Just a little rant at the useless NHS again, I have been waiting for 3 years to be seen at the pain management clinic at my local hospital. I have contacted my doctor umpteen times and finally he got me an appointment, YIPPEE! I thought, it was short lived though. It turns out that the appointment is for the fracture clinic? why I do not know? I broke my ankle/foot 3 years ago and that has been sorted out in a fashion, they can't do anything for me? so why has my doctor referred me back? I have tried to contact my surgery this morning and was told that I can't speak to anyone due to the doctors strike. How ridiculous is that? I am so glad that I am not seriously ill. I was told to do the online consult tomorrow morning, because of the strike that isn't working either. I know what will happen if I went to the clinic appointment the doctor would ask me why I had come and refer me to a massive list to see someone in Pain Management. I know the waiting lists are huge but 3 years is ridiculous. I am allergic to 99% of painkillers, so this is why I need help with my pain.
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Imagine1
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Did you know that the Consultant at the pain clinic is a qualified anaesthetist who, if he is lucky, will get one day a week to see patients and operate.. The rest of his time is taken up doing his job with ordinary patients in theatre
They are highly qualifies as they need to be and worth their W eight on gold. Don't pull yhe NHS to pieces as that achieves nothing. The Tories have been slowly been sell it off to American giant Corporation. yo U CAN SEE THE SIGNS IN gp SURGERIES AND HOSPITALS
You mention don't pull the NHS to pieces? I will stop doing it once our family get decent care what we are entitled too. It is not just me, they have treated my 73 year old husband horribly. The care that he has had from them recently has been shocking. He broke his shoulder badly and the care that he received was diabolical. So don't tell me not to pull the NHS to pieces, you might have been one of the lucky ones who were banging pans for them in Covid times.
and who do you think runs the NHS? You? Me? The tax payer? None of those but the government. Deliberately and systematically destroying what could be an excennent service
Do you think the over worked, under paid staff don't know yet take the brunt of bitter people wo have an 'entitlement' as you so lovingly put it? Supposing A&E has to deal with a serious accident? Or treat a child choking/ How would you prioritise?
Covid doesn't enter into the equation.
I did ask however what you were supposed to be treated for?
My family and everyone else IS entitled to treatment, we pay for this in out Taxes. It has never been a good service. I could fill a book with how the doctors and nurses etc, have treated my family. You might have been one of the lucky ones who think they are fantastic. You say they are underpaid? cleaners are paid £18 per hour or more because my friend works there, so surely medical staff are on a higher wage than that.
I was told from a doctor that they couldn't treat me because of covid, well that was there excuse anyway. I am only telling you what I know. They were not seeing any patients at that time, unless it was critical. I know this because my appointments were online. The problem with that is how can they see someone
s injury, so no I was not treated in the correct manner.
While I completely agree I am afraid that is not how your NHS nor My aVA/Medicare/Medicaid system being run by the Uber-elites foundations like the California Endowment really believe. I will end the politics here with only a name and a link. Dr. Robert Malone and another doctor developed the mRNA vaccines and wrote the study that found them unsafe in 2018. You can find him and several other prominent epidemiologists from both the UK and the US: brownstone.org/
I’ve spent the past 4/5 hours researching you NHS site trying to find a way to help. My VA/Medicare system differs very little but somewhat and I couldn’t. I’ve spent the past 2 hours trying to write this. I completely agree with all you argue and your rationale. I also completely believe if you want help you’ll have to pay for it. I’m sorry I feel this way. I’m not a wacked-out conspiracy theorist. I’d he curious as to what the eventual outcome is. Sometimes being our best advocate is to move the fight to a venue we can win in. As always my best to you!
Thank you for replying to my post, you are definitely not a wacked out conspiracy theorist, you are allowed your opinion. Even though other people don't agree with what others say.
Thanks for the kind words. Never wish to drift too much into those waters but not seeing and adjusting appropriately (to advocate for your best health for example) only leads to trusting too many of the wrong people. The world changed with COVID and the mishandling of much of it. I do wish you the very best AND hope you (or the system proves me wrong). However, having experienced both the highs as a small business owner and the opportunities that brought and the lows of the rapid health, decline and being forced to close my doors, I can say that when people see me in my chair they don’t speak. I speak to every one it seems only those of color or who are jot small southern town elites speak back and I very much appreciate it. I can promise whomever want to judge me they are mislabeling me in their minds. Generally a fairly confident, up-beat guy but no one is harder on me for not being able to get to normal retirement age or for not being able to save my family from homelessness in our early 50s with a senior in high school. I feel worthless at least part of every day and probably should. But, thank you and I hope I am wrong and of course wish you the very best in getting what you deserve. Our system is unique from your but some similarities so I have had a little taste of waiting, being judged, the God complex from docs. I really shouldn’t have gone without a nephrologist but the complete lack of respect and dismissal of any idea offered is so new. Heck the gastroenterologist and nephrologist who saved my life all those years ago weren’t that judgmental of me and I did think I’d live forever so my abuse of body caused some of that. It is a shame, your story is a complete lack of respect and a snapshot of how had we as supposedly smartest most capable animals on this earth and COVID created an atmosphere of utter lack of respect for our fellow man…either that or I’m just old…lol! Really hope I’m wrong my best to you!
Thank you, your post was a very interesting read. I feel old before my time. I was so fit and active before my accident and then overnight I became disabled all due to the lack of care that I received. My husband has had the same problems as me. He broke his shoulder badly he is 73 years old, he is in complete agony, he hasn't slept since the accident because he can't sleep on his shoulder, or his back or arm. He has seen the orthopaedic surgeon many times and they are not interested. All he said is see you in another 6 weeks. How is that caring? I know he can't go on much longer with the pain that he is in but there is no medication that is helping him, surgeon didn't give him anything.
I broke my foot/ankle just before Covid, I never received proper care and because of this I have developed a damaged cartilage, arthritis in my big toe joint because of the way that I was walking, I couldn't walk on my broken foot/ankle. I have also developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome again because I didn't get the correct care, so now I am in excessive pain all the time and because I am allergic to painkillers, they have to try to sort out my pain in other ways. That is why I need an appointment.
Yes I do listen to all your posts with great interest tinged with sadness.
So now you have another appointment in spite of you having explored every possible avenue?
Appointments with the pain clinic are very hars to get these days as they havmore and more referrals and can nly see a few people as I explained earlier. So....go with an open mind and listen. Treating cjronic pain is not all about taking medication but self help too. OK so you can't do what you used to do but there are many things you can do albeit differently.
Constant anger and wanting revenge is a wasted emotion and just destroys you life. Thinking positively is damned hard but well worth it beleve me. '
You mention about not being in constant anger and think more positive. How can I? The NHS has destroyed my life and got away with it. I was such a positive person before and the NHS has took that away from me. The only reason I want to see a pain specialist is because hopefully they can't mess that up unless they give me opiates that is. If I could I would go private but I just can't afford it. I tried to get compensation it took 3 years to be told I would be receiving a large pay out to a week later they denied everything and I got nothing, I needed this money to enable me to go private and try to correct what they did so wrong. If this happened to you I don't think you would be very happy either?
Not to butt into the conversation but when someone is in pain 24/7 365 days a year it makes even the most happy person a raging lunatic…. Pain isn’t a jog in the park its more like and endless uphill climb.
Thank you for replying Batty1. I really don't think people know what pain is about and how it affects someone? You are so right, I am in pain all the time, I have to be so careful I don't injury myself again because any type of surgery is not an option for me. I have to live with whatever is wrong with me. I can't believe that doctors are not helping me with my pain? Because they don't understand CRPS doesn't mean that I am not in pain? they have actually said in the past that I can't be in pain ALL THE TIME? are they for real? can they feel my pain? I am sorry to keep mentioning my pain but that is what I am living with at the moment? xx
I don't know whether you read my earlier post telling you why I needed the appointment? I will say again. It was an appointment for the excessive pain that I am in from a fall that I had 3 years ago, and left with CRPS.
I understand that anaesthetist are busy people,however I used to work for the NHS +have experience of working with them +also a relative who was under their care.The attitude of the anaesthetist in charge of my father who was in the ICU was disgusting despite the fact that I worked in that hospital.He basically made a joke at my father's expense-my father was going to die,but he showed absolutely no compassion or empathy.This is not the only time I came across heartless,unfeeling medical staff,I could give several examples.
I am so sorry to hear this, and you work for the NHS too. Anaesthetists are very busy people but they can't just see people who they want to see. there are lots of people who need them but to make a joke at your father's expense is absolutely shocking. I, like yourself have come across heartless medical staff and they shouldn't be like that, they should have compassion, nobody likes being ill or going to hospital, it is daunting enough. If the medical staff don't like there job there is plenty of other jobs that they can do. It obviously isn't for them. It get's me how when they go on strike they say it is for the patients? How? Their patients are dying and getting worse while they are on strike. It is for them NOT the patient. xx
I have just been reading through your post and am sorry to read about your frustrations accessing pain management.
At Pain Concern we have a few resources that may be of help for you. If you click on the links below they will take you directly to the relevant resource or page.
This link will take you to the page that has the playlist for the Airing Pain Podcasts where you can search for subjects that are relevant to you - particularly those that are about actual pain management.
Our quarterly magazine contains news and features on self-management techniques, pain treatments and personal experiences of living with pain. The latest issue (83) I think you will find of particular interest.
Thank you for your advice, but PALS are a waste of time, I have used them for quite some time now over different things and they have not been able to help me at all.
I understand you shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket to get help for your pain.
I have been exactly were your at 7 years ago I suffered with debilitating psoriatic arthritis (undiagnosed) for over 2 years and in those horrendous 2 years I became bedridden and house bound I would see my doctor numerous times and always be told I exercise too much how is this possible when I couldn’t even walk they didn’t care and they didn’t care that I would have to show up to my medical appointments 2 hours in advance because it would take me an hour to walk from my car to my appointment… Eventually I was allowed to see a Rheumatologist who repeated the you exercise too much again they didn’t care either that it took me and 2 hours to walk into my appointment…. So guess what I had to take matters into my own hands and sought out a psoriatic arthritis specialist because I didn’t know what else to do and I wasn’t even certain if psoriatic arthritis was even my problem but with a life long history with psoriasis’s it seemed possible…. This was the best $400 I spent in my entire life.
Your going to have to take charge of your own healthcare because as it is now your in limbo and pain and your healthcare doesn’t care this is pretty obvious and your in a waiting game that your not going to win no matter how angry you become or how right you are in the end they hold all the cards and you don’t…. It took me 2 years to make my medical move but I was sick and tired of being in pain 24/7 365 days a year.
Thank you for your reply. I am so sorry that you have had to deal with all this. Hopefully in the future I will be able to pay for treatment to help me.
Ive seen 4 different consultants in pain management, it was there that i was given Pregabalin many years ago now, they will offer Tens which never did me any good our local clinic is useless compared to the 1 i initially got sent to in a different county where i once lived. IVE BEEN WAITING 4 YEARS NEARLY TO START HYDROTHERAPY so fingers crossed your service will be better & not left long, you could get the consults name , call them they generally will advise what current patient's are waiting for initial apts.
I have never been to see a specialist yet, so I don't know anyone's name to contact. At the time when I was first put on the waiting list it was just before Covid days and everything was shut down, then when everything reopened, my appointment got lost so I had to be put back on the waiting list, probably the one that I will be put back on now.
I feel your pain! I'm lucky I guess to have been to pain clinic but was told I could either have an injection or be discharged. I too have allergy to most meds and was told 3 year wait but would try to see me sooner. They pushed me down private route but because of my allergies it needs doing jn hospital. I then got told 7 month wait (you wouldn't leave a dog jn pain that long!), but when 7 months came in August I am now told January 2024 due to backlog Apparently they don't rate pain, which is stupid as every illness has pain. They ought to try living with it and trying to hold a job down. 😩
Exactly, this is what I have been saying but people call me sad on here. WHY? Like you and me we have had to wait what seems like forever to get what we are entitled too. We have paid our taxes into the system and we want something out of it now. I like yourself tried to hold a job down, but in the end I had to give it up because of the excessive pain, not being able to use both hands properly and my foot problems, I can't stand on my foot for too long or walk. I would love to work again which I have done most of my life apart from having 3 special needs children to care for. People don't realise the pain that we are in because they don't have it? x
Totally agree with you. The problem is they don't know how to help me? other people must be like me? they must be able to help them? There is no excuse. xx
They don't really know how to help me. I can't get a diagnosis and I'm just hoping it gets bad enough to get help, preferably not that bad that it kills me first! Not the best plan but they won't listen so I have no choice.
If you don't mind me asking you what symptoms do you have? All we want it a diagnosis so that at least we can read up about it and get the advice from there on what to do? We shouldn't have to do this, the doctor should know. xx
No I don't mind at all. Actually refreshing to have somebody genuinely interested. It started with bloating, then a winded feeling under my right rib, then chest pain. It's definitely gastro but it's gone on so long now it's affecting my whole body so Fibromyalgia is all they can say. My scans showed nothing so they don't believe me but eating is a trauma not a pleasure. Unfortunately I have to eat and suffer the pain/exhaustion and sickness. It's horrid.
I am so sorry that you are going through this. I have similar problems to you. From the age of 15 I had an emergency doctor at our house because I couldn't poo, I was bunged up and had to have an enema, the doctor told my parents that it was because I was anxious going to school and it was a nervous stomach. How wrong was he? I still have the same problems now 41 years later, and I don't go to school. I have had numerous tests and scans nothing showed up then it was IBS. I have now been told that it is Diverticulosis. I struggle with what I eat too. Like you said it is horrid. So I know exactly what you are going through. Take care. xx
Every emotion you are displaying, and more, is justifiable. I am so sorry for what you are going through. I also read your other posts about your husband’s shoulder and his treatment has been shameless. I could complain about the managed care system here in the US but the difference here is that we have more personal agency to advocate for ourselves. In your situation they derail you, postpone appointments, and put you at the bottom of the heap. Many patients just stop trying, unfortunately. Please keep up the fight.
Aww thank you SouthernSally It is lovely to hear someone cares which is very rare these days, this is why I go on this forum, to rant and to get advice, not be ridiculed like some people have done. I might write a lot of negative things on here but they are all justifiable. It would be wonderful to write something that is good. I used to be such a positive person but others knock it out of me. I will definitely keep up the fight, thank you once again. xx
The problem is the only painkillers that the doctor has said that actually work are opiates and I just can't take them, in the past I have had Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and that hasn't worked and even saw a psychotherapist. Nothing works but I am not the only one who has excessive pain and nothing is done for them. Thank you for replying xx
Opiates are so powerful, my husband was prescribed them for a broken shoulder. He took 4 of them and the next day he was violently sick and felt very dizzy and faint and nothing has ever bothered him before. So he flushed them down the toilet in the end. He is still in extreme pain as you can imagine but nothing works for him. I am so glad that they work for you. xx
We went to the pharmacy and they would not take them back and this is what they told me to do. Probably because of Covid? and the fact someone else has handled them. They do seem to blame everything on Covid.
I suppose it depends on your pain. I have spinal cord injuries (+++) the pluses are secondary conditions. I was prepared to get used to them because they meant I could actually move. Of course, I’m on wheels but there was a time pain meant that was too painful. So they mean I can live.
I understand your frustration with the long wait and confusion regarding your clinic appointment. It's frustrating to be referred to the fracture clinic for an issue unrelated to your previous injury. The doctor's strike and online consult issues further complicate matters. Hopefully, you'll receive the appropriate pain management support soon given your unique circumstances and medication allergies.
That's awful. Doctor's strike? What's with that? They need to think about the patients not their bank accounts. Is there another pain clinic nearby you could go to?
I know it is awful, they don't care about the patients, just money. Everyone is in the same situation as them but you don't see them go on strike, unless it is trains that is? The problem is unless I go private which I can't afford to do, I can only go to my local hospital and that is where they refused me?
That is a problem. Healthcare has gotten so expensive that we cannot afford to go anywhere. I'm still paying off my co-pays from my surgery. Shouldn't be that way.
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I have lots of health issues regarding pain etc, but I'm still waiting for an appointment to see the pain management team.
Meds review with new GP
Pain clinic first appointment
Severe pain for years
