hospital total failure

painx100

so 9 months after waiting for ra apt was told scan in 1 month only to find out it will be about 3 months and no follow up apt. i have complained to pals and the ra clinic at the way i'm being treated. upon further hunting i find that the ra "consultant" has a 1* review at another clinic for their "bedside manner and inappropriate questions". when the ra nurse phoned me last week she said that he was new. so leaving one hospital and going to another to shut down any complaints is now how the nhs runs? told them i'm in terrible pain and can't sleep can't do **** all (as i'm sure many of you on here feel too). i asked them if i've been left to just float around the nhs system and ignored. is this how they think the nhs waiting list time will go down by hoping that vulnerable people won't be here? we've already seen that the doctors and some nurses care more about their pay packet than what their job description says. what upsets me more is the hospital was not busy. i was seen on time. my problem was and is they've seen me and now left me. i don't know where else to turn to because if i keep on complaining then they will tell me they will not help me. i am angry but i keep my messages with nice words and not the actual things i truly want to say. where else can i turn? what else can i do? why do we have doctors and an nhs that just don't care about the people that need them? the ra clinic doesn't speak to the scan dept. the scan dept tells me its up to the consultant. the consultants sec tells me that its nothing to do with her. 5 phone calls to 5 different numbers and back to the original phone number. it is truly beyond a joke now and i, for one, am not laughing

frogmorton

Hello again @painx100

I was so sorry to see you are still waiting for your scan! I've got that right haven't I? you are still waiting? Feels like that was a month ago but you are now being told it will be nearer 3 months? I have to agree they have the bloods and other results to look at surely they could help you a bit in the interim.

I am so sorry it's just so unfair. Please do take the morphine if it helps. It's not just end of life it can help us too.

My daughter when she had leukaemia lost the ability to walk and one of those stupid Drs asked her why she was in a wheelchair. Tests later showed that the chemo had given her avascular necrosis in her hip and shoulder which is known to be agony she later had surgery on both. A consultant in clinic asked her unkindly why she was in the chair. I was fuming. I mean she was 16, totally bald, weighing 5 stone and ill!!! Grrrr! Not attention seeking! You have to wonder why some people are in what needs to be a caring profession.

I'm so glad you have phoned the helpline sounds like you were as bad as me bawling when you rang. Ring them again if you need to any time they are so kind.

That was no help whatsoever was it? Sorry but I just wanted you to know I understand and care and to hang on in there ((()))

Toni x

jamieA

Hi @painx100

If I were you I'd put your complaint in writing listing all the issues you've had. Send a copy to your GP and the rheumatology department you are under. Ask to be referred to a different rheumatologist if that's possible - you have that right. That's what I did - my first rheumatologist at our first meeting told me I had to ''suck it up' regarding the pain I was in. At our 2nd meeting I'd just been released from an emergency admission to hospital where I'd been seen by a different rheumatology consultant who'd told me he would have me on a biologic. My rheumatologist said he wasn't taking any advice from 'some doctor I saw' - even though I gave him the consultants name. I documented all of this and ended my letter stating that if he wasn't prepared to help me I wanted referred to another consultant. I handed him a copy on our 3rd meeting and also gave my GP a copy. I'd read somewhere that written correspondence had to be added to a patients record - I don't know if that's true - but it seemed to work for me. My first rheumatologist suddenly referred me to a pain clinic, occupational therapy and podiatry as well as starting me on a biologic.

I still moved to another consultant and the change in attitude is significant.

Ponee

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/63462/hospital-total-failure

Hi @painx100 I'm so sorry to hear about the troubles you've had. Working in the NHS I have found that a lot of people are unaware you have a choice in your own care. If you've had no luck with the hospital they have referred you to you can ask your GP to be referred to a different hospital that may be able to see you quicker.

Definitely a conversation worth having, don't be afraid to advocate for your own care because I know there are people out there who will just wave off your pain. Get a second opinion always and exercise your right to be involved in your own care.