A man has suffering breathlessness claims he was ignored by his local GP practice before finding out that he had cancer. David Gold, 59, thought that his problem could have been heart related due to a history of cardiovascular issues in his family but in actual fact he had an unusual symptom for cancer of the colon.
And he says he had to self-refer to the local hospital, Leeds General Infirmary, to get checked out after claiming he was told there were no GPs available to see him at his local practice. “I started to get really breathless when I was out walking and had pains in both arms, but I felt absolutely fine in myself,” David said. “I called my GP and spent an hour and a half on hold. The question that I was asked when they finally answered was, ‘Are you having a heart attack?’ I said, “Clearly not, because I've been waiting on the phone for an hour and a half’.
"And they replied to say, ‘Well, I'm sorry, but there aren't any GP appointments available, and you're not entitled to one’. It’s a terrible service.” Forced to use his initiative, David contacted his local hospital, the Leeds General Infirmary, and they allowed him to self-refer for testing as he was already known to them because his family had a history of heart problems.
After extensive tests, David was told that they could find no issues with his heart but he needed further checks and he should walk into his GP practice and demand an appointment. His doctor then revealed he would need an urgent referral to a rapid chest pain clinic and that he would need blood tests in advance of an appointment there.
