Soldato
...for MRI scans having to be completed within 7 days?
Are there any appointment deadlines or regulations
- Thread starter ethan
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Soldato
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- 25 Nov 2005
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I'd imagine it goes against health & safety to be stuck in an MRI scanner for 7 days
Soldato
Soldato
I don't think so.
The 18 week maximum waiting time for non urgent referrals starts from the date the hospital or service receives your referral or you book your appointment via NHS e-Referral service. If the referral is for suspected cancer then the 18 week target is reduced to 2 weeks. Whilst your waiting to be seen by the service you've been referred to e.g. some consultant within the 18 or 2 week wait you may be required to undergo tests or scans etc. Therefore the waiting time standards are for the wait for the referred service rather than any required diagnostics.
That is my understanding of what is rather a confusing system.
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/hospitals/guide-to-nhs-waiting-times-in-england/
The 18 week maximum waiting time for non urgent referrals starts from the date the hospital or service receives your referral or you book your appointment via NHS e-Referral service. If the referral is for suspected cancer then the 18 week target is reduced to 2 weeks. Whilst your waiting to be seen by the service you've been referred to e.g. some consultant within the 18 or 2 week wait you may be required to undergo tests or scans etc. Therefore the waiting time standards are for the wait for the referred service rather than any required diagnostics.
That is my understanding of what is rather a confusing system.
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/hospitals/guide-to-nhs-waiting-times-in-england/
@newoc
Thank you for the informative reply. I have a friend who was told by the GP to expect and prepare for the worst. The friend seems to be under the assumption an emergency scan was agreed to have to be completed within seven days, and since the seven days have now passed without a scan, there was a breach of some kind.
Thank you for the informative reply. I have a friend who was told by the GP to expect and prepare for the worst. The friend seems to be under the assumption an emergency scan was agreed to have to be completed within seven days, and since the seven days have now passed without a scan, there was a breach of some kind.
Soldato
I suggest he chases it up with his GP or the hospital he was referred to. They do like sending everything back and forth in the post so it could be that he'll get an appointment letter in the next couple of days but I suggest he chases it in case it's stuck somewhere.
I'm not sure there is a deadline for it occurring within 7 days. I think a GP can mark the referral as urgent but I don't think that puts a different deadline on things. If it's suspected cancer it should be done within 2 weeks from the referral being received although that is I think to see a consultant so the scan should be done within that time as it takes time for the radiologist to interpret the scan and provide it back to the requestor.
I'm not sure there is a deadline for it occurring within 7 days. I think a GP can mark the referral as urgent but I don't think that puts a different deadline on things. If it's suspected cancer it should be done within 2 weeks from the referral being received although that is I think to see a consultant so the scan should be done within that time as it takes time for the radiologist to interpret the scan and provide it back to the requestor.
Soldato
Pretty much the fastest one can be seen/scanned as an outpatient in the NHS is under the 2 week wait rule for suspected cancer diagnoses. 2WW breaches can occur.