My GP practise seems to have decided that to cut costs, they will refuse to refer anyone to specialists, for any reason. I have had several doctors say this to me over the past few months - they have a weekly meeting with the practise manager where they have to explain each and every referral they make....
After a lot of jumping up and down, screaming, and threats of legal action and national media coverage, I managed to get a referral for my daughter to a paed 6 months ago. That one was urgent, and possibly life threatening (and definitely life limiting), so I felt that whereas it shouldn't have been necessary, I was justified in my parental wroth.
Now I want a referral to a dermatologist - for the same child. I don't think it is "urgent" (though I would prefer her not to wake crying in pain every night for the next 12 months),and I am getting the same stalling tactics and refusals from the GPs.
Is there anything I can say/do to insist on a referral to a specialist? I don't really want to have to spend days on the phone threatening every GP in the practise again!