"Orthopaedics shortage"

My Husband has been under the Orthopaedic team for nearly 2 years for Spinal Stenosis and Bulging Discs.

He is currently experiencing constant severe pain in his leg and hip which has been ongoing for 3 weeks now.

Unfortunately Primary Care are unable to control his pain even with morphine, gabapentin, diazepam and naproxen, and our GP has written to the consultant on two occasions now to request he be seen as soon as possible.

I have even tried to contact the consultants secretary who advised they would call me back the following day but I did not receive a call and ended up leaving a message on the answerphone.

My husband has even been seen in A & E on the advice of the consultants secretary due to there not being any appointments available and no lists are even open to add him to as they are so short staffed.

A member of the Trauma Orthopaedic team was called to see him in A & E as the Dr in that department was unsure how to treat him after giving him morphine intravenously along with codeine and diazepam which had no effect.

The consultant proceeded to take our telephone number and informed us they would be in touch as he should have been seen in the clinic in December but yet again we have still not received any contact.

I can appreciate that the NHS are short staffed and over worked but that is no consolation when you are in constant pain with no relief for a long period of time.

I have even arranged for him to have Physio myself whilst waiting for an appointment to come through but this again has not resolved the pain.

Luckily he is not showing signs of Cauda Equina syndrome just yet although that appears to be the only way he will be seen when it becomes what they call an emergency.

His symptoms are progressing and I just hope he will never have to get to that stage just to be seen.