"Absolutely let down"

I am a fifty four year old engineer who loves fishing, football and my family, I am also very active in my job and life. My wife (who also works part time “yes” for the NHS) and we are both carers for our severely physical & mentally disabled son who lives at home with us.

I wish to complain regarding the service I’ve received during a period of severe back pain. Firstly I would like to explain how I ended up here. Since middle of June 2016 I have been suffering with back pain which has steadily got worse. I saw my GP middle of July who sent me for an MRI scan which was booked for august 2016. Four weeks after the scan my back pain got worse and after chasing up the results on numerous occasions to be told the reporting on the MRI would be a minimum 8 weeks, I could not put up with the pain any longer I had no choice but to go private for the results, I paid for a consultation with a spinal consultant ijn Sept 2016, I also paid for a x-ray and CT images, the results shows that I need spinal fusion (L4/L5) I could have had the surgery early October but the cost of surgery was too expensive. I then had to be referred back to the NHS by my GP. Towards the end of on Sept I received an appointment for the spine unit this week. (8+ weeks ) In between I had to attend the A+E department due to severe pain and a problem passing urine. I was told by a doctor (who I was led to believe was from the spine unit) who told me that I would be seen in the spinal dept within 10 days and that they would arrange some injections. I left the hospital with two lots of painkillers (morphine & gabapentin) to help with the pain. I phoned up after a week to find out what was happening only to be told the doctor was not from the spine unit but who was a GP on a day with the A&E dept, and was in no position to offer me a consultation in 10 days or the injections and neither would be happening! .

Imagine my position being told I would see a consultant and get the injections that may help and then get the rug pulled from under me and being told complete rubbish! !

I and my GP made numerous calls to the spinal dept to see if I could get a cancellation or if they could open a slot for me as I was in unbearable pain. No one could help

Today 8 weeks after my referral was sent from the GP and arriving at the spinal outpatients to be told that I may not get surgery for another six to twelve months! ! ! ! I feel totally let down by the NHS. I’ve never been out of work since leaving school and have paid taxes & national insurance for the last 37 years and at a time when I need medical intervention to repair my back I find myself having to re-mortgage my house to fund an operation which should be free. Instead I will have to borrow approx £18, 000 which I have not got and will have an immense impact on my family. I have already been off work for two months and if I remain off work a further six months to a year before having an operation and possibly a further three to six months recuperation. if I decide to wait for the NHS I will find myself out of work with-out a shadow of doubt and end up on benefits, we may have no choice but to put out son in to social care services as we may not be unable to maintain the family home, how much will this cost the state compared to the operation that I deserve and have paid all my working life in to.

I just thought that you should know what is happening to patients “on your watch” so to speak.