"A suspected BCC"

The GP sent photo and referral which led to an appointment at Honiton Hospital Dermatology Photo Hub.  The required questionnaire did not cater for my situation so nurse wrote lengthy explanation and sent her own photo as she couldn’t enlarge the GP’s photo.

The letter from consultant (out of my area) showed that they had apparently ignored the nurse’s explanation and deemed the lesion needing no treatment.  They had looked at the incorrect lesion.  Patient has red hair, very fair skin, many sunburns especially from childhood, parental , sibling and own history of BCC.  How could the consultant be so wrong?  And to look at the wrong lesion?  Photo consults to not really work, in my experience.  Now I have to start again.  Having already had one ignored BCC and then a 6” scar on neck I am understandably concerned at this kind of referral. 

Standard questionnaires do not cut it; photos don’t always cut it; and consultants who ignore things put in front of them definitely don’t cut it.  Message to everyone out there….do not accept answers from such referrals as true.

I had an unexpected reaction to the consultant’s letter of feeling sick and incredibly upset, taking two days to feel better.  Maybe  having had two cataracts removed over the previous 7 weeks (which went perfectly well) and facing not being able to have workable sight restored for another minimum of 8 weeks the reaction may not have been so bad.  But I think having already been through the BCC thing before and faced with a repeat it was quite a justified reaction.

I don’t want to be negative about our wonderful NHS which is strapped to the core, but I have to speak out on this one.  I can’t be the only person this has happened to.