"Poor Patient Manner"

I suffer from Ankylosis Spondylitis and have been under consultant care for 22 years. I went for an appointment to discuss the findings of a recent MRI scan, as the results showed a deterioration of my condition & make a further referral due to the identification of a 2nd condition (Neurological). 

On arrival I found out that I would be seeing a member of staff I had not met before, in Rheumatology and was looking forward to having a fresh pair of eyes on my rapidly deteriorating mobility & chronic pain. Instead I spent the entire appointment defending my recent informed choice to stop the slow release pain medication & stomach liners, which I had been on for 22 years with no improvement on my daily pain management. When I expressed concerns about my newly diagnosed condition, having still not received a referral appointment for 10 weeks, I was told the 2nd condition isn’t a concern and couldn’t be causing the change in my pain levels. I shared my recent mental health changes (which had previously been well supported by my other Dr) and this new doctor showed little interest in how I’d found some improvement. At the end of the appointment a piece of paper with a new treatment name scrawled on (anti TNF injections) was thrust into my hand- couldn’t even be bothered to take the time to explain the new treatment to me, that I had come to discuss in the first time place!  

I left feeling unlistened to, reprimanded and even less confident about the long term treatment of my condition. As a middle aged person trying my hardest to hold down a job, stay active and raise a young family, whilst living with 2 chronic pain conditions I expected to be treated with more empathy and proactively than I have been. As time goes on my trust levels are really starting to decline- it feels like I have to reach the point of complete immobility & psychologically crippling pain to get adequate care at RCHT