NHS self-referral mentioned

[Sima1952]

Hi there, someone mentioned about self-referrals in the NHS today. You can now do this online, here is the link: content.digital.nhs.uk/refe...

Hope it helps.

[Sima1952]

Sorry this one takes you to the right page: nhs.uk/NHSEngland/appointme...

But it never hurts to read the other information.

[piglette]

I tried to do this for an appointment with my rheumatologist. It was a total disaster and in the end the computer seemed to just give up, well I did anyway. It kept coming up with error messages and then going round in circles. I had to do the booking over the phone in the end. In all fairness it did tell me how long the queue was in days by hospital.

[klc48a in reply to piglette]

Wondering when I will get my letter so I can choose my appointment. GP referred me at end of March. How long did you have to wait?

[piglette in reply to klc48a]

I was initially referred by my GP end of May and got the appointment mid September. I think it took around a fortnight or so for the letter, perhaps a bit longer but quite fast for the NHS. Yours is taking a long time. Did your GP actually send the referral off when he said he did? Mine has forgotten to do things in the past. Thinking back the reason I had the computer problem was apparently the possible appointment times had not been updated so I was unable to choose one on line! I got this from talking to them on the phone. I then asked for an appointment in the afternoon, when I got the confirmation letter the time was 9.30am! You should not have this problem if the on line system works.

[klc48a in reply to piglette]

VMaybe Doc has not referred me I did have phone slammed down on me when I asked to be referred to a Rheumatologist.

[klc48a in reply to klc48a]

What area are you in?

[piglette in reply to klc48a]

I only got referred to an NHS rheumatologist because I wanted to see an orthopaedic surgeon about my hip. I was told I could go privately to the orthopaedic surgeon! I am with the Frimley Park Hospital group in Surrey. I live in Berkshire though.

[Sima1952 in reply to klc48a]

I'm in Hertfordshire.

[Sima1952 in reply to klc48a]

It was roughly 10 days; l thought it was very quick.

[Sima1952 in reply to piglette]

Hi piglette,

I finally received one of those referral letters where you can go online and book it; that was after l had had a conversation with the practice nurse, who was brilliant as always.

Anyway, there was an appointment available for tomorrow, so l thought brilliant but l wanted to see a certain surgeon; didn't know if that was possible, but in for a penny in for a pound and all that. So l phoned Central Appts. and l managed to get "drippy doughnut" on the phone, who said that no surgeons names were coming up on her screen, so l'd best book the appt. and phone on Tuesday.

Well l phoned on Tuesday and spoke to a nice gentlemen who couldn't do enough to help me. The long and the short of it is, is that l've got an appt. with the surgeon l want and .... the appt. is for next Tuesday!!

Thanks Sally

[piglette in reply to Sima1952]

Brilliant. It does seem better to talk on the phone in that case rather than using the on line facility. What type of surgeon did you want to talk to?

[Sima1952]

He's an orthopedic surgeon with a speciality in backs; l have 2 compressed fractures, one of which is very bad.