Readers may recall that at my last appointment with the breast surgeon (2 December), I was told that I was being referred to the oncologist to determine what treatment I need to have next. I’d hear from them within two weeks, and I should feel free to chase this up. So, naturally I did – repeatedly – and was told – repeatedly – that said appointment would be today or tomorrow.
Still no news by this morning, so I chased again, and was told that the appointment will not be until the new year. An hour later, I got a letter through the post stating that my appointment is on 29 December!
This poor communication is a nuisance. Even cancer patients have to plan our lives, and I have family responsibilities and freelance work that I have to fit around my treatment. I don’t want to overstate this, and I certainly don’t blame the hard-pressed, over-stretched NHS staff. Years of government (Tory and previously ‘New’ Labour) ranting against ‘bureaucracy’ in the health service has led to major cuts in genuinely-needed administration. So you inevitably get a major case of left-hand-right-hand syndrome.
I’m more concerned about the delay to my treatment. After a cancerous tumour is removed by surgery, you need treatment to stop it coming back, and this should start within 4-6 weeks (according to the hospital) or 31 days (according to the pamphlet that the hospital gave me). Whatever happens at my appointment, 29 December is past this time window.
Why the delay? Because they have had to send my tumour tissue to the USA to have it tested. Yes, you read that right. As the factors examined so far have been inconclusive as to whether chemotherapy will be effective in stopping my cancer coming back, I need to have an Oncotype DX test, which is done in America. I quite fancy a trip to the USA, but it is only my tumour that gets to go, not me. Shame. Hopefully, Donald Trump will let it in once it arrives.
What I really want to know is … WTF can’t this country test cancer samples itself rather than delaying treatment?! And how much does this transatlantic treatment cost the NHS compared with doing it here?!
A generation of governments starving the NHS and making it farm out various of its functions means many things are now done by outside organisations (usually for profit). But outsourcing across the Atlantic? That’s a new one on me.