risk losing job due to massive delays in treatment

jahou

Is anyone else livid with this governments evil attitude towards those with long tem chronic pain and disability? They demand we work but can't even be bothered to give us access to prompt and appropriate healthcare, it's inhumane. They never both to reply to your letters or help you.I have osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis due to congenital scoliosis. 15 MONTHS on from first seeing my GP I am still waiting for spinal fusion surgery. I have had to pay for other surgeries in the past for fear of losing my job due to 8 to 12 month surgery waits and I am in severe debt due to this. I also had to pay for my own physio due to a 6 month wait for physio at Poole hospital. I then had to pay to see an orthopaedic surgeon outside of my area as after seeing my mri results I knew what surgery I would need and that no one in my area could do this surgery. I told my ccg this but they refused to help. It has taken over 6 months of fighting with them to get to see surgeon I wanted to go to and had already seen privately.They initially sent me to consultant who didn't even seem to realize I have arthritis who then referred me elsewhere where surgery waits are way over 1 year . Treatment I have recently had in London has been excellent and fast but I have now had so much time off sick that I am convinced I am going to lose my job. I am in so much pain, sleeping is almost impossible and I have lost count of the times I have cried on way home from work due to pain. I know I am about to be disciplined as I always get the blame for being let down by the nhs. My employers can now argue my levels of sickness go beyond reasonable adjustments because I have been waiting forever for treatment. I guess when I lose my job atos will say I am fit to work though my employer thinks otherwise. I despair. Julia

stickywicket

There's a great deal of pain and anger in your post, Julia, and I can well understand the fear of losing your job, especially in the current climate. i think you're not asking questions just letting it all out and I do hope it helped a little. It often can and I think many of us tend to feel on here that it's better out than in as arthritis does thrive on fear and anger.

I can't really help on the work thing. I haven't been able to work for most of my life but I know how difficult it was when I was doing and how worried I would be if I had to go through the current assessments.

You seem to live in a bad area NHS-wise. That must be very frustrating.

I guess, at the end of the day, we all have to accept that arthritis is a progressive and incurable disease. It will do just that and we have to adapt and change. I'm a big advocate of physio and exercising and I've had a fair bit of surgery in my life but, let's face it, all the physio and surgery in the world isn't going to reverse the clock.

Maybe it would help you to talk things over on a one to one basis with one of our Helpline members. They are much more knowledgeable than I am and very helpful.

Kittkat

Oh Julia. I am sorry you have received such rubbish treatment. Know what you mean about them wanting us to work. Really not good!

jimall

Hi Julia
I have osteo on both shoulders.
It took at least 3of those years to get to the bottom of what was wrong. During this time iI was getting physio who in the beginning he told me after 3 sessions gave up as said he could be making things worse if he continued.
Told me to see doctor and get a MRI. Anyway time went buy even although through my work I saw the occupational health on four occasions and each time said I was unfit to do my duties. Still have to see what the MRI showed up. Still time on waiting is ticking buy. Seen a specialist at hos who said more physio,I told him what happened previously,didn't listen to me. Anyway 26 sessions later even although 3physios gave up as getting nowhere even had injections ,did not work. Through this time because I was going to see a shoulder specialist my doctor and my works doctor took it into there own minds and thought I was getting surgery. On Feb2013 after 21 yrs,my employer paid me off due to being of work. I never even got my pension that I have been paying into for 20 yrs. I looked into this online and from other sources that if you are unfit to do your duties then you can apply for medical retirement. I never got. I contacted my pension people who in a round about way said that because I was 58 and that I can get to my pension at 60 my employer would have to pay me in between so there for cost them. So they have a medical doctor from bupa in there pockets to say what they want them to say so they can pay you off without a penny. When I went to hospital 8months later the shoulder specialist said that I have osteoarthritis in both shoulders and that it is going to be there always, no operation,no injections, and also said that if the first sessions at physio didn't work why did they keep sending me for more. Well we know the answer to that. We need people to fight our corners because at the end of the day it comes down to money.
Hope this is helpful.

Jimall