WHAT IS A 2 WEEK WAIT?
When the GP refers you to the hospital under a 2WW...what does this mean?
2 Weeks Waiting...
A 2 week wait is a term used within the NHS to categorise a particular type of referral from the GP to the hospital specialists.
Receiving a 2 week wait referral can feel alarming, anxiety inducing and the temptation to visit search engines for answers may be over bearing.
The most important thing to know in the first instance - many people referred under a 2 week wait referral do not have cancer.
What is it?
A 2 week wait referral is used by GP's to refer patients to the hospital under a protocol which means they have to be seen and investigated within a set time frame. The point of a 2 week wait referral is to rule out a cancer diagnosis - because with cancer the earlier it is found and treated the better the outcome.
In order to help identify as many cancer diagnoses as possible, the NHS has the 2WW pathway to ensure anyone with concerning symptoms are seen as priority.
Does it mean cancer?
No - the purpose of the 2WW is to quickly assess and investigate patients who have concerning symptoms. As a result far more patients are referred under the 2WW than actually have cancer.
Many patients who are referred to hospital under the 2WW do not have cancer.
It is a safe way of ensuring 'the worst is ruled in or out' as quickly as possible.
What to expect...
Depending on what speciality you have been referred to and what the symptoms are - the 2WW clinic will vary.
A breast clinic, for example, is set up to ensure in the same appointment you will see a consultant, have a mammogram and potentially ultrasound. Any concerning lumps may get biopsied in the same day.
Other specialities will involve a consultant and nurse who will speak to you, examine you. Sometimes the clinics have ultrasounds as well for an initial assessment.
You can expect to be there for an hour or more depending on the type of problem. It is not unusual to see a consultant and then be sent home for urgent scans to happen in the following weeks.
It is important to realise it is very unlikely you wil leave the first appointment with a confirmed answer. Sometimes the consultant will have an idea (one way or another) but often patients need more investigations and potentially biopsies, which means several more weeks of waiting.
It can be an anxious time filled with uncertainty. Keep a symptom diary, find support and try to keep distracted during the time. Until you have the confirmed diagnosis, it is best not to explore too much on social media or the internet.
OTHER RESOURCES TO HELP
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