"Waiting for referral to ENT"

In 2016ish and before Covid I had what I called pre- Covid. I had to go up to emergency PRI on Boxing Day. I had all the Covid symptoms breathing, crackling lungs, throat. Given inhaler. Lost voice for 6 weeks. Months later noticed left ear hearing very poor. It went from hearing to muffled hearing. Referred to PRI ENT twice and Ninewells once. Each time told by reception they had no knowledge of appointment, yet I’m standing there with appointment letter.  The ENT Head Nurse felt sorry for me and took me into ENT to see my left Ear on Computer. They said I had a blocked Eustachian Tube and would emergency refer me to PRI ENT.

At the time I was told all PRI phone calls go via Kings Cross Dundee before being transferred on to PRI.

By this time it’s 2018/19. I went to PRI ENT - the consultant who took a 5 second look in my ear and told me it was my age.  He was so disinterested. I was only 68ish. I was gobsmacked! Shellshocked! I went home and thought about it. I was going to complain, but the Covid pandemic started and so I just left things.

I’ve had ear trouble since 5 when schools regularly health checked. It took the fifth Consultant at the old Dundee Royal Infirmary to realise I went deaf whenever I had a sniffle. The late wonderful Mr Brennan, Head of ENT operated on both my perforated ear drums with huge success in the 1970’s. I attended ENT annually until Mr Brennan retired so I know procedures extremely well. PRI seemed to stop doing annual ear checks on perforations.

Now Covid is controlled so I phoned my GP surgery to try and get a referral to Ninewells ENT. Unfortunately GPs will not see patients so I’m waiting for a GP to call me at the start of December.

Meanwhile I got a free hearing test at “Hidden Hearing.” Excellent hour of tests and information. Yes my left ear is poor, but my perforation operations are first class. However I am not paying several thousand pounds for hearing aids. I’m hearing well, though obviously fairly poor in left ear. I want to find out about this left ear and blocked Eustachian Tube.

Might I say I have always had first class service from all the Nurses, Doctors and Consultants at PRI every area I’ve ever had to go too. I’ve been visiting ENT since I was 5

During the Covid Pandemic I accidentally tripped over my garden pond stones. I was in agony with my left ribs. I contacted my surgery and after speaking to a GP he asked me to come into the surgery. From there he thought I might have broken a rib and told me he’d ask for me to be X-rayed. A couple of weeks later he phoned me to say PRI didn’t want to give me an X-Ray? I bow to their superior knowledge.

I think there is just so much pressure in Hospitals, I quite understand. I love my NHS and all the work you do. Thank you.

So that’s my story.