What does this mean? - NHS referral - frustrating and wierd

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

Without going into great unnecessary details, my son needs a referral for a diagnosis - a developmental issue so not urgent but obviously important to us.

We have followed the procedure. Gone to the GP and had a referral request sent last November. Due to my chasing it up I discovered that it was rejected on local resource grounds and as I don't know when a local assessment will be possible I have researched an alternative and on my instructions the GP has sent a referral request to the alternative provider out of area. This was a month ago so I decided to chase it up yesterday. I called the out of area clinic and they said they had it. I also called our GP, they called the clinic to check it had been received (after I called) and were told it hadn't been received so resent it yesterday. Now I am confused and don't know who to believe!

AIBU to want a referral to be straightforward and for people to be honest as someone was lied to yesterday - Unless the clinic lost DSs notes in the hours between my call and the GPs call???

YANBU but this seems pretty par for the course for NHS admin (based on every referral I have needed on the NHS in the last 20 years). I actually wonder whether they use "lost letters" as a form of rationing to put people lower in the queue.

The only thing I can suggest is making an absolute nuisance of yourself and chasing them mercilessly (twice daily, if necessary). Once when both the GP and the clinic lost the same referral letter and left me waiting months, I called the consultant's secretary every morning and afternoon for a week and - amazingly - she sorted it.