"Metal plate left in during MRI"

Having waited to get to a point of being referred for an MRI scan via physiotherapy which was most welcome. I found myself inside the xray department at Ayr Hospital.

From the onset of the basic questions all seemed ok, but then to be informed they would not undertake the scan as I had an operation ( minor ) during March of this year. I had to contact the department from my own mobile to confirm the date of the minor operation to remove an abscess.

The Xray department could not do that for me and the place of the previous minor operation was less that a few hundred yards from the xray department.

I had to sorted that out myself, after about 30 min of searching for assistance, the administration section where my minor op contacted xray with the exact date. It appears that the events are seen differently by staff and senior management in xray section. From that point the service was shocking by so called professionals.

I then went for the mri scan to be informed by the mobile unit that they did not have enough time to scan my hip and the L5 lumber of my spine. The mri section went through the questions once again and did ask if I had any plasters on wounds "NO I said".

I was then asked after a "serious debate" to remove my belt, money phone from my pockets and then placed into the scanner. In the process early stages I pressed the emergency button provided. I was pulled back on and I asked about having my wedding ring on. That is ok they  said no need to take it off?

When the scan was completed I tried to move out of the scanner and found I had serious head/neck jaw and eye pain and a hot face unlike my previous MRI on my prostrate a few months ago where I had no side effects at all.

I informed the MRI mobile unit I was feeling ill and slightly out of focus. I was taken over to the changing area and told that was the session over. My face was burning /swollen red similar to too much sunburn, but no thought to my head pain and feeling sick was given within the mobile MRI unit.

On my way down the stairs of the mobile unit the MRI advisor said if I am not steady hold onto the hand rail. No thought given to should I need to sit down or be seen by a doctor.

As it was past 5pm the xray section was closed therefore no available help.

I tried going home by car and about 1/2 mile from the hospital I stopped the car.

It was at that point I realised they xray and MRI staff did not request or ask in the process if I had a metal mouth piece or issues with my teeth.

Easy question to ask and very easy to say yes or no as the case might be. Simply an oversight and a poor exercise by people who have a job to do in a daily basis, and failed to do so.

Their main questions were related to overall health, previous surgery and if I had any metal implants and I replied no. I found the contractor who initially refused 3 time to carry out the scan due to the accurate date of my last visit to the hospital for an abscess, were now rushing to undertake the scan. I was rushed through in my opinion without any thought to a proper and overall body review.

At no time did they or the xray section seek that info for the metal plate /teeth bridge..

Due to the time I wasted trying to provide hospital information on my previous small op I became annoyed in the length of time sorting that out. It appeared they were adamant that it could not be done and I would need to rebook the MRI scan. Now I wish I had done that..

I then returned to see a doctor in A&E who examined me and gave me a leaflet for a head injury? which was not the issue.

Next day Friday the Xray manager indicated doctors report was vague in the report to her.

I have now had a terrible time with the pain in my head /neck that I was asked to take pain killers and if I get ill or vomit call 111 out of hours.

I then called my local doctor and explained, he said, he was not to sure what to do, but he could give me anti sickness pills and just take stronger pain killers.

As time went on the staff discussed the issue over the phone with me and indicated that the department should have checked for a mouth bridge and she would introduce a more clearer method to check for this for the future.

I asked her about side effects and she replied have not heard of any .

Having reviewed several NHS site for the information before asking this question again I find it strange that staff don't know about side effects re MRI.

In my opinion,  the bad practice and failure to check a mouthpiece or any other non implant is a serious issue by both departments.

I have discussed this with others in the same hospital to be told that should not have happened. In addition to miss a critical part this assessment of cosmetic and non implant  of a persons body is poor. Not just once, but by two sections of the xray and mri.

Overall I have to wait for 4 days to see if the pain and burning swelling reduces, which it has not in the past 24 hours. I have reported the issue to the compliance department and due to the deliberate intention to avoid the errors.

It is my view that it is very clear this issue is being put under the carpet and hope I go away. When you think your dealing with professionals and they mess up the patient has great difficulty getting through the obvious barriers with staff and management as a whole. I will wait until Monday but feel at this stage 24 hours later the burning and swelling is as bad with a constant head pain.

I feel that no one seems to be really bothering and play down the issue of my pain.

Seriously, I see this service as a very slack. poorly managed section of the NHS where the knowledge in every section in my case is backing off as they either lack knowledge or just attempting to cover up their mistakes. I have referred the complaint to the compliance section at Crosshouse Hospital. I only hope that my condition improves but I have some doubt. To be blunt the issue was a mess and the staff cannot say how to ease the pain other than pain killers.