When we last went to the paediatrician, the receptionist told us that our referral was up.

Without a referral from a GP, our paed will not see the cherubs.

He can’t, it’s the rules, don’t you know.

So, this week we tried to get an appointment to see the only doctor that is harder to see than the paed.

Our G.P.

When David phoned, he was told that he was booked out until the end of the week and then he was going to be on three months leave.

David told the receptionist that our only need was a referral but it was no good.

There was nothing available with our GP.

Instead, we were made to make an appointment with a doctor who we have never met before and who doesn’t know anything aboutNoah or Ivy’s history.

Just for a sodden bit of paper that gives us permission to see the one guy in the whole outfit who does!

So we booked in for the first of August but were told that if we really wanted to we could ring each morning at 8:30am to see if there had been any cancellations.

I can’t tell you how jittery and frustrated that makes me feel.

On Wednesday I asked David to ring the paed’s receptionist and explain the situation, ask if she could kindly ring the medical centre and ask them for a continuation of referral. I know it can be done because the girls’ pead accepts this.

Her response was in the negative but suggested we ring and ask to speak to the doctor directly.

So, we tried because what is the point of getting a referral from a doctor who doesn’t even know why we need a paediatrician in the first place.

It was no good, we couldn’t get past any of the pitbulls receptionists. They simply would not give a referral without seeing the doctor (centre policy, you know) and they would not allow us to speak with the GP but as ‘luck’ would have it they had a cancellation.

We just had to be there at 3:30pm

It was 2:30pm and we were an hour and a half away (at the reptile park).

We made it by the skin of our teeth and when we arrived at the medical centre the GP was waiting for us.

He asked what we wanted and I told him it was only for new referrals for Ivy and for Noah.

He wrote a two sentence document and charged us $58 each for the priviledge.

As we were walking out the door he casually mentioned…”You know, you could have just called me and I would have written them and faxed them through to the paed, you didn’t have to come in just for that”.

(Insert large eye roll here).

Just another case of Boonie Bureaucracy!