"Waiting time for a referral"

My daughter has suffered with night terrors and sleep walking since she was 3. They started just after her tonsillectomy. I took her to my GP after about 6 months of terrifying nights, finding her on her window sill; under a chest of drawers that she had pulled on top of her; holding a large wall mirror which she had managed to dislodge. I was so worried that she would seriously hurt herself.

My GP told me it was post traumatic stress and that she would get over it within a year. About two years later, with little improvement to her night's sleep, I returned. I was advised that I should waken her a various agreed intervals to try to prevent the cycle. We tried this but to no avail, she would still wake up a couple of hours after going into a deep sleep.

I returned to my doctor again and was told that she really would grow out of it. She didn't. So in April this year, aged 7 and 3/4, I took her again. I finally was advised by my GP that he thought a referral (to Phoenix CRC) would be beneficial. The waiting time I was told, would be around 4-6 weeks. I phoned every two weeks from 6 weeks and finally lost patience and requested the surgery to send the referral again. I then managed to get somewhere and 5 months post referral we have a date!

Only five years in the waiting!