To think this is a hospital giving false waiting times?

[ClusterBustering]

I've never had a hospital appt before but I recently was referred to neurology.

My GP contacted the consultant and in the virtual clinic they have discussed medication and managed it. On the first phone call the consultant asked the gp to refer, he did so by email within a few hours in which he also referred to the phone conversation. I can see this on my medical records I can view online.

This was 1st June, a month later I rung the hospital, no record of me, gp chased it up. Then today, a letter dated 17/8/17 arrives saying they revived the referral on this date and I will be added to the waiting list once a consultant has reviewed it.

Is this a way of falsely meeting 18 week referral targets? Not acknowledging the referral at all for over 2 months? Then saying a consultant will review, when they take referrals only when the consultant directs a gp to do so through the gp clinic? So when a consultant has already reviewed the referral?

Sounds like someone has messed up somewhere, I would put this in an email to your hospital's PALS team and they will investigate for you. Hope all goes well.

I don't think it's a mess up, they basically told me on the phone it would be 'a while until I showed up on their systems', after I'd waited 6 weeks and they were clear it was too soon to call

It's common place. We have recently had over a 6 month wait for referral. They received the referral in March. Rang to say we would get questionnaires near to appointment date. Received the questionnaires and returned a month ago. To receive a letter classing the questionaire return date as the start point of the wait time. I rang and had to fight me corner to get and earlier appointment date than the end of october they originally offered.

What seems mad is taking email referrals then acting like they are not received until a certain date. Not like they get lost in the post. Also only accepting the email after the gp oks it with the consultant, there's a clear record of her advising on treatment and prescription in my records. Silly to then say it must be reviewed first