Dear [Hospital] & My Consultant,

I want to take a moment to reflect on my experience as a patient under your care—an experience that has left me with permanent pain, loss of function, and deep emotional scars that should have never happened.

When I first came to you, I was struggling with my hand and wrist, living with severe kyphoscoliosis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)—a condition that you were fully aware complicates healing, anesthesia, and surgical outcomes. And yet, at every single stage, I was failed.

Failure #1: Lack of Pre-Surgical Planning

Despite my complex medical history, I was sent for a basic GP pre-op assessment instead of a proper anesthetic consultation. It was only on the morning of the surgery that the anesthetist discovered this failure—and rightfully called off the operation. This should have never happened.

Failure #2: Lack of Consultant Involvement

Despite being under your care, you were not the one who performed my surgery. Instead, a junior doctor handled it, without the direct involvement of the consultant whose name I was listed under.

Failure #3: Pain Mismanagement & Post-Op Neglect

I was in excruciating pain after surgery, yet despite knowing I can’t swallow tablets and require a child’s dose of medication, I was repeatedly forced to try swallowing tramadol. Only when my parents stepped in did the staff panic and scramble to find liquid pain relief from another ward—something that should have been prepared before I even woke up.

Failure #4: Severe Complications, Wound Care Mismanagement & Dismissal of My Pain

When I returned for my first post-op check, my hand was so swollen and bruised that even the nurses were shocked. My stitches were yanked out forcefully, despite my father pleading for them to stop because I was in agony. When I told the consultant how much pain I was in, I barely got the words “I wish I never had this done” out before I was coldly interrupted with “Well, we did the best we could.”

That wasn’t empathy. That wasn’t care. That was dismissal.

And let’s talk about my wound care. In the years since this ordeal, I’ve been advised that I should have had a plastic surgeon involved in my wound care, stitching, and healing management. This is because:

• EDS patients have fragile skin and connective tissue that require extra care with suturing.

• Wounds take longer to heal and are more prone to dehiscence (pulling apart).

• Scarring can widen over time without proper surgical techniques and care.

• Sutures should be left in for longer than usual, and additional Steri-strips should have been used for extra support.

Not only was this not done for me, but my wound care was actively mishandled. The hospital should have recognized that EDS requires specialized care, yet instead, I was treated like any other patient.

And when the hospital failed me, who stepped in?

• My GP personally arranged for community nurses to visit me every few days because they were concerned about how badly my hand was healing.

• The community nurses actually did more to support my recovery than the hospital ever did—going as far as making custom sleeves for my fingers to help manage the swelling.

My GP and nurses shouldn’t have had to do this. This should have been handled properly by the hospital from the start.

Failure #5: Abandonment When Things Went Wrong

When I finally saw the hand therapist, I was told it was too late—that my tendons had died, my knuckle had dislocated, and nothing could be done. Instead of acknowledging the reality that my swelling had been ignored for too long, that my pain had been dismissed, that my case had been handled poorly from the start, the blame was shifted onto me.

Failure #6: Your Complete Absence

Even when a senior hospital staff member personally arranged for me to see my consultant, you failed to show up. Twice.

The first time, I was told you weren’t available. The second time, I was told you had already left the hospital and wouldn’t be back until later in the day.

And yet, not even ten minutes later, I found you standing in line at the hospital restaurant. Laughing. Chatting. Acting as if nothing had happened. While I sat there, devastated and abandoned yet again.

Failure #7: The Emotional Toll

This experience didn’t just affect me physically—it completely derailed my life.

• I had to take three months off college just to cope with the pain and the brutal recovery process.

• When I finally returned to college, I was struggling mentally as well as physically. The weight of being ignored, dismissed, and left in pain took its toll.

• My GP diagnosed me with mild depression as a direct result of everything I had gone through—the surgery, the lack of care, the neglect, and the sheer trauma of being left to suffer without support.

• And what was I left with after all of this? A useless, painful limb. Something that should have been helped but instead became a permanent source of pain and loss of function.

You Moved On, But I Couldn’t.

Meanwhile, you have since been promoted. You have gained accolades, awards, and teaching positions. Your name is tied to prestigious medical research, surgical techniques, and leadership in your field.

But what about your patients?

What about me?

Do you even remember me?

Your hospital claims to be a leader in orthopedics, a Centre of Excellence—but where was that excellence in my case? Where was the care, the professionalism, the accountability?

I was left broken—physically, emotionally, and mentally. And not once did anyone take responsibility for what happened.

I may never get an apology. I may never get justice. But I will make sure my voice is heard.

Sincerely,

A patient you abandoned.