Need To Rant As Don’t Know What Else To Do!

[Smowball]

February I had an accident & fractured my spine. Discharged from hospital with pain management plan & back brace to be worn for at least 3 months, until follow-up x-ray scheduled for 4th May to see how I was healing, & telephone consultation booked with consultant for the following week on 11th May.
X-ray done, but telephone consultation never happened. Since 11th May I have rang endlessly, I have emailed, I have left voicemails to try and get these results - all to no avail - I am never able to get hold of a human being - the phone just has a permanent recorded message saying their mail box is full!
Then last week someone finally answered the phone - he said my results were back, he couldnt give them to me properly as he wasn’t a clinician, but it looked to him as though they were saying that I wasn’t healing properly! So I said to him that I needed to speak to the consultant more now than ever. He said he didn’t know why I’d never had my scheduled phone call but the system said it had been changed to 13th July! I said what am I meant to do till then - keep wearing this back brace or not?? Don’t know he said, but I’ll email consultant and ask him to call you urgently. Has he? No.
Now my physio refuses to see me until I have these results, incase she makes it worse. The pain is still terrible, I am still struggling to move. I’ve rang my doctor and explained but they haven’t got the results either and said they just cannot believe I still can’t get them.
It’s now 3 weeks that I’ve been trying and I just don’t know what else to do - all I want is a 2 minute phone call or email to tell me what my results are, and what am I meant to do/how to proceed. To say I’m frustrated is an understatement.
Rant over, and well done if you read this to the end without falling asleep!

[douglas9401]

Take comfort that everyone is working inCREDibly hard to ensure you get the service you expect.
I've heard something along those lines often so it must be true.

[Peter Pedant]

hope it gets better....

[anneasquith]

Maybe lack of communication.
I’d suggest you contact the consultants Secretary, again and again if needed .

[TantP]

who are you ringing ? GP? Nurse? Surely your GP could ring the Consultants office and ask them? Last resort I would go to A&E if you are in that much pain.

[Redhelen72]

Why don’t you ring your consultant directly?

[Ringlet]

That's awful, and the constant frustration must be hard to endure.
Also hard to endure must be the feeling that nobody give a ***.
That is what is so horrible about the system the way it is - so much publicity is given to the need to be looking after our mental health, and then they treat people like this. Your mental health takes a knock when you are treated this way.
As TantP has said, your GP should be able to lean on the consultant's office to find out the results of your tests and xray. So I would suggest that you lean on your GP to do this.
I hope you soon get an answer and get relief from both the pain and the anxiety all this is causing you.

[fbg40]

Smow
I had a very similar problem a few years ago and what I did sorted it for me : 1) Google CEO of the relative hospital and from there, his/her E mail address 2) Send a very irate E mail with the promise that if you don't get a satisfactory result you will take further action ( let him/her stew over that) 3) Finally, give him/her 5 working days to reply to your E mail. It will probably be answered by the CEO's secretary, but that worked for me. I wish you the best of luck.
FBG40

[Smowball]

I have been ringing the number on my appointment letters, the number of the actual hospital and asking for the department of the consultant, the x-ray department, the actual Kings Complex Spine Team number, and I have been emailing the Spinal Fracture teams email address.
My doctor says they can’t chase it up!?

[Smowball]

I cannot get thru to the actual consultant for love nor money - they just keep saying they will put me thru to his secretary and will transfer me to her, then the phone goes dead every time!

[david small]

Not fit for purpose. fbg40 appears to have a good suggestion. Write to your MP maybe.

[burlyshirley]

This is absolutely shocking Smo. Is this the way it's always going to be now ?? Quite scary actually.

[Barmaid]

It may be worth contacting PALS - although I am not sure if they deal with outpatients. They should have a page at the treating hospital where you can find out more information.

[Smowball]

Thanks everyone for listening so far - it means a lot.
The hospital concerned is actually Kings College Hospital, London.
I may well do what fbg has suggested….. has got to be worth a try.

[Redhelen72]

If you Google your consultant that should bring up his office so you can contact him directly. I did that with one of my consultants

[TantP]

I take it you've tried these numbers?:

Spinal Pathway Co-ordinator on 020 3299 5178

Spinal MDT Assistant: [phone]

Spinal MDT Email: [email protected]

[Smowball]

Red, yes I’ve tried that x
TantP - no Ive not tried those numbers - I’ve got different ones.

[fbg40]

Barmaid
When I had the similar problem I tried PALS - they were about as much use as a chocolate teapot !! My wife and I know 2 people ( one a family member) who work at different hospitals and they both have said don't bother with PALS.Sorry to rain on your parade !!
FBG40

[TantP]

the numbers I gave you are for the spinal unit at Kings College Hospital.

[Smowball]

Thanks TantP. x

[TantP]

Hope you can get sorted.