How Difficult Is It To Get An X-Ray?

[Caran]

I have been trying for nearly a month now. It's unbelievable the chain of events.
Saw nurse practitioner at the beginning of this month as I am in a lot of pain with my hips and back.
She agreed I need an X-ray. I saw her on the Thursday. She said ring hospital on Monday to make an appointment. I did this, I hadn't been referred by doctors.. I rang surgery they said they would get a message to doctor and would phone me when I could ring hospital.
Ieard nothing for a week. Rang surgery again. Doctor will not refer me until she has had a telephone appointment with me. That was yesterday.
She said I do no this need an X-ray as I had one a year ago. I told her the pain is not the same as last year. She reluctantly said she would refer me for an X-ray and to ring the hospital in ten minutes.
I did. I couldn't have an appointment yet as they need to "check it out first"
I don't know what they meant by that but she said they need 24 hours to do this. She told me to ring Tuesday morning. That's a lot longer than 24 hours in my book! I asked if the results would be available for Friday as I have an appointment with doctor. She said I don't know, it's up to the doctor to chase it up.
I'm beginning to despair with this branch of NHS.

[naomi24]

It sounds like there's some confusion here. A lack of communication between the various parties? Could you not just make an appointment with your doctor to sort it out?

I don't think you should go to A&E either. That's overused and abused enough.

[bednobs]

seriously 999 for pain she's had for well over a month???

[Caran]

I tried to get an appointment with my doctor. I was told she would have a telephone appointment with me two weeks later.
I didn't want to go to A & E as it wasn't an emergency.
I think I have found the answer to all the delays though.
There is a small article in the Mail today that says people are being delayed in the attempt to have an X-ray. This is because the waiting lists for hip ops is so long they don't want to put any more on the list if they can help it. So they are delaying the X-ray procedu.

[Peter Pedant]

if you have a walk in clinic - use it

[bednobs]

even with a walk in xray clinic (which is what i think caran is talking about) you need a card from the doctor.
caran, what pain kilers have you tried? Have you had any physio?

[Caran]

I take ibruprofen and paracetamol and neither of them have much effect.

[bednobs]

do you take regular full doses caran? (paracetamol 1g 4x per day and ibuprofen 400 3 times a day)
I only ask because as a former macmilan nurse, i was amazed at the amount of people who ha pain, but wouldnt take painkilers (or took it once and thought it didnt work)