7. Ask the important questions

Once your GP has referred you for further tests, what questions do you need to ask? Consider questions like:

• Have I been referred along the cancer pathway? If not, can you please do so?

Always ask about which pathway you’ve been referred along. With the pandemic, those referred as routine patients are currently waiting a very long time. Remember, the 'cancer pathway' is the super quick GP referral that asks the hospital for an appointment within two weeks. 

• What tests should I expect?

Each type of cancer comes with different diagnostic tests. It’s always useful to know what your GP feels is best for you, so you can follow where you are in the process.

• Which hospital should we choose and which is the best for me?

You can choose which hospital to have your diagnostic tests. Ask about the wait times of each hospital, which has the best reputation for cancer treatment, and which offer the best overall care.

• How long will I wait and is there anything I can do to speed things up my end?

This is really important. It might be that you will need to confirm an appointment time over the phone, so it’s useful to know you need to listen out for the call. Once the referral has been passed to the hospital, it might be worthwhile contacting them also to confirm wait times.