Hi folks.
Had an MRI a couple of weeks back, GP diagnosis of MS/chronic small vessel disease last week and a scheduled first appointment with a neurologist in…5 months time? I managed to reschedule online to make it 4 months (must have been a cancellation).
Conversations I have had often relate to geographical/regional NHS Trusts and their performance…but normally my area (North East) do so well (I am lucky I know, mostly).
How long have you found to wait between times?
First of all a GP can not and should NOT diagnose MS, they may suspect but they are neither qualified or authorised for diagnosis of MS.
I had to wait over 6 months from GP referral to my consultantion with a neuroligist. I was lucky in that 5-6 weeks before my first app I had a nasty relapse which included major double vision and motobility issues. That ment I went to A&E and then the optical department. That resulted in me seeing someone else, a locum I think. They scheduled arranged for me to have an Mri the following week and a lumbar puncture in the next few weeks along with lots of bloods done during that time. After that I just had to wait till my appointment with the Neurologist.
If I hadn’t relapsed before that first appointment I would have saw the neurologist who would have ordered the same tests and then it would have taken longer. Even now I can have an Mri and not get a letter regarding the results for over a month. Neuroligist doesn’t view the Mri results themselves, they get a report written by someone trained and experienced at reading them or then writes a report which gets sent to the Neurologist. The neuro then needs to look at it to decide what they mean and how to proceed.
Oops. Sorry - I have just been corrected by the NHS appointments team. My actual first neurologist appointment is actually August…IN 2025!!!
Oh dear.
If it’s any consolation, I didn’t start noticing multiple sclerosis symptoms until the late 80s, tbf I was still too young to know anything about MS.
I received initial dx come the turn of the century and I only really accepted I had it, come the 20-teens tbh.
It’s a long long road to diagnosis imho. 
My GP also suspects MS, but referred me to the neurologist as an emergency appointment, but there’s a six month waiting list. I’m in the Highlands.