Hi all,

Sorry for the essay!

I got an appointment 7 weeks ago after much difficulty (surgery has 3 GPs for around 40,000 people) with symptoms of dark red blood in my poo, change in bowel habits and lower back pain. 
 

I had stool samples done for faecal calprotectin which showed abnormally high results. Since that day I haven't been able to contact my GP to discuss results or the progression of symptoms such as stomach pain and bleeding. The phone line is permanently engaged and they don't let you go into the surgery, barking at you at the door. They've turned off online appointments and don't respond to emails or messages through the NHS app.

My original appointment for referral to a gastroenterologist was for 6 months time! Suddenly in this time I got several calls from private numbers and eventually from a private hospital's number, because I missed these unscheduled calls my referral was cancelled.

I've had around 5 appointments made and cancelled since, all without my knowledge and letters only appearing from the NHS last week about appointments I apparently missed in early May.

I've now spoken to the specialist who said I need an urgent colonoscopy but they can't do it until the end of June which will be 11 weeks. They won't give me an appointment until the week before but every time I ring them they don't know who I am or why I'm calling until I give an exact consultant's name and what I've already been told so I have no faith in their appointment system! My referral is now totally lost as it's with a private company referred from the NHS, details are no longer appearing on my NHS app and according to the NHS I have no active referrals or current issues! I still can't talk to my GP, I'm sick of going from "22 in the queue" to zero and having the call picked up and hung up. 
 

Is anyone else experiencing this terribly frustrating situation which leaves you feeling helpless about your own health and future? Is there anyway to bypass the GP and speak to any other medical services to get my referral back on track within the NHS rather than this dodgy private provider that keeps making and cancelling appointments without telling me?