"I was concerned about the treatment I was going to receive"

Unfortunately my back started to give pain and found myself laying on my bed in extreme pain and unable to get off the bed. I contacted my wife who then came home from work and immediately decided we needed an ambulance.

After answering a number of questions the ambulance service informed us they would not send an ambulance and that I should contact my local pharmacy or my doctor.  We found this hard to believe as a paracetamol and ice pack was not going to cut it. We agreed to contact the doctors, the ambulance service confirmed who our doctor was and said they would send them the relevant information. Contacted the doctors,  was told a message would be passed to the doctors.

After waiting an hour or 2, still no response.  Contacted the doctors again,  reported to them again that I was in extreme pain and was unable to get off of the bed, the response to that from the doctor was, what do you expect me to do, I can't come and lift you out of bed, phone for an ambulance. Seemingly had not listened to what we had said and seemingly didn't care about the position I was in. Now hours later I'm back to square one.

Phoned for ambulance again.  Answered all the same questions again.  This time was told ambulance would be with me but with a wait time of up to 6hrs. Approximately 2hr later ambulance arrives.  The 2 ambulance guys were spot on, could not fault them. They could see my predicament, they was caring, thoughtful, and understanding. They filled me up with pain relief,  but unfortunately was still in a lot of pain. Off to Boston hospital we go. 

Anyone who has been unfortunate enough to have attended hospital will know it's unlikely to be a good experience,  however to me hovering around in cloud cuckoo land on pain killers,  A&E chugged along ok. 

So onto a ward we go. 

Although almost all of the people that interacted with me were kind, helpful and professional, unfortunately when you're laying there in extreme pain i did not want to hear a member of staff having a pop because I had been sent onto their ward, this was not my choice or decision. Did not want to hear a member of staff kicking off about a bed being to low to take a blood sample and saying they would not do it as they were on minimum wage. When the bed was raised by simply pushing a button, then refused to take blood as there was no vein visible and said it can wait for a doctor to do it, again stating that it was above their pay grade as they were on minimum wage. In my opinion little to no attempt was made to find a vein.

With this all happening in a short period of me arriving I was concerned about the treatment I was about to receive. Luckily treatment from other staff was much better.

There was also some confusion at times as to what was happening, you would be told one thing one minute but something different would happen.

In general my few days in hospital were no more unpleasant than you expect a stay in hospital to be, they have to do things that you're not going to like, but the staff in general was kind and considerate.

I have never needed an ambulance before,  and it saddens me that the 1st time I needed them they initially turned their back on me. 

As for my doctors at Moulton Medical Centre. I often avoid calling on them, putting things off until I really have to go. It feels to me that the doctor did not have my best interest in mind.