"My Fathers Care - Still no end in sight"

My father is a 74 year old man. He has had his health problems over the past few years including an abdominal aneurysm and a blood clot in his leg. He smoked for over 50 years and stopped abruptly 3 years ago and hasn’t smoked since. In December 2018 he complained of a sore neck at the top of his spine. Within a few weeks he was in agony and could hardly move his head. In mid January 2019 he presented himself at The Royal Alexandra A& E on the advice of his GP where they carried out an X-ray. The doctor at he time told him he couldn't see anything significant and was released with pain killers. A few days later he received a call that his X-ray had been reviewed and the doctor wanted him to go for an MRI and would get a priority appointment. Weeks went by and eventually he received his so called priority appointment for mid March. He attended for his scan and was told he would hear regarding his results. Later in March he received a call asking him to attend the hospital immediately to be admitted as an inpatient. He could not get to hospital so agreed to go in the following morning at 10am. He was the admitted to hospital where he remained for the night. He was told something showed up on his scan but they didn’t know what and wanted to give him a CT scan to have a look at his organs. 4 o’clock came and still no consultant came to see him or could advise when his scan would be although would probably be Monday as it was easing into the weekend.

My father is from another generation and he was very anxious about staying in hospital for the weekend. He told the staff if nothing was happening until Monday he wasn’t staying in. The nurse agreed to my dad leaving but kept his bed for him where he returned on the following Monday. He then had a scan at 3. 30pm and was discharged. For the next few days my dad made several calls trying to find out his results and eventually the registrar called to say they could see something but there was nothing significant in his organs but needed to return for a bone scan and would receive an appointment. Eventually he has received his appointment in April but goodness knows how long he’ll need to wait for his results.

Meanwhile he is in absolute agony. He hardly eats and sleeping is a luxury due to his pain. I realise my father did not help himself by insisting he go home, but for him a weekend in hospital with no likelihood of seeing a consultant was not an option. He is very stressed and worried of what may be the issue but I cannot understand the treatment of a 74 year old man who has worked all his life. Why has it taken so long? Surely there must be an easier way to do things? It doesn’t seem even cost effective to take the action that has been taken. We understand the constraints of the NHS but I feel there needs to be patient care and at least consideration for the stress placed on patients waiting for tests and diagnosis. It is hard to watch a parent suffer in the kind of pain my dad is in without an end insight or at least an answer as to why.