"Cancellations of appointments due to staff shortages."

My daughter has been ill now for a month and has not had a proper meal in all that time, after several visits to GP's, calls to 111 and even visits to local a & e departments, we are still at a loss, all the relevant tests that a GP could do have been done, all of which have come back normal.

She was referred to a gastroenterology consultant and hospital tests were booked, less than a week before the appointment she received a letter from Scunthorpe hospital cancelling the appointment and rearranging for the beginning of September which is over a month away.

She has not been able to work and is due at uni in September. The hospital's reason for cancelling was staff shortage, all doctors would be on the wards and there would be no clinics.

After several calls trying to complain to anybody she was passed from pillar to post not really getting anywhere, but the insulting thing is the appointments dept said "if you are that bad, go to A & E". Excuse me already tried that.

I cannot believe that they expect you to wait another month to see someone when you feel so ill and now really anxious.

If this is the NHS I find it worrying and unacceptable, my daughter is considering the private route as she is that concerned, this is terrible when you think we all have to pay NHS contributions, and cannot get the service.