Our fantastic NHS ..... NOT

Last night was a real eye opener showing how big the gap is between some of the NHS staff trying their best to do right by a patient and the reality of how you're treated when the 'money' word takes affect. Just after we finished eating last night Mark was sitting in his chair chatting to a friend. He felt uncomfortable but wanted to stay up at talk about his favourite things - engines - when he's hurting sometimes leaning forward in his chair, providing a change in position helps. Not this time, he sat back again and in doing so felt a huge crack in his back resulting in excruciating pain, and screams for me to get him off his chair. Even lying down didn't seem to do anything to alleviate it so I rang Pinderfields for advice - ring for an ambulance, they say, tell them to treat it like a new spinal injury and try and get him into a specialist centre, ie Leeds General where the surgeon is that he's supposed to be seeing. So I ring for the ambulance, paramedic arrived within 15 mins understanding it was a spinal issue. Ambulance arrived 10 mins after him, they rang for more back up cos he's a big guy and between them they immobilised him on a spinal board with head braces - the whole nine yards. Paramedic then rang Pinders to try and get access to Marks notes so he could relay them to Leeds, unsuccessfully, the night staff couldn't access the system apparently. They get Mark in the ambulance, we set off for Leeds, understanding we have to go through A&E but they're going to ring ahead so he's not left lying in a corridor for hours. So we're on our way to Leeds, the crew ring ahead, try and explain the situation, were cut short by a nurse, she spoke to her on call consultant, obviously didn't tell him any information other than were we were coming from (we're outside the local Leeds A&E catchment)and he refused to accept Mark. Poor Amublance crew had no choice then but to take him to Bradford Royal. So we're deposited in Resuscitation, which at least is more urgent than being left in a corridor, details taken, more than an hour goes buy, they take X-Rays, another hour goes by, by this time the pain has receded due to being immobilised, he's seen by a Registrar who feels around the fixture area, discusses what should happen next ie he feels Mark should go to Leeds but as we've already been refused once tonight he feels it might be better to stay overnight at Bradford and be examined by the Consultant there and get them to refer him to Leeds the next day. He has to get a bed on the Orthopaedic ward, which obviously has to be agreed by the Orthopaedic Consultant apparently. Mark is classed as non acute now so we're moved to a side cubicle at around midnight. 1.30am, the Registrar comes back and explains because Mark is not considered acute enough they won't give him a bed and are going to send him home. The frustration is clear on the face of the Registrar, the message is also clear, anyone not in an acute situation won't be admitted. The only option open to us is if it happens again, we have to get the ambulance again and go through this same process and only then might he be considered acute enough to be admitted. In other words you have to be at the point that your situation is so serious you're unlikely to recover from it before you're considered worthy of treatment. How do you fight your corner faced with that closed door attitude?? So they arrange transport to take us home - they arrive and one of the guys attending took Mark from Airedale to Pinders when he was transferred, Mark recognised him and as soon as he explained who he was he remembered Mark. Anyway we get home, he's transferred from stretcher to bed, where he remains for now.

Mark is hassling Pinders and the Doctor to try and expedite this referral, but all we're getting is that we'll get a letter in a week or so from the Consultants secretary. In that we expect to be told we're on their waiting list.