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Original poster

To take my father to A&E ASAP?

34 replies

emelxxo · 14/05/2017 22:05

Hi,

I'm so desperate and have resorted to coming onto mumsnet to ask for help and what i should do.. My father had a car incident back in february and since then has suffered back pain. It's been found out that he has 2 slipped discs i think. I dont know the details but he is in horrendous pain. It has only gotten worse since then. He cant sit down properly, cant walk and these couple of days has been screaming of pain. He was given pain medication by the GP and takes them every couple of hours, his last physio appointment was on Friday and he's worse than he was when he started physio! Hes currently downstairs groaning because of the pain and he cant sleep, he hasnt been sleeping for a couple of days now. I would see him fall asleep for a maximum of 2 hours before waking up because of the pain.

Im not sure what to do but im so tempted to take him to A&E but i dont want to be a burden on the NHS if this isnt a serious issue. I also dont want to go there and make him wait 3 hours only to be given a packet of paracetamol and being told to go home and make an appointment with the GP. My father has a very high pain tolerance so to see him like this is so shocking, what should i do?

OP posts:

Teabagtits · 14/05/2017 23:53

I hope your dad is ok. You've done the right thing asking for help.

Twitchingdog · 15/05/2017 00:05

Hope your dad is OK

ohfourfoxache · 15/05/2017 00:14

You definitely did the right thing

Don't be surprised if they give him something other than diclofenac (this can take a while to work). They might put him on more heavy duty pain relief, or might decide to put him on a mixture. There are some other more effective anti inflammatories than diclofenac, so don't panic if it's not necessarily a name that you recognise Google is your friend

diodati · 15/05/2017 00:22

I'm still suffering from horrible pain due to sciatica so I sympathize with your poor dad! I can either stand or lie down (but not without pain so sleep is a problem) but can't sit. When it flares up, the pain is terrible. I've been given Tramadol for the pain but it makes me very groggy & nauseated.

TrampyCat · 15/05/2017 00:46

Hope everything is OK OP.

Original poster

emelxxo · 15/05/2017 20:07

Thankyou all for your support

The paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital and i went with him. Although the wait was long, they did give him strong painkillers throughout and then prescribed some for him to take home. They only gave him an xray as the doctor was not allowed to arrange for an MRI scan and she wrote to his gp to consider an MRI referral. Turns out that our GP was being negligent in my dad's health because all he did was refer him to physiotherapy without properly checking what was wrong with him, they assumed it was a slipped disc but that has to be checked. All in all it was reassuring because the xray didnt show any fractures. He's still in so much pain, the pain killers havent done much for him but they are better than what he used to take.

Hopefully the GP refers him so he can get the MRI, thankyou all for your support i really appreciate it!

OP posts:

WhyNotDuckie · 15/05/2017 20:12

What an amazing 17 year old you are. Your dad is lucky to have someone so caring. Well done. You made the right decision.

OhTheRoses · 15/05/2017 20:40

Well done lovely. Here are some words for that dr's apt.

"my dad has screamed in pain and I had no option but to call an ambulance. The trip cost a lot of money and while my dad is ill he can't earn and I can't study and this will have an impact on NHS funding".

My dad needs an accurate diagnosis so his condition can be managed. Please can you explain the options and which choices you are going to facilitate. And sit firm.

You are an absolutely amazing dd btw.

Musicaltheatremum · 16/05/2017 15:33

It was extremely bad practice for the ED doctor to say the GP had been negligent. They don't know what was said or done at the surgery appointment. Referral for physio may well have been totally appropriate in the situation. Severe pain in back pain does not necessarily mean there is anything seriously wrong. Back pain can be excruciating but analgesia and physio are the correct treatment and sometimes can aggravate it. Of course the GP may have been wrong but I hate it when hospital doctors do this and don't know the background. It's unprofessional to say the least and leads to unnecessary complaints.

I hope your dad gets sorted soon.

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