Many moons ago...dunno when...I went to the doc about my back. After some weeks, I got a referral to the back clinic...who, after some weeks, gave me an apointment to see a physiotherapist. I saw her every few weeks for a bit, then got referred onto a spinal stability class...after around a month, I got a place on that and have been merrily going along for the past 9 weeks.
Now I've had another physio assesment, and have been...referred! I'm on a waiting list (2+ months long) to see BPAC clinic, who will then give me a triage session...and....REFER me to wherever they think best! (An MRI, possibly, says my Physio, who thinks I have a disc problem...) and once I've been assessed and scanned and they think they know what's what...I'll be...REFERRED.
This is why NHS waiting lists are getting shorter, because there are MORE waiting lists for different things. It bites, but there we go. The wheels are slowly turning.