NHS - Arghhhhhh!

Before I go off on one, apologies to anyone who works within the NHS, it can't be an easy job and seems to be made more difficult by lack of comms.

<rant>
I have had a really bad back for 3 years and recently it has been getting worse to the point where I have had to go back on medication.

Originally (2 years back) I was referred, finally, to Rhumatology (sp?) where I saw the consultant who never really touched my back (always found that strange). Anyway I was sent for an MRI, which showed a disc bulge but not enough to be causing the issue, so was then sent for a bone scan, again this proved inconclusive.

He then decided that I should do a course of physio, not sure why as he hadn't diagnosed anything, but I went anyway.

Each week the phsyio thought it was something else and after about 8 weeks of 2 sessions per week, I walked in and he decided on of my legs was longer than the other and sent me to surgical appliances.

These guys gave me a shoe raise (read lump of rubber) to put in my shoe, whihc made my back worse.

So I decided that enough was enough and tried to get an appointment to see the consultant again. As if it would ever be that easy!

The consultant I was seeing had left and I therefore had to be re-referred by my doctor. Again as if that would be easy!

I went to him after spending a whole 5 days trying to get an appointment, then turned up 5 mins early for my appointment, although as he was 55 mins late for the appointment I shouldn't have worried. He clearly hadn't read my notes as he asked me what the problem was, which I told him and then he continued to try and prescribe me a drug I am allergic too, despite the bright red flashing notice on his PC, warning him of this.

Still I managed to get him to refer me and to be fair it only took 6 weeks from referral to my appointment today.

My appointment today was at 9:30am (appointments start at 9:00), as always I turned up a little early (9:20) to make sure the traffic etc didn't make me late, signed in and sat there waiting.

To cut a long story short I finally got to see the consultant at 11:25........no explanation, nothing!!! I was in there about 2 minutes and sent for an x-ray where another 90 minutes of my life slipped away.

Finally went back to rhumatology for another 45 minute wait to be told there was nothing he could do for me and that he was referring me to the pain clinic, which if I was lucky would only be a 3 month wait - WTF?

All the staff I met and spoke to were really nice and friendly and clearly good at what they do, but I feel like I am not getting the care I think I deserve from the NHS and in the mean time I am left having to pay for my own physio, pilates and continue running to try and ease the pain enough for it to be manageable, not fun as I have two young kids.......

</rant>

I sympathise greatly. I think the NHS is something that we should be justly proud of, free medical care is something that's extremely rare in the world and we should consider ourselves pretty damn lucky. But. (there's always a "but"). The NHS would be ten times better if we sacked every single doctor. The nurses, the physios, they're all great - the doctors however, I've got nothing but extremely poor memories of. The simple act of reading notes should be compulsory - they're being paid 60K plus, quite often well into 100K plus territory - the least they can do is read the sodding notes. If they're too busy then perhaps we should be hiring twice as many doctors on half the salary. Every single time I've seen a doctor I've had to say "no, that's not the right course of treatment, if you read my notes you'll see that we've already established that the cause isn't X but Y". Or better yet, "the last time we tried drug X I was in a coma in hospital for three days, perhaps you'd like to read the notes?". Actually twice that's happened now. The last time A&E were good enough to apparently interrupt my last "consultant"'s holiday, ask him why the hell he'd put me on a course of X when my notes clearly stated I was taking Y and how a first year med student could apparently tell that the two together would do serious damage.

The NHS would be ten times better if they simply got rid of every single doctor and just left it in the hands of nurses.

Sounds like rough deal you've had.

Unfortunately, Consultants seem to work best with an entourage of multi disciplinary staff who have all the necessary information about the patient at their finger tips.

Obviously this doen't help your situation at all. Don't know what to recommend really. Perhaps you could put in a complaint and maybe your case would be reviewed?

[Jayneflakes]

Good luck with your Pain Clinic visit.

I am under one of them, not that you would really know it...

The last time I went, I had requested that I was once again, injected under X Ray with the suitable pain killer as before. However the very sweet and utterly clueless Doctor told me that they could only do that in the morning and I should have requested an early appointment.

Oh noes, I had done that and it had been ignored.

Then the ****bag tried to give me a a tricyclic antidepressant to control the pain, despite the fact that it was in my records that I could not have the drug.

Well, it seems like I am certainly not alone in my woes.............makes me really angry and pain clinic sounds scary. I just want to find out what the problem is and therefore how best I can manage it, simply numbing the pain doesn't really help although might improve the quality of my life some.

If it stops hurting I'll be able to stop running!

[Jayneflakes]

Originally Posted by krhall

Well, it seems like I am certainly not alone in my woes.............makes me really angry and pain clinic sounds scary.

The Pain Clinic can be very useful, It was only my last appointment that was rubbish.

Since then I have implemented some good advice from a Holistic Chemist! I kid you not, she took me to one side and told me my drugs were rubbish and I should maybe think about the effects of empowerment and positive thinking and new drugs.

So if you ever find a chemist called Susan working out of Plymouth, she is amazing and she talks sense. Mind you she did talk me out of having my Bean pierced, so she may not be that sensible!

not good matey. have you thought about going to a private chiropractor or whatever just for the diagnosis? may save the agro in the future.

my last stint with the NHS resulted in some loverly metalwork being put in my arm after a game of rugby.

part 1. nurse is manipulating my arm to get the fracture in the right place, which she does. all pain went from my upper arm. until someone behind her called her name... turns head, of course arms move doc slaps plaster round it... and plasters my shirt in at the same time...

then have op to put metal work in (morphine is wonderful by the way) and i end up with a bandage... which was fine for about 4 days...

it turns out the pain killers i was on kinda bung you up a bit....
coupla minutes on the thunderbox the exertion starts pumping blood round the body (proper head shaker if you see). arm swells up under bandage so much so i have to call an ambulance and take another trip to a&e.
trying to explain the situation to the nurse was somewhat embarassing...

incidently. next time you get gas and air, try doing chef impressions... works a treat

i`m curious as to why you were referred to rheumatology in the first place as opposed to an orthopaedic specialist? did a blood test show a raised rheumatoid factor or evidence of arthritis? I`m assuming that maybe you`ve seen one by now but if not ask to be referred to an orthopaedic specialist and see if they can sort you out. It could be that the bulging disc whilst not too severe is pressing on a nerve which can cause really severe pain. Best of luck and tho i work for the NHS I have to admit i`m inclined to agree with your gripes.

Originally Posted by Jayneflakes

Mind you she did talk me out of having my Bean pierced, so she may not be that sensible!

Well wasn't expecting that, although the thought took my mind off the back pain for a moment!!!

SpeedyC - I'm not too sure why Rhumatology, that was where the doctor referred me, I was surprised too and asked if he was sure, to which he got defensive.

I just woke up one morning and couldn't move, that's how it all started.

I have never seen an orthopedic specialist, although have wondered why?

No idea where to go next.

Have tried all-sorts to try and sort it out, including accupuncture and I hate needles.............the disc bulge is not compressing any nerves, this can be seen on the MRI.

I've got to say in defence of NHS doctors, some of them are spectacular.

I'm currently suffering quite bad wrist-pain as a result of an accident two weeks back, and went back for a second round of X-rays on Sunday. After the X-ray I had to wait to see a doctor, and the one I got couldn't have been better. She was absolutely lovely, listened to me attentively and explained what was going to go on afterwards. She even told me that if the MRI which she referred me for was on Wednesday, that she was working during that day and if I asked for her she'd take a look at the results as soon as she was free. Typically the MRI appointment came through for 8am the next day, but oh well

Of course, this lovely doctor was balanced by the original doc in A+E. After explaining to the triage nurse what happened, followed by explained to the nurse who went through initial treatment, I still had to repeat everything to the doc, who then asked me a ton of unrelated questions which I'd already answered.

It's all a bit of pot-luck, I reckon. Sad state of affairs.