"Obstacles put in my way"

In early September, my GP referred me to Dermatology for an acute skin issue on my feet. It became clear that there was a lengthy waiting list & the situation was getting worse in that I couldn't walk. When I stood & moved the skin on the soles & heals was splitting & creating fissures that bled.The referral had been categorised as routine although it was anything but.  The GP sent photos to the dept at Monklands & I had a phone call from a secretary saying that the referral status had been upgraded to urgent with a wait time of 8 weeks. I asked to be put on a cancellation list as I could attended any hospital.

Today I phoned Monklands to check where I was on the wait list & was told my referral was "routine".  The outcome of the conversation was that I'd need to go back to my GP to get that changed despite having been told previously that it already had been. 

I did that & the GP practice said they'd call Monklands.  They did & I had a call from Monklands offering me a "Goodwill Gesture" of an appointment at the end of December, almost 4 months after being referred & being put on an 8 week waiting list.

There's a huge loophole in the IT system which allegedly allowed two referrals to be held for me, one routine, the other 'urgent'.  The GP practice said they were told an error had been made in categorising the referral from routine to urgent.

Just when I think there can't be any more NHS gaps that I can fall through, here I am again, in utter despair & a huge amount of pain.  I have given my dog to a family member because I couldn't walk him. I've spent a significant sum this year on Podiatry when NHS Podiatry failed me.  There seems no end to the obstacles that get needlessly put in my way, it's too much.