"Stress of waiting 9 months for results"

I need to start by explaining that my wife died of undiagnosed lung cancer in December 2024.

I caught 'flu in January 2025 and developed serious chest infection.

Went to local doctor and was told first available appointment would be in 10 days.

Attended appointment, by which time I was coughing so much I'd lost my voice, was vomiting and light-headed.

The doctor told me that I simply needed antibiotics that could have prevented the illness becoming serious.

Explained that I'd attempted to see a doctor 10 days previously and my illness had got worse in the mean-time.

At this point - and with absolutely no physical examination of any kind - the doctor told me I should attend Dumfries Infirmary for a chest X-Ray and have a lung-function test.

I drove to Dumfries, had the X-ray carried out and was told my doctor would give me the results within 10 to 14 days.

I waited 14 days and heard nothing.

After another couple of weeks I phoned the doctor, made another appointment and waited another couple of weeks to see the doctor.

The doctor told me there was a concerning shadow on the X-ray that might indicate a tumour and I should attend the infirmary for another X-ray.

By this time it was May and I was deeply concerned that I might have lung cancer.

I arrived home from work to find a letter telling me I had an appointment at Dumfries infirmary ON THAT DAY, which was now impossible to attend in time.

I phoned the infirmary and was told another appointment would be arranged for a future date.

By the time I attended my 3rd appointment for a chest X-ray it was June and I was, frankly, living with an all-consuming fear that I might have lung cancer.

Again, the Infirmary told me that my doctor would contact me with the results within 10 to 14 days and, again, I heard absolutely nothing from my GP.

I had the lung function test done in mid-July and was told that I'd be able to discuss all the results (of the lung-function test and X-rays) at an appointment at the end of the month.

I booked half a day off work, got home early and prepared myself for bad news before attending the appointment.

As I was driving to the appointment I received a phone-call from the surgery to tell me the appointment had been cancelled and I'd have to make another appointment in 2-3 weeks.

I asked why I had to go to the back of the queue again and was treated very dismissively.

I made yet another appointment to see a doctor and, when I was asked the reason, I explained that I was attempting to get test results and the receptionist told me that both my X-rays and Lung-Function test had already been filed as "No Further Action" and it was pointless for me to see a doctor.

While this was a gigantic weight off my mind I still wanted to hear this "officially", from a doctor, and so insisted on an appointment.

I attended the most recent appointment mid-September, where the doctor told me that the X-rays had shown no sign of a tumour but I still need to make ANOTHER appointment to discuss the results of the lung-function test.

I absolutely cannot overstate how stressful it has been to wait for nine months to find out if I have lung cancer just after my wife died of the same disease.

There are a lot of people (possibly including my wife) for whom "ignorance is bliss" and it's possible that if they have a serious medical condition they won't want to pursue the matter to find out for certain.

Every time I visited the Infirmary for an X-ray I was told my GP would contact me within 10-14 days to discuss the results and every time my GP failed to do this, showing an utter disregard for the stress and anxiety a patient is likely to have.

I'd like to think that, if my tests HAD revealed some serious illness, my GP would have made more of an effort to contact me but, even so, I cannot describe the anxiety this situation has caused.

I have, basically, spent 9 months living under the threat of a death sentence while my GP had, apparently, already decided there was nothing to worry about.

It's hard to believe, in this day and age, that the results of tests, or a GP's diagnosis, can't automatically be sent to a patient's phone or email.

A simple email saying "The results of your X-ray have been inspected and marked as No Further Action. Please contact your GP to discuss the results in more detail" would have saved me months of fear, stress and anxiety.

This GP practice absolutely MUST do better at fulfilling their obligations to inform patients about the results of tests.

It's fundamentally cruel and spiteful to leave patients worrying about the possibility of a serious illness unnecessarily.