A Belfast woman with severe arthritis has said she feels “powerless” after years on waiting lists with no idea when she will be treated.
Mary Anderson (70) from south Belfast told The Irish News how the constant pain dominates her life, with a lack of communication about her treatment adding to her suffering.
She spoke out as Arthritis UK Northern Ireland launched a new report warning of a “musculoskeletal crisis” affecting over 550,000 people.
This includes some people waiting up to eight years for rheumatology appointments, living in chronic pain and thousands unable to work, study or live independently.
“I actually paid privately to see a consultant last night because the pain is so awful,” said Mary.
“I can’t stand for any length of time, I can’t walk without a walking aid. I can’t really do anything around the house.
“The impact of waiting without any communication from the Trust about when I might be seen and how I’m coping.
“I’ve been in the system for a number of joint-related issues for up to seven years and I’m still no further on.”
Over 550,000 people in Northern Ireland are affected by arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. (Alamy Stock Photo)
While having a positive experience with her local GP surgery, she said the silence from Belfast Trust about her treatment could be “deafening.”
“I get letters asking if I want to stay on the list, so I ring and ask which one because I’m on several.
“They tell me ‘we don’t know.’ So you’re basically sitting in limbo.
“I’m powerless and the emotional impact of waking up everyday thinking ‘is this the day that my back gets really bad and I end up in a wheelchair? Is this the day that I fall because my walking is so challenged?’
“That’s not an easy thing to have to wake up and think about every day. I know that I’m not clinically depressed, but I have periods of being very low and I have a sense of guilt that my poor husband is having to step up and do everything.”
She called the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt’s efforts to reduce waiting lists over the last year “incredibly encouraging,” but said more still needed to be done to support primary care.
“That would actually stop people ending up in A&E as they can’t get a GP appointment or people in hospital corridors who can’t be discharged as there’s no care package.”
A new report from Arthritis UK has said patients on waiting lists deserve better communication about their treatment.
The report from Arthritis UK says that 79% of those with arthritis are in pain most or all of the time.
A total of 43% of those affected have stopped working entirely and three-quarters (76%) say that waiting on treatment has harmed their mental health.
The charity is now calling on the Department of Health to implement four changes within the next five years.
This includes a strategic approach to MSK healthcare, improving care pathways and diagnostics, improving communication with patients on waiting lists and increasing awareness of how people can look after their MSK health from an early age.
Sara Graham, Head of Arthritis UK in Northern Ireland, said services were now “at a tipping point” but positive change was within reach.
“Short-term fixes cannot solve a long-term crisis. But Northern Ireland has the expertise, will and opportunity to rebuild MSK services so people are not left waiting in pain for years.”