"Orthopaedic Consultant Surgeon at New Cross Hospital, - A Shining Star in the NHS "

Apologies for the length of my waffling on…

I have chronic low back pain and severe sciatica which I’ve suffered from for the last 6 years, getting progressively worse. I’ve needed crutches to help me walk for the last couple of years, am in constant high level pain and take an awfully high dose of combination medication. I’m in my early 30’s and already feel boxed in by my pain, I don’t get asked out socially any-more but I’m thankful to the few friends who have seen me at my very worst and are still here for me.

There is one person, Dr Anthony Marino, a Consultant at New Cross Hospital Orthopaedics Dept. , who although I only saw a few times, before I was referred to a different Consultant in another dept. , he has helped me more than any-one else.

I admit, I wanted him to fix my problems and take away all the pain and when he couldn’t do that I was frustrated and upset with him. Would I have been happier if he instantly said he was going to do some surgical operative procedure? Initially I’d have been over the moon, but by referring me to other non-invasive methods to try and ease my pain I can now appreciate that any kind of surgery is a last resort, for people in far greater discomfort than I.

I’ve seen other medical professionals elsewhere who have been dismissive and patronising. I’ve spent a lot of time researching about chronic pain and orthopaedic procedures in order to educate myself and try and help myself too but they have seen me as a patient who thinks they ‘know it all’ and have spoken to me in such an arrogant tone that I spent the whole appt. fighting back tears.

I would give anything to have my first Consultant back again, I cannot praise him, his attitude or his kindness enough. Yes, he may want to get his questions answered quickly but when you bear in mind he has patients to see in clinic as well as on the wards, not to mention all the procedures he has to carry out himself. Then any amount of time he can give you should be appreciated.

In general, we are a nation quick to judge and even quicker to complain. Some-times we should take the time to say when some-one has gone that extra mile, when they have been a comfort to us in our time of need, when they have reassured without prompt and whilst in the current financial climate with budget and job cuts they still give us 100%.

I miss my consultant so much. I have never seen a medical professional who has been so wonderfully caring, sweet, kind.

He truly is a gem of the NHS and I want the management of the Orthopaedics Dept. at New Cross Hospital to know how lucky they are to have him there and how if any-one reading this has him as their Consultant then to bear in mind how very busy is he and that they honestly couldn’t have any-one more considerate, warm-hearted, understanding and sympathetic looking after them.

Thank you Dr Anthony Marino, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, West Midlands.