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About: Pontefract General Infirmary / Pain Management

Have been attending a pain clinic at

White Rose Sth Elmsall for several years.It closed DEC2018 and on request of my consultant I was told I would be transferred to Pontefract Pain Clinic under same Consultant. I received an appointment for January 2019 but this was then cancelled as inappropriate by Pontefract Pain Clinic. I was very ill at the time as I had just broken my leg/dislocated ankle/compound fracture/ORIF surgery for tri -melloral fracture and on ringing pain clininc was told something about needing to go to rheumatology but 10months later no rheumatology appointment has been received. Instead I was sent to a private clinic miles away in Barnsley who wanted me to attend a 12 week course of 3 hour sessions on Tuesday afternoons for 'education' on Fibromyalgia management and for Cog. Behavioural Therapy....input that I have already received and attended in the past and do not need again re fibro. However, not to be negative I went along in my pot leg in my wheelchair for interview and was told there was nothing they could add to the course of :education and CBT I had already been on yet I was still encouraged to join in the relaxation and exercise course. Not to be negative I agreed to do my best but on the day of the course it was cancelled and when reinstated months later it was on a Tuesday morning, the only day I could not attend as my carer/husband goes to the pain clinic/warfarin clinics so I cannot go then. Time wasted for 6 months with chronic back pain and coccyx pain getting worse and they did not treat chronic back pain/spondylolisthesis or advise on meds or anything that I actually needed.

I made a complaint to the company who agreed with me that this was an inappropriate referral by the NHS as I needed help with flared

Chronic Low Back Pain, Shoulder pain from using crutches and Coxyx pain due to being confined to a seat for 8 weeks. I also needed help with peripheral neuropothies/numbness in feet on standing/difficulty climbing stairs as discussed at my last pain clininc appointment Nov 2018. I have now bought a stair lift. Despite contacting PALS and getting another referral for Ponte Pain Clinic I was told in August, that I have to go back to the bottom of the waiting list for ten weeks and then this appointment too will likely be cancelled because

I have a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia alongside the spondylolithessis/ back pain/coxyx pain so am back to rheumatology who diagnosed via MRI do not treat chronic back pain/spondylolithesis!!!!!. I have had to manage treating myself with ice and pain killers from GP for ten months at a time when my GP and I feel

I needed my pain clinic input more than ever.GP is blocked from referring me!!. I have no idea what to do next to access my ongoing pain management/treatment and have once again contacted PALS for advice. They got back to me quickly and I explained as above and am awaiting for a response from Pain Clinic Pontefract..

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Responses

Response from Pontefract General Infirmary 4 years ago
Pontefract General Infirmary
Submitted on 24/09/2019 at 09:38
Published on nhs.uk at 10:06


Thank you for taking the time to post your comments regarding your recent experience.

I am sorry to read of your experience and I can only imagine how frustrating this must be for.

I wonder if you would contact the PALS team again (myh-tr.palsmidyorks@nhs.net) to see what they can do to help.

Thank you again.

Kind regards

Clare Blackburn

(Patient Liaison Improvement Lead)

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