[Closed] Q for the medical professionals

We need to know the problem first. 🙂

My Missus says a GP has to make a referral to a consultant, but you can do this through a 2nd opinion from a GP.

darcy - did you see my apology to you? 😳

essel - don't wish to sound a troublemaker but do I have any rights as a patient to insist?

you can always ask to see another GP at your practice for a second opinion.

or google it and go armed with all the info of your symptoms - the love that 😉

darcy - did you see my apology to you?

Quel thread cg ❓

Hi
My partner works in service improvement within the NHS and she just told me if it was her she would ask to see another gp.
If they also refused to refer you you could ask on what grounds they won't refer you.
It's the gp practice that will be billed by the hospital for the referral apparently!
Go armed with information to show you have an understanding of your complaint and the reason why they
should be refering you.
Good luck
Spikester

CG - I cannot answer your question directly, but have you checked the NICE guidelines which should give you an overview of how your condition should be treated?

So, if the GP has made a number of "interventions" in accordance to the guidelines, then it may be reasonable to be referred on to a specialist etc

Of course, if you think your GP is way off track with his/her diagnosis then this may not be much help, but then neither would being referred to the wrong type of consultant?

darcy - I apologised for wishing you a happy 40th birthday!

spikester and GJP - thank you for your replies. My usual GP wanted to treat me as another moaning menopausal women and hand out AD's. When I questioned this, he told me I was within my rights to see another GP!

Of course it may well be that I [s]have researched[/s] consider myself an internet doctor but do feel that a GP can not possibly have knowledge of everything hence my wanting a referral.

I will check the NICE guidelines though, good call there.

Thanks again. 🙂

😆

You can do it in July cg. You've never done anything for which you'd need to apologise to me!!

CG. You should seek the opinion of the 2nd GP. If you are still unhappy you should consider:

1)Paying for a private consultation

2)Changing GPs

It isn't your right to insist on a referral, although your GP may do it if you make enough of a fuss.

Agree that GP may well refer you if you are persistent. Also I tend to get phone calls and letters from GPs asking for advice and offering me the option of seeing patient if I feel that it would be helpful.

Consultant's area of knowledge tends to be narrow but hopefully a bit deeper than GPs in their particular area of expertise. GP's tends to be much broader. Trick therefore is picking the right specialist.

Thanks for latest replies.

ratadog - not sure if you remember but you posted some very useful information a few months back concerning the ailment. I guess I'm just being impatient and feeling sorry for myself, truth be told. Don't suppose you're based in the South are you? 😉

No, sorry, I am in North Yorkshire, but thanks for the compliment. I stand by me previous comments about referral, both in this thread and the former one.

If you have any questions that you don't want to air in the forum then my email is in my profile.

ratadog - email sent, thanks. 🙂