The NHS is broken, the country is broken and I don't feel safe living in the UK

I wasn't sure whether to write a blog post about my recent health issues, but since it has been affecting my ability to work / live my life for the last month, along with my my shock at the state of the NHS after fourteen years of Conservative government, it feels appropriate to document my experience here.

I've had to make two hospital visits and numerous GP visits in the last month due to ongoing symptoms. Initially I went to the walk-in centre thinking I had a UTI, but after the test came back negative and prodding my abdomen caused severe pain, I was sent to the Northern General surgery department for further exploration. The (male) doctor I saw there was incredibly dismissive, he seemed convinced that I was pregnant until he did a test as well as doing another UTI test - both came back negative. He told me I probably had an Ovarian cyst (without doing a scan to confirm this diagnosis) and told me to take paracetamol and sent me home. Within a few days the pain was so severe I couldn't get out bed, I started taking Cocodamol just so that I could stand upright, I kept feeling dizzy and faint. I also got a heat rash from making too many hot water bottles to try and soothe the pain in my lower back. I made an appointment to see my (also male) GP who apparently couldn't do anything but another UTI test, which of course also came back negative (I kept thinking to myself: isn't the definition of stupid repeating the same thing and expecting a different result?). Hysterically, the GP receptionist called me up with the results and told me to do the UTI test AGAIN "if symptoms persist".

In desperation, I made an appointment at the Sexual Health clinic to see if they could figure out the problem. They tested me for everything, including another pregnancy and UTI test - which all came back negative, but after examination (by a female doctor this time) she discovered the problem was an IUD perforation. I was then sent to the gynae department at the Hallamshire hospital and had to wait around most of the day to be seen by a doctor - and was made to do ANOTHER pregnancy and UTI test (because apparently the different departments can't transfer their test data and they wouldn't believe me when I told them the previous results). There was at least some funny grafitti on the chairs to keep me entertained whilst I was waiting.

Eventually I was seen by a junior (male) doctor who initially said he couldn't see anything wrong, which made me panic for half an hour that I was psychosomatic and imagining the pain, until he went to speak to his consultant - he came back and told me that there was indeed a perforation and that I could "wait and see if the pain went away" or have the IUD removed - but this would have to be done in surgery under anaesthetic. I'm absolutley not a fan of surgery when it can be avoided, but given that the pain had been going on for 10 days already and was so intense I was struggling to work / live my life - I agreed to the second option. They made a referral for surgery, but I was warned that the waiting lists are so long it was unlikely to happen for weeks - so, they gave me a prescription for Codeine to take alongside Paracetamol and Ibuprofen in the meantime. I made the mistake of reading up on the internet about possible complications of delayed treatment for IUD perforation - which include; infertility and fatal infection.

I had planned to spend two weeks in Bavaria in September and I was unsure of whether to go or not, given my state of health - but after the medical gaslighting and poor treatment I had thus far received on the NHS and my German friends reassurances about their functional health care system, I decided to risk it. So, I made another appointment to see my GP and got 2 weeks worth of Codeine to take with me - I told my GP about the anticipated wait for treatment on the NHS and that I had travel insurance in case of an emergency - and he actually asked me if I "could get the problem sorted quicker in Germany?" The NHS is broken and they know it.

I flew into Salzburg, which was the closest airport to the friend I was visiting. It was legitimately the first time in my life I have had to pack a hot water bottle whilst travelling.

I was working remotely during the week, but at the weekend we made some trips to visit local attractions, including the Island of Chiemsee with a group of local, pro-EU campaigners.

I was enjoying the trip but really struggling to manage the pain, I kept feeling dizzy and was struggling to walk, even though my friend carried my bag for me. I had to abandon the Chiemsee Castle tour because I felt too faint, I sat in the cafe whilst the others made the tour.

On the way back to the boat, I started to feel dizzy again and this time I collapsed on the floor. My friend had to pick me up and walk me back to the boat and his car. I was out cold for the most of the evening, so the next day he took me to the Emergency Department at his local hospital. They said it might take us a few hours to be seen and laughed when my friend told them that it was nothing compared to the weeks-long wait in the UK.

By this point, it was 2 weeks since the Hallamshire hopsital had made the surgery referral, and I still hadn't received a letter with an appointment date. Despite calling the department seven times, I was unable to get through to speak to anybody to find out what was happening and if they could advise when it might happen. So, I decided that it was best to try and get the problem resolved in Germany, if they possibly could.

After a couple of hours wait, I was seen by their doctor who said that he could take the IUD out there and then and that there was no need for surgery / anaesthetic (or to do any more pregnancy / UTI tests!!!). The procedure was over in half an hour and it cost €120 - which I can probably claim back on my insurance (but even if I can't, I am very happy to pay that much to have the problem sorted without further delays). The German doctor and nurses were completely baffled as to what the NHS doctors are playing at and I'm genuinely horrified at the difference in treatment I have received by the two healthcare systems and the fact that I was made to endure weeks of totally unneccessary pain. I'm also incredibly grateful to my friend who took such good care of me and acted as a translator at the hospital, as I wouldn't have been able to navigate the German healthcare system without his help. I'm still not feeling my best and having to take pain killers and sleep a lot, but I can feel that I am getting slowly better now. I've really fallen behind on my studies and work schedule but I am at least relieved that the problem is resolved now and I will be able to get back on top of things soon.

Epilogue

After two and a half weeks of waiting, I finally received the referral letter from the NHS ... which turned out to be a TELEPHONE CONSULTATION on 11th October - presumably meaning that the surgery to remove the IUD would have happened after this date (ie. over 2 months after I originally presented with symptoms). I am absolutely mortified that the NHS was going to make me wait months in agonising, life-limiting pain for treatment when the German health-care system dealt with it in half a day for €120, and without any medical gaslighting, or completely unneccessary tests. It's madness and it's terrifying. The NHS is broken, the country is broken and I don't feel safe living in the UK anymore.