times my treatment has been excellent. However it was a very long road to the diagnosis. I hope your operation goes well next week.

[Kymmy in reply to Nicob32]

Thank you x