Should I go to A&E?

@HiEarthlings Then why, oh why, are you not bothering to read the whole thread before posting?

Then why, oh why, are you wasting time asking a bunch of strangers that have no knowledge of you or your medical history, what you should do!!??

My husband went to a physio once. He worked with all the local sports teams. My man had a shoulder injury. Physiotherapist wouldn't touch him but wrote a letter to the GP recommending a scan and sent him off to the hospital . He did get a scan was discovered to be a torn rotor cuff.

Of course I have but quotas you are discussing are for what they term limited clinical value elective surgeries; which weirdly includes joint replacements though no idea why a joint replacement has limited clinical value when they patients I see are in agony but there you go.

Quotas and commissioning are however nothing to do with emergency work. And I am not the naive one in thinking that a Dr is not going to refer for something they think a patient actually needs due to any commissioning-at the very least due to the now overwhelming legal challenges that Drs face. With us travelling the route of the US, the number of patients jumping to suing because they don’t get what they think they should, is rising hugely and most Drs worry about that all of the time. It’s more idealistic to not be thinking that Drs are concerned about covering themselves so do refer more often than not.

Also, on this very thread, we’ve had a “physio here-lie about your symptoms to get what you want” suggestion. That is a very dangerous route and one I’m sure people do, which is why A&E gets so bogged down with patients who shouldn’t be there and services they don’t need.

an i missed that thanks

She saw the osteo first.

I ended up visiting the osteopath first yesterday, and it was he who suggested that pain down both legs was a sign of cauda equina and that I should have an MRI.

You poor thing, it sounds horrible. I hope you do see a doctor who will do something to help

no went to a&e before the osteo app

I think OP had already seen the osteo, before the visit to A&E.

So hopefully you cancelled the osteo

maternity physio, different painkillers, the op did update just a bit further back

So what is the outcome? What did the MRI help with? Did they give you different painkillers?

@Aandespine I am so pleased that you were sorted out at A&E and that you know what the problem is.

I disagree about the funding being the reason . The referral quota you mention are for elective referrals not unscheduled emergency ones.

NHS payouts for missed cauda equine syndrome are extortionate. All drs will/should have read about missed cases in their medical insurance journals and therefore know about red flag symptoms

Had the first GP recognised your red flags then he should have referred urgently to orthopaedic team on call. It concerns me that he did not pick up on the bilateral symptoms or examine you.

I am relieved that the A&E dr was very thorough, recognised the red flag and examined you well.

What a revolting attitude from your GP, just abhorrent!

But, and don't panic, I'd say you do qualify for A&E right now if the incontinence has just come on - that's the red flag bit. Big girl (incontinence) pants on & off to A&E with you (in my non medical but highly experienced fucked-back opinion)

If that incontinence has come on suddenly it needs to be investigated. Pain down both legs does happen with sciatica, but sudden incontinence is the bigger red flag that something more serious is going on.

Now you've scared me. My pain is now down both legs and despite the gabapentin and ibuprofen my nights are sleepless with the pain the last few days. I've also urge incontinence so getting through tena lady like tissues. Saw the GP two weeks ago who said lose weight because no consultant will be interested.

but to send results to another hospital to get a 2nd opinion regarding longterm management of my condition.

Sorry, am I misunderstanding, or are you talking about long term management of your 'condition' that started two days previously? That was a bit premature was it not, considering it hadn't been diagnosed yet?

Do you seriously believe your GP was sitting there thinking "She probably has something life-threatening, but the NHS is on its knees so I will just give her painkillers" ?

Unfortunately, your idealistic view no longer stands in this country.
I wish it did......

clinical decisions are being informed largely and perhaps even primarily on economics

This isn't true at all. It's just a very lazy soundbite people like to throw out there. NHS doctors, nurses et al. have nothing to do with the financial side of things. It's not "cheaper" for the doctor to prescribe pain meds rather than refer you for an MRI. The cost doesn't affect them. The money doesn't come from their pockets. They base their decisions on things such as risk and clinical need. Where one doctor may think an MRI is necessary, another may not. Neither of them are thinking about finances.