Dear Sir or Madam,

If a patient is not able to find a GP who knows where to refer a patient to to get a diagnosis or, as is more often the case, refuses to refer a patient for a diagnosis and subsequent treatment and the PCT cannot provide the required diagnosis and treatment through any of their employed GP's then what options exist for the patient to secure the help they require?

The condition in question is suffered by 500,000 people in the UK and the diagnosis and treatment is covered by a current NICE Guideline that GP's,PCT's and SHA'a have had since 2006.

Yours faithfully,

Justin Oakley

Dear Sir or Madam,

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Yours faithfully,

justin

Dear Sir or Madam,

The condition is ME.

The NICE Guideline referred to is number 53.

The incidents include refusal and or inability of two GP's to refer me to a clinician willing to and or capable of adhering to the NICE Guidelines for a proper diagnosis and subsequent referral to a suitable service for therapy. Also included is the refusal, unwillingness and or inability of NHS Bedfordshire and EoE SHA to provide me with correct and comprehensive information as to how I can obtain the required health care.

Please confirm that this is sufficient information.

Yours faithfully,

Justin Oakley

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for your detailed reply.

NHS Bedfordshire PALS were not able to provide me with the information I needed to get the therapy I needed and 18 months after initially asking they still cannot, the commissioners also did not know. The latter advised me that I would have to submit a complaint using the NHS Complaints Procedure to get the information I needed. The Medical Director also stated a number of times that this is what I needed to do. The Medical Director gave me incorrect advice about the health care pathway including claiming that I could be referred to Hertfordshire for help. Hertfordshire wrote to NHS Bedfordshire stating that this was not the case, never was and would not be in the future unless a contract was in place. NHS Bedfordshire refused to comment on this.

After over a year, NHS Bedfordshire admitted and apologised that they had made a mistake by telling me that I had to make a complaint to get the information and help I needed but still could not give me the information I needed. This admittance was four months after the issue had gone to the board who stated that they would not address the issue until they received instructions from the PHSO.

My ex GP believed that the doctors at Bedford Hospital had given me a diagnosis and they and the Chief Executive stated that this did not happen. There is nothing in my notes to say that a diagnosis was given.

My ex GP believed that I could be referred to Bedford Hospital for the therapy that I needed. This is what happened. Bedford Hospital advised me that there has never been an arrangement to provide the therapy that I needed and stated that their staff had not received the training to deliver the therapy. Bedford Hospital did not write to my ex GP stating that they could not offer me the therapy I needed.

Despite making a complaint to my ex GP, he has still believes that the referral was correct. Bedford Hospital still says different but were not prepared to speak to my GP.

Despite sending five complaints to NHS Bedfordshire they refuse to address the above issues.

Referring a complaint to PHSO after local resolution does help one get the help one needs, it only addresses process issues.

So I refer back to my original question and I ask you again to provide me with a satisfactory answer. It is about how I can secure the help I need rather than how the DOH believe how things should work, the difference being quite big.

I look forward to you earliest reply.

Justin Oakley