Indefinite referrals

I am just over 5 years since diagnosis. Both my oncologist and surgeon still see me each year. So I see one of them every 6 months. I have had an indefinite referral for my oncologist for 4 years but have always got a new referral each year for the surgeon. Last time my GP said “I’ll do an indefinite one this time to save you having to come in just for a referral each time”.I was happy with this.

So today I arrive for my surgeon review and hand over my referral. I have my visit and all is good, yay! Then I go to pay and make my next year’s appointment and the receptionist says you’ll need a new referral. I say that I thought my doctor wrote an indefinite one and the receptionist gets really weird and rude. Goes on to say that if I insist on using it then she won’t be able to put through the Medicare claim and I will have to go into Medicare myself and do the claim.

I have never had any trouble using the indefinite referral for the oncologist. They always put the claim straight through for me. The surgeon’s receptionist went on to be really ridiculous. She did not give me a card with my next appointment on and when I asked for one she carried on bizarrely insisting that she had already given me one. Her behaviour was really unnecessary and instead of leaving the appointment over the moon that I am still cancer free at 5 years I was completely rattled by her treatment of me.

Has anyone had trouble using an indefinite referral?