To wonder why my GP still haven't refered me for my ultrasound?

[Rhine]

I was taken into A&E last weekend in agony with severe stomach pains, they suspected gallstones and told me that I needed to see my own GP to arrange an ultrasound and blood work, which I did last Monday. Due to a family friend waiting for ages for a gallbladder ultrasound my parents have offered to pay for me to get it done privately. I told the GP this and she said she'd arrange that for me, when I rang back to get my blood results I was told the GP had dictated it all ready for me.

Well nearly ten days later, having heard nothing I contacted the hospital and asked if they had any news on how much longer I'd be waiting. They had no details of me and my GP hasn't refered me to them yet. I'm furious, it does not take ten sodding days to type up and post a letter of referral to a hospital in the same town? So why haven't they done it? There was me thinking that going private would be quicker. Surely this isn't normal?

My blood work came back showing inflammation in my body. I have yellow watery diarrhea (well actually it's just yellow slime half the time)every single morning and have pain in my right side all the time. I just want to know what is wrong with me.

This is part of an ongoing problem with my GP surgery. Previous cock ups include losing my DM's blood tests and sending me someone else repeat prescription in the post with a list of all of their medication, their name, DOB and address. Thankfully I didn't know this person.

Is this normal? Or should I just bite the bullet and move GP's.

Have you asked your GP?

Why didn't they do it at the emergency room when you were there?

Sounds rubbish, but I'm surprised they didn't do the US at the hospital. If you're not having an attack when you have the scan, there may not be anything to see.

If going private you arrange it yourself. The GP will write a letter for you to take with you but they do not organise it for you. I think there has been a misunderstanding.

That's terrible of them - I would call them first thing and say it has to go out today, and keep chasing until they do it.

Fluffy is correct, your Gp will have dictated a referral letter for you to collect but you will need to ring your local private hospital eg Nuffield and arrange your ultra sound at a time to suit you

I haven't had a private appointment for many years but when I did, I used to phone the hospital directly to make the appointment and took the referral letter with me. On one occasion (perhaps because it was a bit more complicated and/or they didn't want me to see the letter!) the GP faxed the referral to the consultant straight away.

It seems a bit odd that no one has explained the procedure to you. I would phone the hospital, and (if possible make an appointment) and ask if you can bring the referral letter with you. If you are paying privately the procedure is quick and simple in my experience.

As above. Collect the letter and ring to make yourself an appointment. They'll probably ask you when is convenient for you to come in, so can be very quick.

As PPs said, that's just not the way private referrals work. Gp writes a letter, you collect it from the surgery and make your own appointment. I would have expected the Gp to tell you which private clinic/hospital you can go to, but not more than that.

Why haven't you just phoned the surgery to ask? There are all sorts of possible explanations, and it doesn't necessarily mean someone has done something wrong. In my area, we can only arrange private ultrasound through the private consultant; IE patient has to see the consultant who then arranges scan. This means it is not particularly quick and an NHS scan is nearly always quicker here.

Sounds rubbish, but I'm surprised they didn't do the US at the hospital.

Me, too. I wish the OP would come back. The scenario I'm imagining is that the OP went to the ER with severe pain, they said, "Oh, it's probably your gallbladder. Go on home, you might be fine."