- Reference Number: HEY928/2024
- Departments: Oncology (Cancer Services)
- Last Updated: 29 February 2024
Introduction
This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about your ‘Urgent Suspected Cancer’ (USC) referral to this hospital. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your doctor, but may act as a starting point for discussion. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team caring for you at your GP practice.
What is an ‘Urgent Suspected Cancer’ referral?
An ‘Urgent Suspected Cancer’ referral is a request from your General Practitioner (GP) to ask the hospital for an urgent appointment for you, because you have symptoms that might indicate that you have cancer.
Does this mean I have cancer?
After the appointment, we find that most patients who come to us do not have cancer, but another condition.
So why has my GP referred me?
GPs can diagnose and treat most symptoms and illnesses themselves. However, on some occasions they need to arrange for you to have a hospital assessment, so that you can see a specialist hospital doctor. The ‘Urgent Suspected Cancer’ referral system was introduced so that you can have investigations done and be seen as quickly as possible.
There could be several reasons why your GP has referred you; for instance:
- Your symptoms need further investigations
- The treatment already prescribed has not worked
- Investigations your GP arranged have shown some abnormal results
- To make sure you do not have a serious disease
Will I need any tests?
You may require specialist tests and these may take place either before or during your first appointment. These will help the hospital doctor understand the cause of your symptoms.
What do I need to do now?
Make sure that your GP has your correct address and telephone number, including a mobile number, if possible. It is very important that you are available to attend an appointment within two weeks of seeing your GP. Please tell your GP if you are likely to be away, or unable to attend hospital for any reason within the next two weeks.
The GP surgery will book this appointment for you electronically via the hospital’s referral system. You will receive a letter if there is sufficient time. If not the GP’s surgery or the hospital will contact you by telephone. If you are unable to attend the appointment sent to you, please phone the hospital immediately. It is important that you arrange another date and time if you have to cancel an appointment.
If you have any queries regarding the arrangements for your appointment, please telephone the hospital on Tel: 01482604308. The ‘Urgent Suspected Cancer’ team will be available to answer your call Monday to Friday between 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, excluding bank holidays.
Your hospital appointment
At your first appointment, based on the information from your GP and your consultation with the specialist hospital doctor, you will be given more information about what will happen next. Please feel free to bring someone with you to your appointment.
Further information:
NHS Choices (Guide to waiting times) www.nhs.uk/
NICE (Clinical Guidelines, Referral for Suspected Cancer) www.nice.org.uk
General Advice and Consent
Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.
Consent to treatment
Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.
The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:
- you must be able to give your consent
- you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
- you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person
Information about you
We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.
We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.
If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.
