"Rheumatology Fife"

I seem to have a similar story to SO5. Like this person I was diagnosed before there was a Rheumatology Service in Fife but thanks to my GP who's mother had RA my condition was managed by them until Fife got support from a lovely Dr. However their successor decided against all advise from other professionals that I did not have RA! Thankfully my GP was able to continue my Sulphasalazine and did so. When after a few years my feet and knee joints were so badly damaged that I walk with a deformity in my leg a referral from my GP was acted upon in a matter of days. At that meeting all stops were pulled out and after various medications were tried and found to be either ineffective or had dreadful side effects a medication was agreed and worked well for 3yrs until in Jan 2019 they withdrew this medication coinciding with my consultant leaving ?

I had over a year of hell because my medication was decided by a weekly review committee who were guided by my new consultant who was exactly as SO5 described their experience.  They had no empathy whatsoever and still doesn't and at times has been downright rude. After a year of fighting with this unknown committee with regards to the treatment they offered which actually beggared belief at times I was given a new medication which worked for 2 yrs until I suddenly developed massive infections including one which caused hearing loss and is still being dealt with by ENT Again six months without treatment until a new medication was given and not one that I was happy with or had any meaningful discussion about. This didn't work and My RA has taken a massive hold on my body resulting in me being without any meds for over 2 months resulting in me being 1) I unable to sleep in bed at night and having to sleep in a chair 2) unable to dress myself 3)unable to get up the stairs in my house to go to the toilet 4) unable to wash my hair or shower myself together with walking with great difficulty and taking about 6 attempts to get up from a chair. This has been the symptoms every time I have had a flare up with my RA. Final straw today after having waited over a month from my first Tel call to RA advice line and after demanding and getting an appointment with my consultant I am no further forward in knowing when and if I am going to get the meds I requested as my consultant says that they can't make any decisions as they are only a small cog in a big wheel. Well I want to speak to the Driver in other words this  faceless committee who don't know me from Adam as the saying goes. This weekly review committee which doesn't always meet every week but who decides how I get treated only on the basis of what The Small Cog has to say. A cog I may say that I have no confidence in due to the inaccuracies they have made over several matters of my treatment 

My opinion of Rheumatology in Fife and my treatment or lack of mirrors SO5's down to a tee. I am not someone who would consider having myself as I am a strong person and have great help and backing from a wonderful family but could easily see that someone who didn't have all that I have would be driven to harming themselves. I feel that my next step is to go to the papers to advise people how I have been treated by Rheumatology in Fife.!

I must add that my complaints are not about all the staff at Rheumatology Fife as physios have been great with exercise that helped to strengthen muscle around my damaged joints and also the nurses who take bloods etc but some and again not all the staff on the Advice Line need some training in how to treat people on the telephone. I could go on and on about my treatment in the last 3 yrs but I am coming to the point where I don't know if anything will be any different and is it something that is ingrained in this Rheumatology Dept. Angry and disgusted by my treatment is only a few words I could day about this  Or perhaps why can't I see a different Doctor who I have heard other people speak so highly of ?