Share your story

Waiting for joint replacement surgery

The pain of waiting for joint replacement surgery is impossible to ignore. The coronavirus pandemic has left hundreds of thousands of people with arthritis in pain, waiting for their operation. We're campaigning for government action to restart treatment and bring down waiting lists safely.

To do this, we need supporters like you to speak out about your experience - from informing our influencing work, to talking to the media, or sharing stories with MPs. Will you join the push for change?

Please answer the questions below to tell us how you have been affected.

First name

Surname

Email

Postcode (optional)

1. Tell us about you

Do you currently have any of the following conditions? (select all that apply)

Inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune disease in my joints, bones or muscles (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus etc.)

Osteoarthritis

Chronic or long‐term/ ongoing joint pain (i.e. pain or discomfort that you have all of the time, or on and off for more than the last three months)

Osteoporosis/ thinning/ weakening of the bones, and/ or fragility fractures

Other

Please specify

What's your date of birth? (optional)

Nation

Where do you live?

How would you describe your gender?

Please specify:

How would you describe your ethnicity?

Please specify:

What are you being treated for?

Hip

Knee

Other

Please specify:

Which of these best describes your situation?

I had a date for surgery, but this has been cancelled

My surgery was cancelled, but I now have a new date

I have agreed with my consultant to have surgery, but haven’t been given a date yet

I am waiting for an appointment with a consultant to discuss possible surgery

I am recovering from a recent joint replacement operation

Other

When were you referred to a consultant to start treatment? (optional)

What date were you given for surgery? (optional)

What date did your operation take place? (optional)

What date is your operation booked in for? (optional)

Please specify:

What hospital are you being treated at? (optional)

2. How is the wait for treatment affecting your life?

Please tell us a bit more about your experience, including the following: 

The impact on your physical and mental health
The effect on your work, homelife and day-to-day living
Any difficulties you’ve been facing during the lockdown, and any additional support you’ve needed e.g. shopping, finances
The level of communication and support you've had from health services

Tell us more:

3. Managing your pain

What treatments, if any, have you used whilst waiting for joint replacement surgery? (tick all that apply)

Physiotherapy

Massage

Exercise

Opioids (eg. Tramadol, Buprenorphine, Morphine, Oxycodone, Fentanyl etc.)

Non-Opioid Painkillers ( eg. , Paracetamol, Gabapentin, Duloxetine, Amitriptyline etc.)

Other treatment

No treatment

Please specify

Please tell us a bit more about how coronavirus has affected your treatment for pain, including the following:

Have any of the treatments you’ve been receiving stopped or changed?
What advice have you been given on managing pain?
Have any of your appointments moved online? E.g. physiotherapy

Tell us more:

4. How do you feel about the following statements?

I’ve had clear information from my hospital about what will happen with my treatment

I am worried about how safe it would be to have my operation during the pandemic

Uncertainty about when my treatment will happen is affecting my mental health

Having a surgery date would give me vital hope and assurance

I’ve been given sufficient advice on pain management from healthcare professionals

My pain levels are getting worse

My mobility has got worse, so I’ve been less active

I am finding new ways to manage my pain since the lockdown

5. Before you go:

Are you happy for Versus Arthritis to contact you for more information about your experiences?

Yes

No

Are you happy for us to use your story for our political influencing work?

Yes, as long as it's anonymous

Yes, you can use my first name

No

If you're happy with your answers, please click SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS