NHS e-referral service

[buryboy]

I’m not much of a doctor go-er so not too familiar with current practices
So I went to see my doctor maybe 3 weeks ago and he said he would refer me for an endoscopy
I hadn’t heard anything and was going to chase up on Monday then this letter appears on my doorstep yesterday ( Saturday so doctors closed)
It appears to be a chase up letter but I didn’t receive anything prior to this

Now I’m happy to do stuff on the internet , but it says I need my log-in details . Didn’t have a clue what they were ( I questioned to myself if I should have an NHS account ?
Anyway thought easiest to ring the number on the letter

Me - I have got a referral letter ref XXXYYzzz
NHS - ok next telephone appointment is YYY then before I could say anything else went on some long pre-prepared speech
Me - what’s the telephone call about ? I thought I was being referred for an endoscopy ?
NHS - repeats long spiel which started with - “it’s for administrative purposes only “ and went onto ‘ consultant” “ appointment “ and the like
Me - can you repeat it slowly in plain English please ?
NHS - repeats spiel
Me - I haven’t got a clue what you mean ,what’s the telephone call actually for ?
NHS - round in circles again to eventually tell me that some receptionist will ring me at a specific time in a fortnight to book me an appointment with a consultant at some further date who then may book me the endoscopy

Now , it appears that the GP should have given me a slip with the booking reference and access code on ? It’s that right ?

But even then i have never heard of a ridiculous system whereby I speak to the doctor , get a letter , speak to another person , to book me a phone appointment to get an actual appointment to see a consultant who then books me at an ever later date to have the procedure ?

Is it me or is that just mad ?

Wouldn’t it make more sense if the nhs woman had the consultants diary and booked me an appointment rather than having his/hers secretary’s diary ?
Or why didn’t the letter give me the consultants secretary’s number so I could ring them to get an appointment ?

And the NHS is short on money

No wonder

Ps - the nhs woman asked me for my phone number , which I gave her . She then said make sure that my gp has the same number as the consultants receptionist may make the call using info from the gp system ! Why not just when filling in the slot in slot in the secretary’s diary just add a note of the best number to call on ?

[klr15]

I think it varies based on your area because that system sounds strange.

I was referred for an endoscopy to test for coeliac disease by my doctor. A few weeks later I had a phone call from a woman asking me to choose which hospital I wanted the procedure at.

Then a few weeks later I received an appointment letter for the actual endoscopy.

[Omega1]

Welcome to the mysterious world of NHS administration. My daughter registered her month old twins with her GP - she completed the forms but they were rejected because they wouldn’t accept her email address- the babies had to have their own email address. I know I’m biased and think they are bright little fellas but they aren’t up to opening gmail accounts yet. The crazy thing is everything goes through those email addresses- appointments for check ups, vaccinations etc., and twins totally confuses them. My daughter is constantly chasing admin errors and omissions.

[lizzie145]

The NHS are terrible for making things complicated, I liken it to a ride queue with lots of pre shows to make you think you are getting somewhere.

If only we could book your appointment on line at a time and place convenient to us which is then confirmed via email it would save money.
Less administrators to mess things up, less paper so less postage and less cancelled or missed appointments.

[mandco]

Its meant to make it easier to get suitable appointments but in reality it doesn't work well.
The doctor should have given you a print out with the info you use to book online with and the idea it you then select the appointment that suits you best from the options given rather than them sending you one and you having to reschedule. In practice(I've done my fair share lately) you often end up with 2 results
1) there are no appointments available at all - call us and we'll arrange for an appointment to be sent in the post usually one at the most impractical time
2) you manage to make an appointment and they end up rescheduling it for one that isn't doable and you have to reschedule and wait twice as long.

[Mr Tom Morrow]

It is such a lottery. At its best the NHS is efficient and amongst the best in the World. At its worst it's shambolic to say the least.
Our experience are at both ends of that spectrum sadly.

I natter quite a bit to my GP and I always keep saying the NHS cannot be all things to all people. But that's invariably when all I want is a referral letter to go private and take my issue out of the NHS hands.

The admin though is what lets them down time after time after time. Plus it seems Wales is in a worse shape than England.

The experience the OP had is bordering on insanity though.

[sdrfish]

This is called Nhs choose and book. If you go on the website you but in your reference number then that will bring up lots of clinics you can attend and you essentially choose where you go.

If your prepared to travel you can be seen sooner in other places.

It’s not a chase up letter the chances are your go did not refer you at the time of your appointment then when you went back they looked up on the system then referred after you contacted them.

[buryboy]

Originally Posted by sdrfish

This is called Nhs choose and book. If you go on the website you but in your reference number then that will bring up lots of clinics you can attend and you essentially choose where you go.

If your prepared to travel you can be seen sooner in other places.

It’s not a chase up letter the chances are your go did not refer you at the time of your appointment then when you went back they looked up on the system then referred after you contacted them.

See more...

I didn't go back to the GP
The "chase up letter" came just before I Was ABOUT to ring the GP to find out what was happening
I am questioning whether I did get given a slip by the GP in the first instance - I did get an xray slip and prescription at the same time ( for another issue) and wondering if got a third piece of paper and mislaid it

I have a telephone consultation with my GP tomorrow ( follow up on xray) and will just check with him if what I have been told is what he expected to happen or if he can help my bypass it all a bit