Pain clinic appointment

Peawhips

I come under yorkhealth authority. There's no pain clinic at scarborough but there was before covid. Nearly end of october i recieved a call from york hospital got a cancellation on the friday and the call was tuesday can you come so i said where at york so i said got no transport so i can't get there and i can't get patient trandport either so the voice on the other end in that case i have to refer uou back to your gp. You usually get two strikes and your refered i don't even get one.

So i rang up the on the 2nd as she would be back from hols got appointment that day so I yold her what happened and i said if it was scarborough i could've taken it but not york especially with train strikes and they said they were going to refer me back to you. Right she said i going to write to them saying that you need at least a weeks notice so you can get things organised. When i got home there was an appointment for 10th May 2023 10am which is a bit early which means catching 9am train which im not fully mobile so i rung surgery to get a message passed onto my gp. I was dont worry she still write the letter to get you a early appointment.

Come Monday afternoon get a call back ftom york saying are your sure uou can't get to york .

So I my Gp just written to you as you ssid you were goung to refer me back to my gp voice oh yes we have and it says that i need at least a weeks notice to get everything organised including travel arrangements also my neighbour who kindly said dhe come with me as i don't know where york hospital is never mind outpatients dept is and she needs at least a werks notice so she can get the day off from work which she works in patients records at scarborough hospital. Also I've recieved an appointment for 10th may 2023 10am so i dont know whats going on one minute your telling me that you going to refer me back to my gp and next theres appointment on my door step.

I'm so confused that i dont know whats going on, only thing i do know I'm in agony.and getting worse to the point i can hardly walk oh she says.

I only wish thst there was one at scarborough hospital it would've been easier for but hoing to york I will be bad for two days. In the mean time I'm in agony already maxing out on pain killers which aren't helping which is getting me down and frustrated which is affecting my asthma do I'm getting hardly any sleep. It feels like my body is having a fight with it's self and I'm the referee I've jydt had enough luckily manage to grt appointment rang up last week and said that my gp wanting yo see me in teo weeks time so receptionists said when did dhe say that so i replied ladt time i saw about end oct begining of november one minute are yes shd ssys 6 weeks i was getting ready for yhem to say i have you get intouch with her to book you in but this time i was yold how about 14th of December at 11.45.

So.i said yes i wonder if they have had a visit from the ghosts from christmas carol past present and future usually its not that easy and have wait for either call or text saying thst im booked in to see my gp. Sorry about the moans i jyst about had enough. Only hood thing the top people at hhe surgery decided that they need a wefare co ordinator and not home care co-ordinator and they decided that they need two of them but don't know when they are starting.

frogmorton

Well DONE you @Peawhips

You stuck to your guns and you won. 14th December is perfect and I'm so glad you have a lovely friend who can take you.

I can't believe the run around you've had getting to this point though🙄

Maybe the ghosts of Christmas past present and future did indeed visit them.

Whatever happened i I am so pleased for you.

Take care and don't forget to let us know how you get on.

Toni 🎄

helpline_team

Hi @Peawhips

Thank you for posting on the Online Community. I am sorry to hear you have had such a frustrating time trying to re-arrange your pain clinic appointment and it is unfortunate that you now have to travel to York hospital instead of your local hospital in Scarborough. It sounds as if you are going through a really tough time, and I am sorry to hear you are experiencing so much pain.

As @frogmorton has said, it is good that you now finally have an appointment coming up with your GP to talk things through as well as a new time for your pain clinic appointment. I am glad that your neighbour will be able to accompany you. However, May 2023 is still a long way off and I do hope that your GP will be able to get your pain clinic appointment brought forward. Well done for persevering.

You could ask your GP to review your pain medication and explore other treatment options while you are waiting for your pain clinic appointment.

It may help to contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at York Hospital. PALS can help to resolve concerns, problems with appointments and communication issues when you are using the NHS.

I hope the information given below will be of some help. 

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/what-is-pals-patient-advice-and-liaison-service/

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/going-into-hospital/how-to-organise-transport-to-and-from-hospital/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

If you would like to have more replies to your post, please repost on our 'living with arthritis' forum which is another source of support to help you be in touch with others living with arthritis facing similar challenges.

Best wishes,

Fiona, Helpline Advisor