Integrated care gateway - is it?

I agree with you rojon - this choice thing is utterly pointless as we all want to go to the hospital nearest to us and are quite happy to leave the referral to our doctor. An unnecessary administration cost that's for sure.

It's a barmy world and not getting any easier to navigate.
I worked in the NHS all my working life and I can't find my way around the system in Wiltshire!

rojon I prefer "Choose and Book" if it is offered, but my GP prefers local (50 miles away) hospitals. This can result in very long waits for investigative treatment. I have discovered that "Urgent" scans take 5 weeks !!
I don't know what the answer is. I saw a consultant beginning Dec.referred for an MRI but after waiting 2 months I phoned to check progress. Found I had "slipped through the net" and had been missed out .
I cannot understand how hospitals operate nowadays. I have a fear it will all become privatised eventually.

I was referred to Manchester Eye Hospital as I have Wet AMD. I am currently having treatment at a Bupa hospital on the NHS. I was referred for angiography to see if laser treatment is a better option. The Dr I saw gave me no results but said I would be referred onto the Regional team for a decision. She said they do not do laser treatment there. When I asked where was it done she said she had no idea ,I would hear from the regional team.she offered to refer me back to the original consultant who had sent me to her and when I said I already had a follow up with him in two weeks she almost rushed me out of her room saying Oh that's good we will leave it at that.
I felt I had wasted 4 hours of their time and mine and was no further on.
Left hand and right hand sprang to mind.