"Podiatry referral"

I hope that this feedback will be taken in the constructive manner it is intended

My son previously attended NHS podiatry and has been provided with 2 sets of insoles. I can’t recall his diagnosis or the last time he attended but it was certainly pre-COVID. As his feet have grown significantly he requires new insoles: I have been unable to contact podiatry via their only telephone number so had no option but to submit a referral.

Unsurprisingly this referral was declined but disappointingly I was sent no information on how I could access podiatry services privately, despite my request for this on the referral form as I had assumed (correctly) that he would not be accepted. 

I then contacted his GP, they had no correspondence from podiatry so were unable to provide any details of his diagnosis and previous treatment; they also advised that they were unable to access or look at podiatry progress notes.

This is sadly a regular reflection of the hurdles people face when trying to access health services: if I as someone who works within NHS is unable to navigate the systems and access the required information to allow me to self-manage, how do we expect others? 

I absolutely acknowledge and have direct experience of the significant impact that COVID has had on community services but the response  I received was unhelpful, lacked any detail, and resulted in a lengthy wait to get through to another primary care service, who also were unable to assist - frustrating, to say the least!