To think this is ridiculous?

[Ezlo]

Back in December, I requested an iron infusion due to being anaemic, my iron levels/ferritin levels or whatever it is being 5.

I first requested an iron infusion with my GP surgery, who explained that GPs can no longer do the referral and it has to go through the clinician treating the patient at the hospital, so my GP very helpfully made a request to the hospital asking that this referral be made.

I and my GP surgery heard nothing back and so my surgery contacted the hospitals gynaecology department on my behalf several times. I also was encouraged to call the gynaecology department to chase this, but the gynaecology department didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

Eventually, I was copied into a response from a Clinic Fellow, who stated that I have a normal Hb level, which I do not. I emailed the Clinical Fellow who sent the letter but heard nothing back.

More recently, after yet more chasing up, I contacted my gynaecology consultants Secretary, as I saw my consultant quite recently and in the consultation, he said he would refer me for an iron infusion. As this didn't happen, I chased this with his secretary to be told that an iron infusion referral was not on the notes/letter following the consultation, and that the consultant doesn't miss anything discussed in the consultation off the notes/letter. I felt like the secretary thought I was making this up.

After yet more telephone calls, I was invited in to the gynaecology department for blood tests to check my anaemia levels. This was weeks ago and I haven't heard anything back. I chased this today with the consultants secretary, who told me that the blood tests had been arranged through a different clinician in the same department, and that I have to speak to that clinicians Secretary. I am the first consultants patient!

So again, I am going round and round. I feel very ill from the lack of iron, regularly my eyes roll to the back of my head (dramatic but they do!) and I feel no one at the hospital is taking me seriously.

AIBU to feel passed from pillar to post and that no one is taking responsibility?

I've complained to pals once who closed my case as I thought I may be getting somewhere, but have complained again.

This is why I have private insurance. It’s a must these days. I had the exact same as you, from blood tests to results to infusion was less than a week. No chasing around, no running around just seamless. So sorry I know you feel awful.

I would have paid privately if I felt that bad.

I don't have that option.

It is so frustrating ... since having a heart attack and stent in July I have seen no less than 6 cardiologists via different routes ... A&E, ward admission, OP appointment and they have all advised different things. Every time I ring up about anything I am sent from pillar to post till I am tearing my hair out.
I am deeply grateful for my life being saved, for the stent and the proposed pacemaker all being provided free, but I have expended so much emotional energy chasing round in circles that it is a wonder I have not had another heart attack!
Good luck!

Are you at the very least taking iron supplements. If you could scrape the money together somehow for an iron infusion I really would. Speaking from bitter experience

Most people can't afford private healthcare

Agree, of course most people can't afford private health care and it's rarely seamless even if you have got it

Well I'm still chasing an iron infusion.

Not a single person got back to me following blood tests to test for anaemia after they were taken more than a month ago.

My ferritin level is 5 and I'm still bleeding a lot. Other tests taken all point to anaemia and I've been anaemic plenty of times before but the consultant said I can't have an iron infusion because I need to take ferrous sulphate instead. It has really got lost somewhere between me begging for an iron infusion in December and now that I can't tolerate oral iron at all and that's why I need an infusion. The duty doctor at the hospital department was due to call me today to discuss the infusion after I involved pals and the consultants secretary was looking into this for me today to be fair, but I've received no call from the duty doctor. I feel like the walking dead. My quality of life is so poor as I'm so poorly and short of breath all the time.

And in desperation, I asked for a prescription for the ferrous sulphate from my GP as I would rather be vomiting from the tablets than feeling so bad from the iron deficiency for any longer but understandably, they can't prescribe without me speaking to a doctor first.

Hb and ferritin levels are 2 different tests so you can have a normal hb and low ferritin and be anaemic. Ferritin of 5 is very low.

There are alternatives to ferrous sulphate such as ferrous fumarate that some people find easier to stomach so try GP for that.

I can't help with iron infusion, but keep pushing, they should have an outpatient department where you can have it down. I work In maternity and we do iron infusions there.

I had an iron infusion recently, I was on the high supplements for a long time with no improvement so they agreed the infusion. It was a nurse from the GP that referred me for the infusion at the hospital. It wasn’t done in a department that deals with specific things more a day area where people were having various infusions and transfusions. Could you look of that was an option?

After having some struggles with the hospital taking things seriously, my gynaecology consultants secretary is advocating for me. She's very sharp, but has arranged for me to have blood tests, the very same that I had done about two months ago, which no one told me the results or actioned them. So I'll go and do what I need to do, but I'm slowly giving up. I'm at the point where I don't care if my quality of life is so affected by my low ferritin and hb, and if I have a heart attack or stroke because I'm not getting the oxygen I need, well then, so be it. If the professionals can't help, then what can I do?

That's awful,did you pursue the results at all?

You can buy ferrous sulfate tablets over the counter without prescription. They ask if they are recommended by a gp, just say yes.

The consultants secretary wasn't allowed to give them and she advised me to call my GP surgery, who couldn't locate them on the system. The lack of joined up care is atrocious. I then had the secretary call back and ask me to go for the same blood tests at the same place on a set day next week. I said I didn't know what my work day looked like without checking and she snapped back that she had to sort a day there and then. I ended up getting in touch with the bloods department myself and sorting a better day. The secretary is run ragged and even said the other day that she was sorry to rush the call but she was supposed to be finished a while ago.

In my area the GP or nurses from the GP surgery can't refer for iron infusion, it has to be a consultant or doctor at the hospital. Luckily I'm under care at the hospital and have a consultant, even though I'm having all these issues actually getting a referral to the iv team.