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← Return to Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself
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Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Apr 26 9:22am | Replies (6794)Comment receiving replies
@horthog Since your appointment where the medications were prescribed, it sounds like you have communicated with your provider about the extreme pain you are experiencing. You have also attempted to contact your surgeon and went to the ER (ED). You have not received a response from the surgeon and the ER (ED) does not know what the issue is and how to treat it. Is that correct?
I'm not sure if you have such a thing in the UK but here is US we sometimes have coordinators, social workers, and advocates that work with patients in hospitals. They facilitate communication between providers. It sounds like no one is taking responsibility in finding a cause for your pain.
I find it curious that the surgeon will not return your calls. At Mayo Clinic we have the office of Patient Experience and that's another resource I'd suggest you utilize, if you were in America.
Are there social workers, coordinators, and/or an office of patient experience in the UK and at your hospital system?
Replies to "@horthog Since your appointment where the medications were prescribed, it sounds like you have communicated with..."
We are not set up the same as you are in the USA. Such a different system .
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Hello, thank you for your reply and comments. We have nothing like this in the Uk, sadly this is just the way it is here. I am constantly on the Telephone and emailing and begging for help. It is awful as I feel that I have become the Dr and I actually want to be the patient. I was screaming and crying with the pain this afternoon. I have left a message, email etc with the secretary of a Pain Management Consultant. I hope to speak to his secretary tomorrow but I may not be able to see him for another 2 weeks. I cannot refer myself. I have to have a GP referal. I waited two weeks for a phone call appointment, You have to try and get an appointment on the day, start ringing at 8.30 a.m phone engaged, by the time it is answered all the appointments have gone and you have to try again. There are no longer face to face appointments, they are not seeing patients, they are all working from home. The NHS in the UK is not to be envied, believe me. I am worn out by trying to fight the system and think what my next move should be, feeling so ill and having to work out the next tactic. It is especially hard as I am a retired Registered Nurse. I will keep you posted.