Progress after awful GP experience

Hi all, 

I went for my 6 month follow up today (positive news of no abnormalities seen, just awaiting smear). But I was so glad to hear that there has been progress in the treatment of women in Wiltshire and Somerset after the awful experience I had. 

Just to update I had my first smear on Halloween last October (frightening I know) and two weeks later on a Friday evening recieved the letter stating urgent appointment, abnormal smear, referred for colposcopy. Well as you can imagine I was stunned and in shock with no way of contacting my GP surgery till Monday. When Monday did arrive my GP surgery refused to give me an appointmend untill I went outside and rang, bearing in mind I had taken a day off work, so there I was shaking like a leaf on hold in the carpark for 10 minutes. Then it got worse they didn't have my results, they lost them! I finally rang my colposcopy clinic who said I should demand to see the results. Finally a Dr found them and unsure what CGIN was drew me a diagram based on an Internet search on how far it had spread in my body. I left the Dr's shaking and crying. 

As you can imagine my anxiety was intense, I finally got to the day of the colposcopy appointment stepped into the consultants room and cried. I told the Dr and nurses everything and they were appalled, one nurse stating 'my daughter is training to be a Dr and she will never treat a patient as bad as that!' Well my consultant at (name of hospital removed) was fantastic he took my letter and what had happened to me and promised to get this changed. 

Fast forward to today, I found out that they are now changing the wording of every letter to say 'everyone is treated as urgent and very unlikely cancer' and 'to contact the colposcopy clinic for information.' I'm so glad my experience will mean that women in my area won't go through half the worry I did. 

Caroline xx 

 

 

 

I'm a Bath girl. They are fab. X

That all sounds awful Caroline!! Im also an (name of hospital removed) girl (woohoo) and thought they were fantastic. Glad you got clear results :) xx