GP negligence

But cancer needs to be ruled out before assuming its' "just viral" - it could save OP's life.

How can anyone say it isn't cancer?

They didn't think my well mum had cancer. They followed nice guidelines anyway.

She did.

Having a second opinion pushing for the referrals can be helpful, or at least was in my case, I was dismissed as anxious for months having a strongly written letter from the private gp on what he thought it could be and why he thought it was very important to get me looked at, got me my referral and then my cancer diagnosis.

or as @DamnUserName21 said go straight to a private specialist via circle health or the like.

I agree with the 111 GP. You should have gotten a same day or next day appointment.
It is unclear at this stage as to cause.
Any walk in GP services?

Alternatively, if I were really really worried about neck lumps, I'd self-refer for a private assessment with a private head and neck consultant (if feasible for your area.) You have to pay usually around £200 (area dependent) approx for assessment but they can refer back to GP for investigation via NHS route.
Yes, lots of money but if you have a credit card, preempt your GP.

I would go to another gp in the practice if possible or as others have said another option is a private gp if you can afford it, it’s a private gp I ended up going to when I was worried that something that kept being waved off was actually serious (and it was)

I'm so sorry about your friend I'm not sure why so many people seem to think that a clear blood test means there's nothing wrong.

Please, please push for answers - multiple swollen lymph nodes (especially when you originally just had one) would really concern me. Can you ask to see a different GP? Or raise your concerns with the practise manager?

Do you have any other symptoms? Particularly loss of appetite, weight loss, night sweats, itching all over and/or a slightly raised temperature for an extended period of time?

You have had a blood test to check for anything more serious and this only found low iron.

A blood test won't necessarily show everything OP has multiple swollen lymph nodes - a massive red flag for cancer.

Unfortunately, experience has taught me that you have to really assert yourself with GPs (and their receptionists) sometimes. I would tell them that this is affecting your mental health and you’d like to see your GP tomorrow.

You can’t just request an ultrasound, what did GP say about the lumps 8 weeks ago? You need to go back and see GP. My daughter had this and it was post viral swollen lymph nodes

You need to be assessed by a GP to determine the best cause of action and what investigations are required. It doesn’t sound unreasonable to do this in the timeframe of a few weeks.
It sounds like you have enlarged lymph nodes which can be due to many things.
They have asked you to have blood tests so that the results are available when they see you .
They can’t just request an ultrasound as they need to give history and ask focused questions on the request.

Find nice guidelines for lumps in neck.

Obviously there different types and presentations.

But when my mum had lump she was given AB and when it didn't go away a biopsy as that's nice guidelines. She wasn't unwell and GP literally said it's just precaution.

She had cancer.

Again don't want to worry you because her GP genuinely thought they'd find nothing. But the GP should at least be testing to rule this fact out.

Did low iron show up on the blood test you had?

They did have a blood test

It is unusual not to refer for neck lump unless there's an obvious cause for them. Obviously I don't know anything about you, but are you someone that attends the GP surgery regularly with various medical concerns/problems? It can be if these is the case you're on a plan where you're no longer allowed to have urgent appointments and have to wait for routine. If you're not attending very often this won't be the case. But if you do attend often this could be what's going on.

If anyones wondering - essentially surgeries can become overwhelmed by a small number of patients who' attend (or would if they could) several times a week for every single ache and pain, always examine normally, no interest in exploring any other opinion it could be a non-physical condition, increasingly frustrated when every test comes back normal/shift to new symptoms once their current symptoms have had every examination possible (literally as obvious as - "well your lump has now been examined extensively via specialist clinic with MRI & several ultrasounds no actual sign of this can be found, you've been discharged and no further investigations are indicated - oh well actually I'd now like to talk about this thunderclap headaches I've been getting".... The burden of these patients absorbing massive amounts of appointments has to be reduced - so essentially a plan is created (with great consideration/not lightly) no longer allowing same day appointments for x ailments - and just offered an appointment in x weeks - this is to consolidate what would have been 30-40 appointments over 3 months into 1 or 2 (with the same GP whom can get to know the patient and just monitor them routinely).