Treatment wait length- Public Health System Ireland

[MadMadam]

Hi all,

I'm waiting on a scan appointment for suspected Ovarian Cyst and I'm in a lot of pain. I'm paying for it myself as I don't have health insurance and my consultant said I could be waiting 3 months on the Public Health waiting list.

My mom had a 1kg cyst removed a few years ago and full hysterectomy and there is bowel cancer in the family also so I'd rather not wait around.

Has anyone had treatment and surgery on the Public Health System and if so, what was the wait times please?

[Tulips66]

Hi, I am not sure what part of Ireland you are living in but I am near Dublin. Like you I dont have private health insurance. When I first went to my Gp she did a CA 125 blood test & when the results came back it was over 2,500 so she told me about a Gynaecological rapid assess clinic in a public hospital, which she arranged an appointment for me in. I got an appointment within 2 days with a Gynaecologist there who told me after examining me that I had cancer. About a week later I had a Ct scan & Mri to determine which Gynaecological cancer I had. It turned out to be OC. I had my surgery in a public hospital less than 4 weeks later & started my chemo 6 weeks later. If I had gone through the normal channels I would have been put on a waiting list & God only knows how long it would have been before I was seen. As far as I am aware there are several of these "Rapid Assess clinics" around the country in public hospitals so you need to go back to your Gp & tell him you are worried & can he refer you to one of these clinics. If my Gp hadnt referred me I wouldn't be here as I was stage 3 so you need to keep pushing. You are welcome to PM me if you have any more questions. Hopefully you get sorted soon & all will be well.!!

[MadMadam in reply to Tulips66]

Hi Tulips66, thanks so much for the reply.

I'm just outside Dublin too. I had an internal and external ultrasound yesterday but they said the results won't be with my doctor for a week!! Thats amazing to hear about the rapid assess clinics, I'd never heard of them. May I ask what your symptoms were that prompted you to go the GP in the first place. I've never been one to go to doctors much but I'm 53 and had a heavy 9 day bleed after 4 years of menopause and the week after that I started getting sharp darting pain in my right lower abdomen for 2 days and now I have constant pain almost like a stretching feeling in my lower left side especially if I bend over or stretch to the side. My mother had a borderline ovarian cyst and full hysterectomy a few years ago. I haven't had any blood tests done.

[Pixiepurple]

Hi MadMadam,I am at the moment going through treatment in the Irish system. From my 1st Ca125 blood test to my CT scan it was slow. But from my CT scan to treatment it was really fast. CTscan middle of may, surgery 29 May, diagnosis 12 June & 1st chemo session 29 June. Before CT I had ultra sound & MRI, 5 week wait for Ultra sound, prob same for MRI. I hope this helps. Hope you got your scan at this stage