Test results

[Hollydebs]

Does anyone know what the rules, ie time frames, are on receiving test results?

I had to have a cardiogram and have a heart monitor on me for 5 days. Over 2 months later nothing. No results no letter no follow up etc.

Saw my Rheumatologist about month ago and he seemed surprised results still not in and said he’d chase. Month more and still nothing.

Anyway this week decided to chase Cardiology myself. Spoke to secretary who told me that the results haven’t even been looked at by the consultant. All this time I was thinking no news is good news and Dr hadn’t even looked or anything.

The Dr I saw is apparently only at the hosp every so often and as yet he’d not reviewed test results. The Secretary also let slip that he has a pile of patient folders to review on his desk and that he’d have to get to it soon as I’m not the only one chasing.

To say I was shocked is an understatement. I did ask why another cardiologist hadn’t stepped in, in his absence, and apparently doesn’t work that way.

Don’t know whether to speak to PALS as don’t know if this is something they can assist with?? Just feel I should be doing something to make them get their finger out. Also over 2 months is unacceptable in my mind but is it to the NHS??

Has anyone had this issue before??

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I’m in Scotland but I seem to have this issue all the time - apart from if my rheumy has referred me for testing - in which case she usually writes but it can be up to 6 weeks afterwards.

I have never received the results of my cardiac testing referred by my GP, nor a pancreas MRI months ago. When I asked GP she couldn’t find these on her system.

And when they were testing me for possible Cauda Equina last year, which is a medical emergency, they said the results would only be conveyed to my physio who had requested it prior to going on annual leave! I double checked this and said but surely someone would alert my GP or my rheumatologist or neurologist if my spinal cord was about to be cut off causing paralysis?! The woman said no because this was just imaging/ radiography department and there was no system for letting the person affected know about it or even their GP. Only the person who has referred the patient initially. So if they are away or don’t check then presumably nothing would happen?

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PS I didn’t lodge a complaint because my GP found it after 3 weeks and phoned to say just a slipped disc. But yes I think you should complain as you’ve had a much longer wait for them even to be checked. Although one would imagine that a very abnormal result would have flagged up and your cardiologist would have been alerted by someone?

[Hollydebs]

Thanks Twitchytoes. I’d also like to think the results would have been flagged if anything major. Just losing faith in the hosp system. I can see why so many people fall through the cracks 😳

[KayHimm]

Two months! I do not even know how to respond to that except to say that the system is under enormous stress. Maybe that does happen all over. But nothing remotely comparable has ever happened to me in the US. I can take a guess that this cardiologist is so busy handling the heart attacks and doing urgent testing to rule out life threatening illnesses that they cannot get to the non-urgent stuff. I am not saying it is okay. It is, frankly, unimaginable. I thought there were expectations as to when a test would be completely. Surely it is not two months.

The computer may have already flagged the « urgent » results. The others are just sitting there.

I doubt it has an impact on care or the secretary would never have mentioned there were many studies yet to be read. But the stress on patients is enormous.

I don’t think there is much you can do except have your doctor follow up. Maybe others have had experience with this particular test.

K

[misty14]

Hi hollydebs

So sorry you've been suffering with heart problems and not been able to get resukts quickly!. I do think you should go thru PALS as it is unacceptable you've had to wait over two months for test resukts!. One has to hope they're on top of the urgent cases but you never know and can't be sure ' no news is good news' !. I do happen to know that a cardiologist has retired from the dept and it sounds like they haven't replaced him which is why they're struggling with the workload!. Do hope you get it sorted soon. Keep us posted. Xx

[Hollydebs in reply to misty14]

Thanks Misty14 x