[Margaret Pilkington]

If a referral from a GP suspects that the patient being referred has cancer, then there is a process by which an appointment will be given within a two week period......in my experience GPs have phoned consultants (Gynae) and the patient has often been seen either that day or the next....and at every clinic there were always two appointments left vacant to accommodate such happenings.
Whilst I do not know of an 'open door' situation for these kinds of patient...in reality they (the patient) usually form a bond with one of the Nurses......and they can intercede with the consultant if the patient has particular concerns.
On the Unit that I worked on, we had a lovely Christie trained Cancer Specilaist Nurse who could always be accessed by the patients....she would speak with consultants about her patients worries and organise a visit if this was required.

I don't know what happens now....I have been retired for 7 years...or what happens in other specialties or areas.