"This situation has changed markedly"

I have been a patient of the gastroenterology service at Victoria Hospital for some years now. My comments are based on that experience.

It took a long time for my condition to become more manageable. In the past when I had crises the GI team were reasonably responsive and always communicated back to me the outcome of test results and Consultants recommendations.

Sadly this situation has changed markedly for the worse. It is now calling itself an advice line.

My most recent experience is as follows. I was subject to a bout of inflammation of all my joints which absolutely flattened me. This was the second occurrence in a month. I deduce that this inflammation was connected with my Crohn's. I was told I needed to provide a stool sample and that a test kit would be sent out. Blood test at the GP showed high levels of CPR.

To date no stool sample kit has arrived and nothing further has happened. Zilch!

I am left very much in limbo dreading the next autoimmune inflammatory attack.

So much for an "advice line."