Two Week Urgent Referrel to Be Seen for Suspected Cancer a Lot Longer Now

Recently I noticed a sore on my leg and I just thought maybe it was a bite or I had knocked it on something but after two weeks of it not clearing up I decided to go and get it checked out with my Doctor.

The practise I belong to will always make sure you see someone on the day you phone so I sent a photo over and they booked me in to see a nurse access role that day.

He didn't know what it was and in his words 'even Cludo would not know what it was', which I must admit at the time didn't fill me with hope. He then wrote a prescription for a steroid and antibiotic cream and said if it was no better in one week to go back and see him again.

It did not improve at all by the time the week was up but we were going away for a couple of weeks holiday in Spain so I just the sun hoped it would heal while I was away. I religiously put the cream on night and day but by the end of the holiday I had already decided I needed to go back and see him again.

My second visit to him still left him puzzled so he said he would give me a much stronger cream and also some strong antihistimes. I said I hoped the sun would clear it up and he said it wouldn't make it worse but may make it itch more. He then said again to go back and see him in a week if it was no better.

When I went to pick up the prescription I soon realised it was the same cream he had given me before with some antihistimines. I just thought it musn't be anything serious so I carried on using the cream and taking the antihistimes.

The following week we were away again for a week abroad ( a special present for my for my 70th birthday) so yet again I just hoped it would clear up. There was very little change so both myself and my other half decided that I would go and see him again when we got home and insist on a referral to a dermatologist.

The visit last week was not to the nurse I had seen previously but a Doctor at our practice. She took one look at it and after I said I must have had it for about eight weeks she immediately said she would organise an urgent referral in case it is skin cancer then she took some photos and measured the wound to send with my details. By the time I got home I had an email come through with a letter (standard one) which said why my Doctor was sending me for an urgent appointment.

She said if they had not phoned me within a week with the appointment then I had to phone them and that I should be seen within a fortnight but she thought there was a bit of a back log with the NHS.

Tuesday was a week and I had not heard anything so I was obviously slightly anxious. I started to google (as you do) about skin cancer as in my mind I just thought skin cancer was a mole that went dark and bled I had no idea a sore on your leg could also be cancer.

I phoned on Tuesday and I was told that I would have to wait another three weeks before I would even be given a date. I asked could I not just be given a date while I was on the phone but she said not until they have any spare slots which they do not have at the moment.

Even when I get the appointment I will have to wait a number of weeks before I see someone so my husband and I decided that we would go privately to get some reassurance that the sore is not cancerous.

The private health sector has also been affected by the long waits for NHS appointments and even they were unable to give me an appointment for another three weeks so the chances are I might (stess might) get my NHS one by then.

So, if I have learnt anything by this particular problem is that you must check yourself regularly and never leave something that you are a bit suspicious of.