Getting a referral to a specialist

[recovering spendaholic]

Hi - I want to start of by saying that I am not looking for medical advice with this post - I just want advice about the best, quickest and most effective way to get a referral to a specialist.

DD1 is 18 and has had several episodes of profuse rectal bleeding with diorreah (sp). The first time it happened, a few days ago, because there was so much blood, I rang the out of hours GP who sent us up to A&E. They examined her and found no evidence of piles so sent her home and told her to get a routine appointment with the GP. Over weekend it has got worse and she now has very bloodly diorreah (sp) and both of us are worried. I am going to ring the GP in the morning but wondered if there would be any benefit in asking for a private appointment to get seen sooner. However, if we go and see the consultant privately will we then have to have any investigations and so on privately? I can afford a few hundred for private appointment, but don't think I could pay for an operation or anything privately. I don't want to wait for an appointment through the NHS if it is going to take weeks because we are so worried. Any advice on how to get seen quickest would be most welcome. Thanks!

[mto]

After looking at the NHS Direct advice, I would go straight back to A&E rather than waiting for an appointment with your GP.

It is possible to see a consultant privately and then have investigations done on the NHS. But to be honest I don't think it makes much difference these days with the new waiting list targets. I know where I work (a diagnostic department) that private patients don't get seen any quicker than NHS patients.

[NoAngel]

Yes, best thing to do is go back to A&E. If it's an emergency she'll be seen straight away. Paying for a private consultation will probably only have the sam outcome as an NHS one, and if you couldn't afford an operation anyway, there doesn't seem to be much point. If it's something serious then she'll be seen right away.