"Waited a year to be left in agony"

I have RA that causes extreme foot pain and swelling, often leaving me unable to walk. There is suspected nerve damage in my right foot from repeated flare-ups. As per NICE guidelines, I am entitled to access to a podiatrist.

From referral to waiting list to actual appointment was about a year, during which time my swelling, lumps, pain and quality of life escalated significantly.

At my appointment my feet were not measured for size, they just threw some insoles at me which are two sizes too big, and insisted I need to wear them on a daily basis.

The insoles are viciously hard and very badly fitting (due to being men's size 8 when I am women's size 6!) and after one days use I was in pure agony and unable to put any weight on my right foot. That foot still feels bruised and inflamed, months down the line.

I did not take the insoles to my next appointment, because I was not asked to. When I arrived, they insisted they would not do the appointment without the insoles. I explained that they did not even fit and had just caused me damage and pain so I would not be using them anyway, but they insisted they would not see me without them and I would need to rebook.

I had to rearrange childcare and a training course with work, at significant cost to my employer, to attend this rebooked appointment. On the morning of the appointment (like literally an hour before) they called and cancelled on me.

They offered an alternative date which was my birthday; we had booked to go away for the weekend. I was certainly not going to lose the money we paid for this, so asked if there was any alternative availability. The caller got all exasperated and said they'd call me back when there were more dates available.

Around 6 weeks went by and nobody called, so I called myself. The same person who'd told me they'd call back when more dates were available took my call, and said there was a note there saying I would call them back -that was certainly not the case, as they'd had no appointments for me to book into!

I was offered a date that I already have another NHS appointment. I explained this and asked for any other dates, and again the caller got all exasperated and annoyed with me. This attitude just pushed me past breaking point and I got so upset and ended the call; I was in significant pain by this point, not sleeping, unable to walk far, and extremely frustrated at the lack of help or progress.

I then received a letter stating that as I had (apparently) refused multiple appointments, I was therefore being discharged from the service and would need to start the referral process all over again if I need assistance.

I am just in shock right now and at a loss for what to do next. My feet are worse than they have ever been, and I am no closer to help than I was two years ago.

The one appointment I did get where I was issued the poorly fitting insoles, just caused me further pain and damage. And now I am just left to suffer it.

The admin staff really don't seem to understand or appreciate that people with chronic health problems who are under multiple consultants can have a lot of appointments that we can't just miss or rearrange at the drop of a hat. We are not deliberately trying to be difficult! For e.g. I am also under rheumatology, gynaecology, dermatology, and have dental issues caused by my RA which requires regular appointments. All of these are equally important and cannot just be dropped because Bromley Healthcare's admin team get exasperated when appointments clash.

All in all, feeling extremely let down and very disappointed 

This is not a service, it is a disservice.