NHS Let-Down

Bad news about my friend. We had assumed that if chemo was agreed, she would be starting almost immediately. However when she spoke to them they said they were first going to refer her to the oncologists, which would take three weeks before an appointment was made in the outpatient clinic. Then goodness how long before any treatment. Since she thinks she is living on borrowed time she was somewhat stunned by this. I suggested she either present herself at the Royal Marsden or ring a specialist registrar at Tommy's since I have never heard of such a delay in someone who has been told she has serious disease. All this after waiting ten days for a scan result. Heads should roll. Everyone else I know with cancer seems to get immediate treatment, and while this is going on, immediate access to the hospital department treating them. All this despite her father being a doctor and the fact that she has worked most of her life for the NHS, which now seems to be letting her down badly.