Hi,
So I need some advice. I have an ongoing coccyx injury & I work for the NHS in mental health as a support worker. I was based on a ward for treatment which is the perfect ward for me, I'm more active than ever. Anyway, it's been about 7-8 months since I had the accident & the injury hasn't improved, I've had an X-ray, on prescribed medications & I've only been in the job not even 4 months. With the kind of ward I work on, treatment, the staff tend to get moved about a lot to the acute wards where they need more than 4 staff on the ward to help with seclusion & observations which is where you have to sit & observe a patient. The longest you can sit & do this for is max 2 hours & staff rotate. Anyway, I've been moved to these kind of wards, mainly womens acutes which I also find upsetting & traumatising due to bringing up my past (I don't mind though I get on with that side of things) anyway, the length of time I'm sat in seclusion or on observations is longer than 2 hours sometimes & I have a coccyx injury which I informed all staff every time. They said they will "support" & make sure I get rotated with other staff but that didn't even happen cos they still ended up being short of staff. I got fed up, I have a 2 year old I have to look after at home & I would spend my days off in so much pain, barely unable to move or look after my child cos of the high level of pain I was in. I went to my doctor who issued a note & a fit note suggesting adjustments for me that will help improve the pain etc. turned out I needed to be referred for occupational health which I had the appointment over the phone & he stated I needed to be on wards where I remained as active as possible & I have what they call a Non-Specific low back pain that can be long term if adjustments are set in place & if I'm moved to wards where I'm in seated duties all the time/for prolong periods of time. So then, after that report from occupational health, I wasn't moved to these wards but I was moved to others like my own ward as I was able to escort patients to a Rec leave & walk with them which helped, I was on security (long explanation what that's about!) which helped & so on. But then, I had to have a meeting with HR & my ward manager (bare in mind both are relatively new too) I explained everything, but my ward manager was trying to push me into working on acutes & trying to state I could walk around the seclusion room, I explained I've tried every technique going & nothing helps when I'm sat in a room on my own with a patient locked up in front of me & im there for longer than the actual time needed. She tried to say, working on my ward is the same surely? I explained no, it's not & gave the reasons. I was then told by HR that me picking up bank shifts right now isn't ideal with my back injury?! I explained I can't bend down 100% cos I had a specialist review my injury & I have weakness around the coccyx & tightness & stiffness in my legs. I was told by HR I'd have physio first & go from them & maybe if things don't get better or basically, I don't get moved, they re-deploy me or let me go or whatever. Anyway, I was told to go back to the ward & my ward manager later comes to me to tell me I am to work on ALL wards but unable to restrain (PMVA) so she's telling me that I can work on pre-discharge (which involves a lot of sitting cos the patients are able to get out & do their own thing more) & also I'd have to sit down on seclusions etc even though she knows full well the level of pain I was in before!? But yet I'm unable to work extra bank shifts?! Can someone tell me if this is right? If this is discrimination? I already have scoliosis in the upper spine & idk I've been told they're classed as disabilities... I tried to join an union hours before the meeting & contacted them after stating what happened but they couldn't help me. I'm now off sick currently due to stress & leading to depression cos of this & im not sure if I can face it! They haven't been supportive at all! 😑I'm always in pain cos I'm not being supported, they have decided that they can take over the occupational health & doctors note & report. I'm at risk of further injury working on acutes at risk of being injured further & the injury itself will take longer to heal. All stated well by occupational health!! I was advised to speak to ACAS? But idk what I want to do, apart of me just wants to leave & say no more about it but I need to find another job before I can leave but then it's hard cos I'm unable to work in care homes cos I refuse to get my vaccine (don't hate or judge) & I need a job where I'm active & busy rather than be sat down for too long! I can only handle 10 minutes sitting down at a time & I have to keep getting up to move about but on acute wards & pre-discharge wards - it isn't easy to do! Help! I've been in a state since the meeting, crying after it & wanted to walk out. Hope I'm not in the wrong here.