It’s Friday & after another week yet again watching & waiting for the post every morning, I still haven’t had my neuro appointment!!! I can’t believe how long all this is taking!!!
Over the last month my GP has rang the neuro secretary twice and she initially said it could take up to 12 weeks - this has now passed. Last week my GP sent a 3rd letter outlining the concerns of the ortho doc and the eye doc & the latest from the haemotologist & still nothing!!! I spoke to his secretary last week and she said I would hear from appointments soon.
I was given an ‘urgent’ referral by the ortho spinal consultant early November - but the neuro secretary said they didn’t get the referral until January 4th - so that’s 6 weeks to go from one secretary to another and I’m told they are working in the same office !!! It must have been Christmas or something!!! So much for urgent!!!
The haemotologist I was under last year referred me to the endocrinologist 7 months ago & apparently the letter got lost!!!
A couple of weeks ago after my brain scan showing a ‘significantly enlarged pituitary gland’ I was told that she was shocked that I hadn’t been seen & I would have an 'urgen’t appointment as soon as possible - this has come through for May 1st - again so much for urgent!!!
I’m falling apart to be honest!! I’ve been off work for 6 weeks already as my GP won’t let me go back until I have seen the neuro.
It’s not good enough that you’ve waited this long. If you have no luck through the neuro secretary getting an urgent appointment ask if you can speak to the department that books the appointments directly. If you have no luck with them speak to PALS (patient advice and liasons service) if you’re in England and complain. As I said before - it’s not your fault they misplaced the letters its there’s.
I know we don’t like to kick up a fuss but sometimes we have no choice but to stand up for our rights. Similar thing happened with my fathers hernia and I was on the phone constantly because he’d been referred months ago and still not been seen. We managed to bring his appointment forward by a month.
Hope you manage to get through to someone that can help you. It’s completely frustrating!
Hey hun…sorry youre at the end of your tether…hang in there…its terible what been ahppening re referals etc…it seems all too common…my gp wrote to my eye neuros 3ks ago…she never got the letter as I found out today…secretary is supposed to give to dr by hand any fax or letters from gps or other drs…so lord knows where mine went…hence I didnt get an earlier appt.mystery solved…dr was very miffed to say the least…
hope everything gets sorted soon re appts…I know its pants hun…but hang in there…if I had a magic want I would gladly wave it…allot …and get all your drs in same room on same day…so you could see them all…and get some answers hun…x
Ring the neuros secretary daily, she’ll soon get fed up and chase. Your appointment. I was on first name terms by the time I was seen, also good advice re PALS. By the way, apparently if you lay out a line of sugar, the ants pick it up and bring to the nest where it works as a fatalist to kill them all off. I’m full of interesting facts! Chis x
Hi I really relate to your frustration. I had to wait 5 months for my appointment from the MS specialist last year - it was horrible! I got there eventually though. Keep your chin up. You will get seen and sorted, even though it is such a long wait. Try to stay positive if you can. Teresa xx