"No concept of urgency"

I went to see my GP around 3 months ago complaining of acute pain in my right knee. I was given a knee bandage and Power Gel and referred for Physio. Bearing in mind my GP has examined my knee and referred me I get a letter from Circle telling me they are going to give me a telephone consultation. When I rang and asked how this was going to help me and why did I have to wait a further two weeks for this telephone consultation and if it was just a call why could they not do it tomorrow. I was told this was how it worked as they might be able to fix my knee over the phone!!!! I threatened to refer them to PALs as I didn't feel it was satisfactory I was then Given a physio appointment. The physio was very helpful but as my knee was so painful half the exercises couldn't be done. My physio agreed that it wasn't working and said she would refer me back for an X-ray. Today I received a letter asking me to make an appointment for yet another assessment where they are going to decide if I need an injection or other treatment. Yet again another wait for 4 for this appointment. Currently my knee feels like it has had a red hot knife pushed in and twisted. Circles response is we are sorry but this is the route the clinicians have decided to follow. i don't know how the contract works with the NHS but it seems to me the more Circle can kick the can down the road the more they can charge the Hospital trust for each patients treatment. I would have thought that a X-ray would have been the first option with a follow up with the clinicians afterwards. There seems to be no logical route to getting an answer to what is wrong with my knee and as it is now unbearably painful I am in a worse situation than when I started with them.