Referrals during COVID

[Someonesayroadtrip]

Anyone having major problems with getting seen?

I won't go into the issues to keep this brief but over a month ago my GP sent me for an urgent scan. He told me I should hear something that week and they were likely to come to the house. I didn't hear anything for 2/3 week when I had a letter from radiology saying that they didn't feel I was urgent and that they are not seeing non-urgent cases so won't be seeing me. That if I felt I needed to be seen then I should go back to my GP AFTER the pandemic and he can refer me again!

Had to go back to my GP for another examination 5 weeks after the first appointment, saw a different GP who refereed me to the a specialist under the two week rule. He emphasised this several times to me, it was an urgent, top priority appointment and I should be seen within 2 weeks,

Two weeks up on Monday and not heard anything. I suspected as much. I didn't expect to be seen within two weeks, but I did expect at least an acknowledgement of my referral.

I'm not feeling great and GP seems reluctant to treat symptoms. I'm not expecting to be seen immediately, but I feel frustrated that two different GPs seem to have been overruled by different hospital departments about my case.

I just needed to get that off my chest as I haven't told anyone I'm going through anything and I just feel frustrated and stressed by it. I realise I am being unreasonable given the current situation.

@booandbumpp

Hi! I worked in gynae (admin - not clerical - I assume it’s gynae scan/colposcopy you’ve been referred for?) and I know they stopped everything - even 2WW referrals due to risk so are now on the biggest game of catch up you’ve seen. GPs do refer people as urgent however they are regraded on receipt by consultant to confirm if they are urgent or can wait. We had a lot of 2WW referrals downgraded because of this. Can your GP not call the consultant/sonographer on call if your symptoms are getting worse? It might mean it’s a “get you in now” sort of situation but might help with a plan? Hope you get sorted soon and sorry if I’m repeating stuff you already know!!

Thanks, I totally get they are going to have a backlog but then the GP needs go prescribe something.

GP resent the scan and tent said it was accepted as urgent but will still take 8 weeks. The Referral to gyn is the same, they accepted it as urgent but said that they are not able to do things within the 2 weeks. Apparently each hospital is different, mine is in South Wales, and they seem to very behind on things.

It's like I know that there isn't anything I or anyone else can do, and I don't want to go before anyone else in the line who is just as urgent or more, but equally I'm becoming very depressed with the bleeding, my kids have seen me covered in blood so many times and bleeding to sit on the floor so I don't fall down. It's just a bit of a horrid situation. I know I'm unreasonable to rant, but I haven't really told anyone in real life, other than my family obviously and one friend and I just need to rant.

This COVID situation is unprecedented and the NHS is amazing, but I just feel so ill now so feeling a bit sorry for myself.

Not unreasonable to rant at all! This whole situation is awful for you and so frustrating to know you would have been seen by now if it weren’t for COVID! You’re definitely allowed space to rant and be upset when it’s effecting daily life so much. I just wondered if GP could ring consultant on call and get some idea of what to prescribe to manage that meant they could still do their investigations when the time came if you were gonna be waiting so long for the investigations as while you were waiting you need some way of managing at home!
But don’t feel bad for having a rant - even if you understand why it’s happening it’s still awful to be left at home!!

@booandbumpp

Not unreasonable to rant at all! This whole situation is awful for you and so frustrating to know you would have been seen by now if it weren’t for COVID! You’re definitely allowed space to rant and be upset when it’s effecting daily life so much. I just wondered if GP could ring consultant on call and get some idea of what to prescribe to manage that meant they could still do their investigations when the time came if you were gonna be waiting so long for the investigations as while you were waiting you need some way of managing at home! But don’t feel bad for having a rant - even if you understand why it’s happening it’s still awful to be left at home!!

Thank you. Yes, I'll wait until Monday and call GP again and see if there is anything else they can give me. Thanks again.

What blood test was worrying youu?