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Quote: Originally posted by brianconwy on 30/1/2016

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Is there not a system in the labs where abnormal results are red flagged as soon as they are spotted?

If there is something serious then I am sure the results are highlighted and relayed quicker.

I know our radiology reports are faxed through to GPs with an urgent message when required.

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Quote: Originally posted by jackie_s on 30/1/2016

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It's takes 6-8 weeks to get the results of biopsies because when a sample needs to go to the lab it may not get to the lab immediately. It doesn't get put up under the microscope immediately and bugs don't grow immediately. Even when the results are know it's not a case of phoning the patient, that's not the job of the lab tech.

In our case, our lab isn't in our hospital so there are runs with the biopsies twice a day. If your sample is taken at 9am it goes to the lab on the 12:30 run. Getting there an hour later perhaps. Unless marked urgent, it'll be stored properly until the hundreds of other samples in the queue are dealt with. There's not hundreds of lab techs sat waiting on a biopsy, there's probably a handful if that many. Some biopsies/samples need looked at under the microscope, some are tested to see if they grow bugs which may take a week or longer.

Once the results are known, it's usual the results are uploaded onto a computer (again after waiting in a queue with possibly hundreds and thousands of other results waiting to be uploaded). Once in the computer they are accessible by the consultant on his job list which will contain all the jobs he has to do for the hundreds (perhaps) of patients he is responsible for. So the consultant works his way down his job list (while at the same time doing theatre lists, endoscopy lists, clinics and making decisions in his ward patients) and eventually comes to your results. He will dictate a letter which will be stored on his dictaphone until the end of the day where he will drop it off at his secretaries office, who like many people finish at 5pm. The secretary will come in at 9am the next day and as well as her other jobs will type the contents of the dictaphone again in order of tape received. Your letter may not get typed for a couple of days. It then sits in the external mail waiting uplift, which may only be once a day as there are not mail up lifters hanging about hospitals just waiting in the one letter. At some point in time it makes it into the Royal Mail system and will be delivered to your door.

I know it's frustrating waiting and waiting for results, I'm a patient too and I know the system is not perfect but I hope this goes to show that getting biopsy results can take time, you are not the only patient but your consultant is the only one in charge of your care.

Rest assured, if at any point during the process, something is seen at urgent, you would be called to come in or spoken to on the telephone.

None of our NHS is perfect but it's humans that work in it, not robots.

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Quote: Originally posted by Bill Terry on 30/1/2016

Quote: Originally posted by jackie_s on 30/1/2016It's takes 6-8 weeks to get the results of biopsies because when a sample needs to go to the lab it may not get to the lab immediately. It doesn't get put up under the microscope immediately and bugs don't grow immediately. Even when the results are know it's not a case of phoning the patient, that's not the job of the lab tech.

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In our case, our lab isn't in our hospital so there are runs with the biopsies twice a day. If your sample is taken at 9am it goes to the lab on the 12:30 run. Getting there an hour later perhaps. Unless marked urgent, it'll be stored properly until the hundreds of other samples in the queue are dealt with. There's not hundreds of lab techs sat waiting on a biopsy, there's probably a handful if that many. Some biopsies/samples need looked at under the microscope, some are tested to see if they grow bugs which may take a week or longer.

Once the results are known, it's usual the results are uploaded onto a computer (again after waiting in a queue with possibly hundreds and thousands of other results waiting to be uploaded). Once in the computer they are accessible by the consultant on his job list which will contain all the jobs he has to do for the hundreds (perhaps) of patients he is responsible for. So the consultant works his way down his job list (while at the same time doing theatre lists, endoscopy lists, clinics and making decisions in his ward patients) and eventually comes to your results. He will dictate a letter which will be stored on his dictaphone until the end of the day where he will drop it off at his secretaries office, who like many people finish at 5pm. The secretary will come in at 9am the next day and as well as her other jobs will type the contents of the dictaphone again in order of tape received. Your letter may not get typed for a couple of days. It then sits in the external mail waiting uplift, which may only be once a day as there are not mail up lifters hanging about hospitals just waiting in the one letter. At some point in time it makes it into the Royal Mail system and will be delivered to your door.

I know it's frustrating waiting and waiting for results, I'm a patient too and I know the system is not perfect but I hope this goes to show that getting biopsy results can take time, you are not the only patient but your consultant is the only one in charge of your care.

Rest assured, if at any point during the process, something is seen at urgent, you would be called to come in or spoken to on the telephone.

None of our NHS is perfect but it's humans that work in it, not robots.

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Maybe how your hospital works,i dont know, As our hospital might be more efficient,I dont no that either, For me the our hospital pulls its finger out,and was very efficient and like i say i got my results in the time i mentioned.

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Quote: Originally posted by jackie_s on 30/1/2016

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Quote: Originally posted by Bill Terry on 30/1/2016

Quote: Originally posted by jackie_s on 30/1/2016It's takes 6-8 weeks to get the results of biopsies because when a sample needs to go to the lab it may not get to the lab immediately. It doesn't get put up under the microscope immediately and bugs don't grow immediately. Even when the results are know it's not a case of phoning the patient, that's not the job of the lab tech. In our case, our lab isn't in our hospital so there are runs with the biopsies twice a day. If your sample is taken at 9am it goes to the lab on the 12:30 run. Getting there an hour later perhaps. Unless marked urgent, it'll be stored properly until the hundreds of other samples in the queue are dealt with. There's not hundreds of lab techs sat waiting on a biopsy, there's probably a handful if that many. Some biopsies/samples need looked at under the microscope, some are tested to see if they grow bugs which may take a week or longer.

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Once the results are known, it's usual the results are uploaded onto a computer (again after waiting in a queue with possibly hundreds and thousands of other results waiting to be uploaded). Once in the computer they are accessible by the consultant on his job list which will contain all the jobs he has to do for the hundreds (perhaps) of patients he is responsible for. So the consultant works his way down his job list (while at the same time doing theatre lists, endoscopy lists, clinics and making decisions in his ward patients) and eventually comes to your results. He will dictate a letter which will be stored on his dictaphone until the end of the day where he will drop it off at his secretaries office, who like many people finish at 5pm. The secretary will come in at 9am the next day and as well as her other jobs will type the contents of the dictaphone again in order of tape received. Your letter may not get typed for a couple of days. It then sits in the external mail waiting uplift, which may only be once a day as there are not mail up lifters hanging about hospitals just waiting in the one letter. At some point in time it makes it into the Royal Mail system and will be delivered to your door.

I know it's frustrating waiting and waiting for results, I'm a patient too and I know the system is not perfect but I hope this goes to show that getting biopsy results can take time, you are not the only patient but your consultant is the only one in charge of your care.

Rest assured, if at any point during the process, something is seen at urgent, you would be called to come in or spoken to on the telephone.

None of our NHS is perfect but it's humans that work in it, not robots.

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Maybe how your hospital works,i dont know, As our hospital might be more efficient,I dont no that either, For me the our hospital pulls its finger out,and was very efficient and like i say i got my results in the time i mentioned.

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Yes perhaps your hospital is more efficient, who knows. Many people getting X-rays and scans get the results there and then as you did. The OP (sorry just r alis d it's not the OP who had it) had a colonoscopy. Samples of the lining of his bowel were taken, results of which are not known the same day. A colonoscopy is not a scan or an X-ray, it's an invasive test involving having a telescope the width of a finger rammed up your jacksy.

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