NHS referral letter

[halloumi2019]

My GP made a referral, it’s not an urgent matter. I requested Hospital A rather than Hospital B.

The practice sent me a letter for NHS e-referrals, which I’ve never used before. There was a note saying that it wasn’t possible to refer me to Hospital A as there was a 2 week wait. The only clinic available to book is Hospital B, but I’m receiving the attached error message. Is this normal, like do I need to wait a few days for my referral to show properly or should I contact my GP?

I would have rather waited the 2+ weeks for Hospital A as this isn’t urgent - do you think this could still be a possibility or do I have to stick with B?

2WW doesn't mean there is a two week wait for an appointment, it's a suspected cancer referral by your GP. Not trying to scare you here but are you sure it isn't urgent?

Oh I wasn't referring to ‘2WW’. On the physical letter my GP sent me, they added a note saying that they couldn’t refer to hospital A as I requested as there was a 2 week wait. But now that you say that, I guess they have put it through as an urgent referral so a 2 week wait was too long.

It’s just a cervical ectropion. I’m not too fussed about it as it has only appeared within the past 2-3 weeks - I had an STI check where my cervix looked normal

Depend on why you don’t like hospital A. This sounds like something you shouldn’t wait for.

Unless hospital A is useless and you don’t trust their ability to operate or diagnose or something then I’d be going to hospital B and getting checked out asap. Even if it’s further away, parking is crap or the reception staff are ignorant or whatever the reason is. Unless a medical issue id just go.

Fuck, I’m worried now. Is it possible for me to attend Hospital B for the first appointment, then subsequent appointments at Hospital A?

I’ll go to Hospital B to rule out cervical cancer but I really don’t like it, I was referred there on an unrelated matter in the same department 2 years ago. Lots of misinformation, rude consultants, just an awful experience. It’s also far away from where I work, difficult to travel to, and their appointments times are at awkward times, so I’ll have to book an entire day off work to attend, whereas I work next to Hospital A.

I can’t even book an appointment online at all, just the option to leave a message.

I had the HPV vaccine so hoping this is nothing.

It probably will be nothing so don’t get your knickers in a twist (relevant anatomy related pun to lighten the mood). Seriously don’t fret. But I would go to hospital B if it’s all that’s available. You’ve no idea how long you’d have to wait otherwise. You want this checked out ASAP as anyone does if it could be serious, even if it’s just one in a million or whatever odds, get down there. And I don’t see why you couldn’t do follow up elsewhere. If there was anything required. Which there very well may not be. Hopefully you won’t have to speak much to the horrible consultants. Perhaps there will be a nice new one. It’s a bummer about having to travel so much and take a day of leave off work though. But better that than wait a month or more.

Do go please. You will be seen in a different department to last time and will probably find the gynae staff nicer and more efficient.

I have had exactly the same message (from the only hospital on my referral). I left a note on the web form with my mobile number and have heard nothing back, weeks later. Am going to have to go back to the GP I think.

@LarkDescending well that’s not good! After leaving a note the website stated that I’ll be contacted by Tuesday latest - but if that time period elapses I will receive the hospital’s contact information. Not sure if that’s the department’s direct contact or the hospital’s general line. If you log back in, is there any update?

Your practice are clueless. You've been referred under the 2ww, that means to rule out cancer as stated above. Only main hospitals will offer these clinics, due to the urgency of the appointment and the need of the expert staff.

2ww referrals can't be done by eRS which is why you get the error. Your GP needs to refer you to hospital B by email most likely.

Once you are seen and all tests are done, in all likelihood you'll be fine and therefore discharged. If it was not good news, you'll have to follow the cancer pathway and therefore unlikely to have a choice, although you could still ask, but hospital A might not be commissioned to deliver cancer treatment.

halloumi2019 when I log back in it still says I can’t book online, but they will be in touch with me by 16 September (tricky as it is now 22 September!). I will give them a call once lines open tomorrow.

@swingofthings I think that depends on the hospital, some in my area (inc Hospital A) only accept 2WW referrals via e-nhs, so don’t actually accept these referrals outside of e-nhs at all.

I doubt I have cancer but my GP mentioned possibly ‘burning’ the cervical ectropion off, which may not happen at the initial appointment so a potential follow up there. Hospital A is much larger and newer than B, it actually has one of the largest cancer centres, so if it came down to it I’d absolutely rather go there.