Out-Patient Scans

[Hazlinny]

Wonder why it takes so long for an out-patient to receive the result of a scan (weeks, even months) whereas scans done in hospital are reported on almost immediately. It is very worrying for an out-patient to be kept waiting!

[bednobs]

if someone is in hospital, it's likely that the scan will be informing treatment to be given, therefore it would be madness to put thiose people anywhere other than top

[ummmm]

I've had scans and endoscopy and had the results within a few weeks.

[douglas9401]

It'll depend on the number of people available and able to interpret the scan and how they prioritise initially.

For example, royalty and politicians would bump us lot right down the line.

[jno]

I'd assume that if the scan finds anything they'll be back to you promptly. But yes. waiting can be maddening. I had to wait two weeks for an X-ray result that showed I had pneumonia - during which time it had got much worse. It was hinted that the X-ray had had to go to Australia to be interpreted.

[ummmm]

Yes...the emergency factor has to taken into consideration.

[Sqad]

Bednobs is correct....if you are ill enough to be admitted to hospital, then you investigations take priority......as the should.

ummmm 13:58 that is totally unacceptable, the patient should not have to wait that period of time, even normal results are important to the patient.
I have only had experience of the UK, Spain and France and the delay in the UK for results seems excessive.....for whatever reason.
The other unacceptable factor is , unless the results are abnormal, the onus is on the patient to follow them up, which to me seems odd.

[ummmm]

You're right, Sqad, if we're worried we have to chase our own results. From personal experience though if something is found they do contact you fairly quickly.

The hospital contacts the GP....the GP texts me. If it's minor it goes through snail mail.

[Hazlinny]

Thanks for all the comments and, yes, I do realise that scans on an in-patient will be reported upon immediately so that decisions can be made for onward treatment. What I don't understand is why out-patients are left in limbo for so long and, in some cases, have to follow up results themselves - not good enough ?shortage of radiologists.

[sunny-dave]

I paid just £195 for a private MRI scan on my neck & had the results before I left the building and a CD copy of all the images to take home with me.

My GP said it was a top-class job & that "I'd still be trying to book an appointment if I'd used the NHS".

Since then (2015) the actual waits for scans have reduced enormously (there is even an over-supply of MRI capacity in some areas now) - but the delay in interpretation for non-critical scans has become shocking.

It's a workflow problem rather than mere lack of capacity in most areas - it's what happens when you let clinicians also be managers ...

[Sqad]

"What I don't understand is why out-patients are left in limbo for so long and, in some cases, have to follow up results themselves - not good enough ?shortage of radiologists."

Totally unacceptable.........Drs must learn that, to the patient, negative results are as important as abnormal results.

My advice: it is good value to either have private medical insurance if you can afford or pay for a one off investigation as Dave has done.

[LadyCG]

There are problems in radiology across the board. Quite simply, there just aren't enough Radiologists. Scans will be done but imaging waits in a big queue to be reported. Often the on-call Radiologist will be given a folder to report on and in other cases imaging is outsourced to other trusts to be reported by available Radiologists.

[Hazlinny]

Good answers - thank you. Yes, private seems to be the way to go.