Hospital specialists, GP’s and Gesy

[Cheshire Lad]

Confusion reigns...
Turned up to the Hospital this morning to see one of the Specialists, having been given today’s appointment 4 moths ago - by the Specialist

Turned away at reception and told to go and get a referral from my GP,. Clearly not able to be seen today.

Has anyone navigated this process yet?
I.e, the need to make an appointment with the family doctor, to get a chitty to see the specialist who gave you the appointment in the first place?. Something of a waste of GP time

World’s gorn Mad. (Arthur Smith voice)

CL

[galexinda]

Yes, I have had to see 3 different Specialist Doctors in recent weeks and with each I had to get a referral document from my Personal Doctor which is valid for 3 visits within a 3 month time frame. According to the GESY website a Specialist Doctor can make a direct referral to another Specialist Doctor (ie no need to see PD) but that hasn't happened. It costs €6 each time to see a Specialist Doctor and you make the appointment at the Appointments Desk - need to show referral document. Before seeing the Specialist Doctor you queue at Main Reception - need to show referral document and pay €6 fee and you will be issued with labels. Then proceed to designated waiting area. When you see the Specialist Doctor he also asks to see the referral document.

Until 31st August the old system and new GESY system were (supposed to work) in tandem, but from 1st September it is GESY system only.

I might add that my Personal Doctor is not counting a visit to her to get a referral document as one of my free visits - thank goodness!

I have found that some of the doctors are not up to speed with the GESY system - in fact one gave up and wrote a request for a certain test on an old paper form as he couldn't find it anywhere on his system!

[memory man]

and you make the appointment at the Appointments Desk

Is that the registration windows, or the appointments office down the corridor to the right?

[galexinda]

The appointment is made at the Appointments Desk down the corridor to the right.

[memory man]

Within the last few months, I have had appointments with
Cardiologist and chest clinic.
Both docs. told me if I wanted to continue with them, that
I had to get a referral from my GP which I have since done.

[Cheshire Lad]

An excellent and useful contribution to the thread
Thanks Les

CL

[trevnhil]

Apart from reading these things on the internet, how are people (like me) with future appointments (date and time) supposed to know that they need a referral letter ?

[Varky]

Apart from reading these things on the internet, how are people (like me) with future appointments (date and time) supposed to know that they need a referral letter ?

Telepathy?

[galexinda]

All done through the Personal Doctor now. Not much coverage about GESY in the English speaking Cypriot newspapers and even then the articles are not very detailed. However, I do find the staff at the hospital are very helpful.

[darrow]

We were told by the specialist we would need a referral. Our problem was, we could not get a Doctor's appt until October and the specialist appointment is this month. I telephoned over a month ago. So when I asked what were we supposed to do, told to just turn up, and, basically, tag onto the end of appointments, which we had to do last time and finally got seen at 3.30.p.m.!

[Kissos]

My app with oncology in Nicosia was made in 2018 for sept this year. I had telephined them a few weeks ago regarding my yearly MRI also in Nicosia at an MRI centre. She told me they would do the referral for the MRI but I needed a referral letter from my GP in Pafos for the existing app this month. I saw my GP this week and she did the letter via the GESY system and printed it off for me to take. I then received an email from GESY to confirm. This is so the specialists get paid. Good job I didn't go all the way to Nicosia after hiring a car for the 23rd of this month...

[galexinda]

I am booked in for a test at Limassol General Hospital - no charge for that, but have been told I have to pay €6 at the Registration Office to see the Specialist Doctor afterwards and for both I must remember to take the Referral Document from my Personal Doctor or neither will take place.

As Kissos states above, this is so a claim can be made by the doctor and also I am informed of the amount I have used of my annual €150 allowance.

Hence, suggest that everyone who has an appointment for a test or with a Specialist Doctor made prior to GESY being implemented now checks with their Personal Doctor - what a waste of a journey to Nicosia for Kissos if he hadn't checked.