How do 'dummy' appointments and referrals work in practice?

[Monetsgardenbridge]

I've got a 'dummy' appointment ('not for patient attendance') listed in my NHS app for 8 weeks time. I understand that this is not a real appointment, and is for them to do the triage and decide what to do, and then I'll then be offered a real appointment if they think it's needed.

What I'm wondering is if it's actually an internal deadline for them to do the admin/triage by, and I likely to hear about the appointment earlier, or if it's a best estimate of when they might do it, or if it's just a random placeholder and it will actually just keep getting pushed back (the 'waiting list' section of the NHS app says the average waiting time is 50 weeks for outpatients appointments). Obviously there's nothing I can do about it, and if the waiting list is 50 weeks, then whether I hear in 8 or 10 or 20 weeks isn't going to change that, but I'm just curious.

I'm also not sure if the fact that it's been accepted into the system in order to triage means that they've looked at the referral enough to decide to accept it, or if it's still at the stage of potentially being just bounced back to the GP. (She did word the referral letter as asking for advice and guidance, though it was on the proper referral pro-forma). I know the new contract is trying to make 25% of the referrals be rejected with just advice.

anyone know how it actually works? Do you normally hear about a real appointment around the time of the dummy appointment? Or much sooner/later? Or do you sometimes still get sent back to the GP even after waiting?

I've wondered this as well. My Dad gets loads of them and is convinced it's all part of the government's X number of extra appointments.

I understand the need for them, and that I'll get an appointment (if they agree to give me one) at some point, just not sure of the timescale as it makes it hard to compare with the published average waiting time. I hope that it won't just be bounced back to the GP in two months time (because we might do something else in the meantime if so), or just pushed back and back with new dummy appointments until they get round to it.

It's gynae referral, if that makes any difference. None of the scans etc have shown anything to explain pain, which is why I think it's possible it will be sent back to the GP if they are trying to reject lots of the referrals.

It's probably just to frig the figures and take you "off" a list somehow

yes, I'm sure that's part of it. But i just want to know what sort of timescale to expect in reality

That was the date they looked at mine and moved it onto the next stage for my last one

I wonder if that's when you'll get the automated

"Due to unprecedented waiting lists, we'll do our best but blah blah blah"

Or the automated call

"Are you sure you still want this appointment"

Thanks, good to hear that at least in some cases, they do look at them on or near the date! (Though I was kind of hoping I might hear much sooner and that it was a sort of final deadline...).

I wouldn't be surprised if I get the brush-off call! Or more likely, the GP just gets a reply that says 'keep monitoring' or whatever. If they aren't going to accept the referral, though, I'd rather know now. Apparently 80% of people are seen within 50 weeks, though... (of the ones they accept, I guess. Maybe the new rules where they reject a quarter of referrals will increase that?!)