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"Getting nowhere, not even a referral"

About: Dr Gray's Hospital / Radiology General Practices in Grampian Woodend Hospital / Elective Orthopaedics

(as the patient),

2018 complained of back pain.

Sent to physio. 

Told not hips - knees. Knees strapped continue physio still back pain told feet advised and paid for orthotics 100s pounds back and hips horrendous pain told take orthotics out continue to tell GP about pain went. Referred to muscular skeletal MRI scan 2019 told had arthritis in lower back 3-4-4-6 discs both sides but nothing too bad (their words). Went to chiropractor paid for private X-ray of hips was told to take X-ray to GP as it was my hips continued to say to doctor. 

I am not one for complaining but was getting nowhere, not even a referral. Was told I was too fat to be referred with lack of mobility. I found it hard to exercise, to lose weight and stand-in doctor told me I would not be referred due to being too fat (their words) and that was why my GP was not prepared to refer me. This is now 2023. She told me if I was bedridden and ate less I would lose weight. Now I am upset and want to speak to the original GP who said this. I eventually see him and he said he didn’t say that. Yet theses stand-in doctors kept referring to his words 

January 2024 referred back to muscular skeletal sent for MRI referred to Elgin hospital.

First Consultant I have seen in 6 years. 

He said inject my hip and refer me to spinal as he said my back needed looked at and he doesn’t do backs. 

June and July heard nothing, inquired about injection told huge waiting list.

Spinal was never a referral. 

I contacted muscular skeletal again. 

They took my MRI scan to Woodend hospital where I was told the consultant said I wasn’t needing an injection I needed a hip on the right.  

Heard nothing contacted orthopaedic outpatients 27 weeks to be on the list for an appointment April 2025. 

7 years later here I am an uncomplaining patient who puts others' health worries greater than mine. 

I am done. 

I can’t even remember what it feels like to have no pain. 

To walk without pain. 

To sit without pain. 

7 years of agony and being pushed from pillar to post over and over again. 

My quality of life has been hell. 

No pain management was referred, supposedly never seen anyone. 

This has all impacted on my health in other ways. 

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Responses

Response from Denise Johnson, Interim Chief Nurse, Division of Surgery, NHS Grampian 2 months ago
Denise Johnson
Interim Chief Nurse, Division of Surgery,
NHS Grampian
Submitted on 10/01/2025 at 16:15
Published on Care Opinion at 16:15


Dear Rob61

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences over the last 7 years. I am sorry to hear of the terrible pain you continue to experience, it is clearly impacting your daily life. I appreciate April seems a long way off yet for your hip replacement especially as you say you have not been referred for pain management. To help us review your case and support your pain management whilst you await surgery, please can I ask that you contact our Unit Operational Manager on sean.berryman@nhs.scot to provide him with your details.

I was also very sorry to read about your experience with your GP practice. The majority of GP Practices in NHS Grampian are independent contractors and they are not currently registered to receive feedback through Care Opinion, and therefore don’t routinely access the feedback shared. The best option for you to receive a response around this part of your care would be to write to your GP practice directly. However, if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, but would still like to make sure they are aware of your experience, please forward the name of the practice to debbie.barron@nhs.scot or telephone/text: 07876475041. Debbie will share with the Practice Manager and update you with any response received.

If you would like NHS Grampian to fully investigate your experiences over the last seven years, we would require your personal details to help us look into the care that you have received. If this is something that you would find helpful, please send the information you have shared, along with your name, address, date of birth and contact details to our feedback service by one of the following routes:

Post:

NHS Grampian Feedback Service
Summerfield House
2 Eday Road
Aberdeen
AB15 6RE

Tel: 0345 337 6338

E-mail gram.nhsgrampianfeedback@nhs.scot

However, if you choose not to get in touch directly, please rest assured that your story will still make a difference. We review all the comments that are posted on Care Opinion with relevant managers on a regular basis, so that we can ensure staff hear feedback about our patients' experiences to enable us to make improvements to the care provided.

Many thanks for making us aware of your experiences in NHS Grampian.

Kind Regards,

Denise Johnson, Chief Nurse

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