GETTING A DIAGNOSIS
A toolkit to help you navigate the process of getting a diagnosis.
Advocate, be patient, and prepared
It can take time to get an answer to your symptoms. Waiting for a diagnosis can be frustrating, slow and at times anxiety-inducing. Going to appointments prepared can help the process. Keep a diary of symptoms, a timeline of events. Feel free to ask questions, take someone with you to appointments and keep a record of any results you get. The more information you can provide your GP/specialist the easier it is for them to work through your symptoms to finding a diagnosis.
First stop - GP
The GP is the first doorway to getting help and a diagnosis and can for some be a real battle. Women particularly often find themselves feeling gaslighted, dismissed, unheard. But not all are bad experiences, and remember that GP’s see a lot of concerns of stomach pains, and not all are in fact due to gynae problems or real conditions. If the GP was to refer every person that walked through the door the first time they reported a condition, the NHS truly would be broken. So asking to keep a food diary, or trialling simple medication may seem frustrating, but it’s not because you’re being failed. It is more than reasonable to be tried on several things initially. Starting with the basics like bloods and simple management is normal, because for most people, this will work.
hospital referrals
Patient's can have a choice in which hospital they are referred to. At every stage you should be provided with information and be involved in discussions about treatment options. Informed consent means you fully understand all treatment options available, the risks and benefits. Sometimes it is OK to ask politely for a second opinion or to see a different specialist. Take someone with you to hospital appointments, feel free to take notes and ask questions.
investigations
The GP can begin with basic tests like blood tests and arranging some scans (which will happen at the hospital). There is a common mis-perception that the baseline blood tests GP's do automatically screen for everything (including cancer) - this is not the case. The routine blood tests usually screen for general health such as checking the liver and kidneys are working, or for signs of infection. Not all cancers can be screened for through a blood test, in fact the opposite. What the GP requests will be guided by your symptoms and what they are 'looking for'. We have a thorough guide on investigations via the main HEALTH CORNER page.
Specialists
When a GP needs more specialist help to diagnosis or manage or health condition they will refer you to a specialist. This is another doctor who works in the hospital who has specialised in a specific area of health. We have a thorough guide to the different specialists on our central HEALTH CORNER page.
2 week wait
Sometimes if a GP is wanting to rule out cancer they will refer you to the hospital via a 'pathway' known as the '2 Week Wait'. This can be alarming for some patients, but remember that this is a fast track system designed to ensure the serious things are ruled in/out quickly. Many people referred on the 2 week wait are reassured, being referred via this pathway does not automatically mean you have cancer. We have a more thorough guide on the 2 week wait pathway on our central HEALTH CORNER page.
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