This is not intended to be a medical thread, I'm at a loss with this problem and the NHS aren't helping and I'm not sure how to make any progress with it.
About 2.5 years ago I started feeling a pain in the ball of one foot, like being electrocuted or stepping on a plug. Went to GP who suspected a neuroma and prescribed naproxen.
This had no effect and is where the problems began. I was referred to a foot specialist at the local hospital who I saw 4 times in about 6 months and during that process had 4 injections (2 of which were steroids). This didn't help and I was sent to orthopedic surgery.
Orthopedic surgeon wanted to start from scratch with the treatments rather than rely on work previously done so had to go through the process of having orthotics (which I already had), then several more steroid injections. The wait time for a follow up appointment is 5 months so this dragged out a long time. During this process I was sent for 6 weeks of intensive physio. The physiotherapists said that it wouldn't help and they didn't know why I'd been referred, the orthotic specialist said I needed surgery and didn't understand why I'd been referred.
Anyway fast forward to September and my latest appointment with the orthopedic surgeon is canceled 20 minutes before as he was too busy. They rescheduled for late January. I kicked up a stink with the PALS service and they eventually brought it forward a month.
Early December I go for the appointment and the surgeon tells me he wants another injection (so 8 in 2 years and NHS recommend 3 per year in the same location), they tell me they'll book a follow up appointment in April.
As predicted the injection doesn't do anything and I've discovered that they've lost my follow up in their system and I can't now be seen until July. All the while I have days where I struggle to walk because of the pain when my foot hits the floor.
Any ideas what the best avenue is to complain about this? Anyone had any success?
About 2.5 years ago I started feeling a pain in the ball of one foot, like being electrocuted or stepping on a plug. Went to GP who suspected a neuroma and prescribed naproxen.
This had no effect and is where the problems began. I was referred to a foot specialist at the local hospital who I saw 4 times in about 6 months and during that process had 4 injections (2 of which were steroids). This didn't help and I was sent to orthopedic surgery.
Orthopedic surgeon wanted to start from scratch with the treatments rather than rely on work previously done so had to go through the process of having orthotics (which I already had), then several more steroid injections. The wait time for a follow up appointment is 5 months so this dragged out a long time. During this process I was sent for 6 weeks of intensive physio. The physiotherapists said that it wouldn't help and they didn't know why I'd been referred, the orthotic specialist said I needed surgery and didn't understand why I'd been referred.
Anyway fast forward to September and my latest appointment with the orthopedic surgeon is canceled 20 minutes before as he was too busy. They rescheduled for late January. I kicked up a stink with the PALS service and they eventually brought it forward a month.
Early December I go for the appointment and the surgeon tells me he wants another injection (so 8 in 2 years and NHS recommend 3 per year in the same location), they tell me they'll book a follow up appointment in April.
As predicted the injection doesn't do anything and I've discovered that they've lost my follow up in their system and I can't now be seen until July. All the while I have days where I struggle to walk because of the pain when my foot hits the floor.
Any ideas what the best avenue is to complain about this? Anyone had any success?