"Went is with Back Spasms"

I went in to Newham General with Muscle Spasm (I'd been like it for 12 hours over night), barely able to stand, sit or lie down due to rigidity and pain.

I waited in Reception after triage, and waited and waited.

The only option to sitting on the hard plastic seats was to lie down across them.

My husband asked whether I could lie down somewhere as I was in so much discomfort.

~The answer was NO.

So I waited and waited while people with cut hands were seen before me.

I begged my husband to take me back home, I was groaning in agony in a public place and couldn't see any end to it.

In the end I stood up and used the Reception desk to lean on, I couldn't do anything to relieve the agony.

Finally, a male nurse phoned a nurse/consultant and asked what was going on as I'd been in Reception for ages in acute pain, they genuinely sounded appalled.

Finally, it turned out that their colleague who had completed the triage recorded my condition as "Minor Injury" and that's why I was passed over so many times.

The nurse came out and called my name and I broke down in tears with shear relief that I was being seen at all.

In the end they gave me Diazapam to relax my muscles and a bed to lie on while they took effect.

I was referred to see my GP asap.

My back operation was done about 9 weeks later after many appointments and tons of pain killers - paid for by the NHS but fortunately done in a Private Hospital in Stepney.