"Lack of communication"

This story is about two referrals both from Ayrshire and Arran Health Board.

1.  An issue had arisen from a CT scan undertaken at Crosshouse Hospital.  They wanted a second opinion and passed this to the Glasgow Royal Hospital for their view.  A response was sent to my GP practice but the practice never told me its content.  I went to an appointment at the Glasgow Royal and ended up in a very unacceptable consultation with a senior consultant who could not understand technically what I was referring to and neither hi to me until they told me they wrote to my GP four months ago, why was I asking them these questions?  I replied I was never told of this letter. I was furious.

2.  In February 2024 I was referred to the Community Mental Health Team.  I understood the waiting time was lengthy but by this February decided to enquire when I might get an appointment.  I contacted the team to be told they had referred it on in February 2024 to psychology, who had rejected it.  I contacted psychology and they said they wrote back to my GP at the end of February 2024.  I contacted my GP practice.  They said no letter had been received.  So back to psychology again and I received the same answer but clarifying the letter was dictated in February 2024 and sent in March 2024.  Again my GP surgery denied all knowledge of its receipt.  I went back a third time, this time psychology said they would resend the letter to my GP surgery.  I rang a third time all on the same day and finally they admitted they had received it.  But I was never informed.  So I waited nearly a year for a non existent mental health appointment.

I believed this was the fault of the GP surgery but am now advised it should have come from the appropriate health board.  Whoever it should come from, the system has been a total failure. To add insult to injury, I recently received a brief telephone call from the practice  mental health nurse to be told they don't have the time to advise patients of the outcome of referrals.