Noodles, some of my symptoms are similar to yours. I had tonsilitis which partly cleared up after antibiotics but also have a lump on on one tonsil which is very enlarged and an odd sensation in that area when I'm eating. I also had what felt like swollen lymph nodes. I was referred to ENT, there was a delay and my early appts kept getting rescheduled but my first appt was over the phone, and I spoke to a consultant who wanted details of the problem and asked general questions about my health and medical history. I was then given a later appt for a face to face meeting.

What happens at these seems to vary from trust to trust, I was supposed to have an endoscopy but when I got to the meeting, I had a different ENT who simply offered to remove the tonsil to check it. He didn't have suitable PPE for a physical exam - this seems to vary from area to area. I decided not to opt for a tonsilectomy right off, as it can be risky for adults, so only wanted that if it was absolutely essential. I'd done some reading on tests and requested an MRI as provides a decent set of images and gives clues to what might be going on. I had an MRI with contrast two weeks later. 

I've now been referred for further investigations and an ultrasound (US). And I have another phone consult next week - it was suppposed to be face to face but I requested a change to a phone call because of the risk of Covid in my area.

So you may be given phone or general appt then depending on that a further appt that might include an endoscopy which is a tube that goes up the nose and down into the throat with a tiny camera, so they can look at your tonsil and the area OR you may just be examined by the ENT looking at the tonsil or you may not be examined and given other options. 

Your lump could be any number of things that aren't sinister, like a cyst, or sometimes tonsils throw out strange shapes after an earlier infection. But it's worth getting it checked out. But I know that the process is really nerve-wracking, I've been distracting myself as much as possible and drinking a lot of chamomile tea! I've been sleeping a lot too, sometimes 14 or 15 hours a day, but not sure if that's related or a side-effect of being worn out by trying to work out what might be wrong. I've also been eating horribly healthily and taking things like extra vitamin C, as if there is something that needs treatment I want to be as fit as possible to deal with it.

My area hospital sends out appt letters but there's also an online site for patients where you can confirm or reschedule appts, so if your area has that it's worth signing up. If it helps, from everything I've read tonsil cancer is very rare and even rarer in women, so much more likely to be something else. But one enlarged tonsil is a general red flag on a ticklist for referrals whatever symptoms you may or may not have, and being a former smoker also means that GPs tend to be keen to rule out various things, just to be safe. A friend who smokes has been investigated for three different cancers now, her GP's ultra cautious, but every time it's turned out to be nothing or something straightforward that needed antibiotics or similar. Also GPs in my area aren't examining throats so tend to refer somewhere else that can do that. But lots and lots of people have a weirdly-shaped large tonsil and the vast majority turn out to be  absolutely and completely fine. I hope all goes well, if I can help let me know. If you need to have an MRI or similar later then can tell you what I know about that and how to prepare for it.