Wall of stories · 20 stories
Accounts from people in the UK who wrote a NHS-cited letter to their GP practice, in their own words. Anonymised, no names, no GPs, no surgeries. Just condition and region.
20 reviews collected directly from people we wrote letters for. How we verify reviews
20 of these 20 accounts were collected by us directly, by email or message, from people who told us what they had written and gave permission for it to be published anonymised. Others are submitted through the form at the bottom of this page. Every account is checked by a person before it appears, edited only to remove names, GPs and surgeries, and published with the writer's permission. We do not pay for accounts, and we do not offer anything in exchange for one.
We hold no record of what the NHS decided in any of these cases, so nothing here is verified against an NHS record, and nothing here is a measured result. Ratings are the writer's own rating of the document they bought.
More on how we handle evidence and money is on about the data.
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Long COVID
“Been asking for the long covid clinic since january and everytime i got "give it more time". Did the questions on my phone in bed, took about 5 mins. Sent the letter thru the surgery website on the thursday. Friday afternoon the GP rang me himself. Referral done, bloods booked, and he apologised. I didnt need a better doctor i just needed to say it properly.”
Long COVID · Nottingham
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter for his son, 15 about Long COVID
“My lads been off school 14 months. Every appointment i came out feeling like id been told off. I used this to write it down for him instead of me trying to explain while hes sat there crying. Paediatric referral came thru in 9 days. 14 months of nothing and then 9 days. Thats what gets me.”
Long COVID · Stoke-on-Trent
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Endometriosis
“11 years. eleven. Told it was ibs, told it was stress, told to try the pill again. Sent the letter, got gynae referral, had the laparoscopy in march and they found stage 3 endo and adhesions on my bowel. So not stress then. I dont think id have ever been diagnosed if i hadnt stopped being polite about it.”
Endometriosis · Bolton
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter for his daughter, 16 about ADHD
“Reception told me twice the practice "doesnt do right to choose". They do, they just didnt know. The letter had the actual NHS choice framework in it so there was nothing to argue with. Referral went off the same week. Bit annoyed at how easy it turned out to be after 2 years of me getting nowhere.”
ADHD · Chelmsford
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about ME/CFS
“im mostly bedbound so i can only do things in tiny bits. did half of it, closed my eyes for an hour, finished it. The letter had the bit about NG206 and that graded exercise isnt recommended anymore, which is exactly what id been pushed into twice and got worse from. new GP read it and stopped. shes doing a home visit now instead of making me come in. i cried, sorry. thank you x”
ME/CFS · Swansea
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about ME/CFS
“Honestly wasnt sure it would do anything, its just a letter isnt it. But it lists everything in order with dates and it doesnt sound emotional even though i am. Got a full set of bloods, coeliac screen and a referral to the fatigue service. Only 4 stars cos the wait for that service is 10 months but thats not their fault is it.”
ME/CFS · Sunderland
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about ADHD
“I asked about ADHD in 2022 and got told im "too high functioning" and probably just stressed. Did this, it explained Right to Choose properly with the actual wording, and my surgery accepted it with no argument. Assessed in 11 weeks. I am 38 and i have spent my whole life thinking i was lazy and rubbish at being a person. I wasnt.”
ADHD · Reading
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Chronic pain
“Blokes dont get listened to either, ive been told to lose weight and take ibuprofen for 3 year. Wrote to them with this. MRI request went in that week and it showed something. Wont go into it here but its being dealt with now instead of being ignored. Should not have taken a letter but it did.”
Chronic pain · Carlisle
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about ADHD
“Waiting list at my local service was quoted as 6 to 8 YEARS. Used this, right to choose provider accepted in 3 weeks, assessed, diagnosed, titrating now. Ive gone from a written warning at work to actually keeping on top of things. Cheapest money iv ever spent and thats not an exageration.”
ADHD · Sheffield
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Endometriosis
“was so nervous about being the young girl who makes a fuss. my mum found this. it wrote it out with dates of every appointment id had and what happened at each one and it made it look as bad as it actually is. Ultrasound within 3 weeks and gynae in june. nobody said "period pain is normal" to me once after that letter.”
Endometriosis · Birmingham
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Perimenopause / HRT
“Went in about the rage, the not sleeping and the brain fog and came out with antidepressants for the third time. This letter set out every symptom and how long id had them and asked directly why HRT hadnt been considered. Different doctor, 20 minute appointment, patches started that week. Ive slept 7 hours a night for a month. I feel like me again. Wish id had this 3 years ago.”
Perimenopause / HRT · Glasgow
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Menopause
“Very clear and it doesnt sound rude which i was worried about. Got referred to the menopause clinic after being told for 2 years that i was "just at that age". My only critisism is i wish there was a phone number to ask a question, but it did what it said and thats the main thing.”
Menopause · Norwich
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Fibromyalgia
“Ive been in the "nothing more we can do" pile since 2019. The letter asked for a pain management referral and quoted the guideline for chronic pain, and it also asked for a written reason if they said no. Thats the clever bit i think. They didnt want to put no in writing so i got the referral. Pain clinic 6 weeks later. First time in years anyones actually made a plan with me.”
Fibromyalgia · Hull
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about POTS / Dysautonomia
“Everyone kept saying anxiety because my heart rate goes to 160 when i stand up. Its not anxiety, i can literally show you on my watch. The letter didnt claim a diagnosis it just asked for cardiology and a proper stand test and said why. Got both. Tilt table in august. i have never felt so taken seriously in my life and it was a piece of paper.”
POTS / Dysautonomia · Cardiff
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Unexplained fatigue
“Three appointments, three different doctors, no notes read. What this does is put it ALL on one page in order so they cant just deal with todays 10 minutes. Got a proper set of bloods, thyroid, ferritin, coeliac, and a referral. Ferritin was 6. Six! And id been told i was tired because i have kids. Do it, seriously.”
Unexplained fatigue · Dundee
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about MCAS
“This is a hard one to get taken seriously because theres no nice guideline for it and the letter is honest about that, which i respected actually. It went down the route of my documented reactions and the right to be referred. Immunology accepted me. Took 2 goes, first letter got a no and i used the escalation one they give you. Dont give up after the first no is my advice.”
MCAS · Brighton
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Advice & Guidance rejection
“My referral got bounced back by a specialist whod never met me and i was told im being "managed in primary care". Didnt even know what that meant. This picked up on it straight away and the letter asked 3 things, refer me anyway, send me the written advice you recieved, and put your decision in writing. I got the advice letter within a fortnight and then the referral. They dont like putting things in writing, thats the whole secret isnt it.”
Advice & Guidance rejection · Leicester
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Long COVID
“i actually wanted the refusal, sounds mad. i needed it in writing so i could take it further. Got the written no, used the stage 1 complaint template bit, and 3 weeks later the practice manager rang and the referral was suddenly possible after all. funny that.”
Long COVID · Croydon
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter for their parent about Post viral fatigue
“Mums generation dont complain do they. She would go in, say shes fine, come out with nothing and then cry in the car. I sat with her and did this and she signed it. She has an appointment, shes had her bloods and her b12 was on the floor. Shes on injections now and shes brighter than shes been in a year. If your parent isnt being heard just do this for them.”
Post viral fatigue · Belfast
Jul 2026
Wrote a NHS-cited letter about Chronic back pain
“My referral had apparently been "sent" in november. It hadnt. Nobody could tell me anything for 5 months. The letter asked for the date it was sent and the reference which they couldnt produce, so they just did it again properly. Appointment date came thru 2 weeks later. Frustrating that you need this but im glad it exists.”
Chronic back pain · Luton
Jul 2026
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