"No advice or after care offered"

My mother was in excruciating pain from osteo-arthritis in her knee. The Pain Clinic had prescribed patches but these had little if any effect for her.

I asked if she could have the injection of Hyaluronic Acid previously mentioned if the patches were insufficient. My emails went unanswered until I was phoned and told that yes, as she is in such pain she can have the injection, but not for 6 weeks. I was told the doctor is going on holiday.

I then emailed a complaint to PALS saying that if she was recognised as being in such pain as to need the injection, I thought it was cruel to make her wait 6 weeks for it. At 88, I could see that she was losing the will to live.

The next day an email arrived saying that she would not have to wait 6 weeks and this was followed up by a phone call giving an appointment for 8.30am in two days time.

My mother and I arrived early. The Clinic was still locked up. No other patients arrived for some time. Despite this my mother was made to wait until she was the last patient seen that morning. So the injection was given, but obviously under protest by her. I believe my mother was punished for the complaint that I had made. Because of her pain and immobility she had to be given the injection whilst still in her wheelchair as she could not get onto the hospital trolley and lie flat.

From the website of an NHS doctor at another hospital I had learnt that Hyaluronic Acid is usually given as a series of 5 weekly or two weekly injections. No one at the Pain Clinic made any mention of any subsequent injections to me or my mother. No advice or aftercare was offered either.