Kelly's Story

I feel absolutely frustrated regarding my treatment for two slipped disks. For 18 months, I have lived in constant, debilitating pain, only to find out that I have been placed on a 104-week waiting list.

What makes this even harder to accept is the lack of transparency. I have undergone three pre-ops and three MRI scans, only to have three separate operations cancelled. Despite calling the hospital regularly for updates, I have never been given a clear or valid reason for these cancellations, leaving me feeling confused and completely cast aside by the system.

Finding out about the length of the waiting list was devastating enough, but discovering that my 'waiting time' only officially started from my first MRI results—six months after my injury actually happened—felt like a cruel technicality. To the hospital, I am a number on a new list; to me, this is a year and a half of my life lost to pain with no end in sight.

I feel disheartened, ignored, and physically exhausted. Patients in chronic pain deserve better communication and more respect than to be left in limbo for years." This new policy needs to be overturned.

https://www.itv.com/watch/news/a-patient-whose-wait-for-surgery-resulted-in-an-emergency-operation-says-urgent-action-is-needed/22hj6pt