Sports & Spinal Injury Clinic SSIC Extremely disappointed. I've been going to see the physiotherapists at the Sports and Spinal Injury Clinic (SSIC) in Bolton One for many years now. The clinic is a teaching clinic where students from the Bolton University Sports Rehabilitation degree can learn and get hands on experience with patients. Over the 10 years or so I've been going I've seen many of the physiotherapists and university lecturers who have treated my various and many injuries from slip disks, separated ribs, rotary cuff impingement and god knows what else and I have always felt happy with both the treatments and the professionalism of the staff. However I'm sorry to say this relationship and my opinion has now changed. In late Jan 2019 I returned to the clinic for an assessment and recommendation to treat lower back pain, tightness and soreness in my right "lat" muscle and pain and aching in my right shoulder. I attended 8 treatments (one each week) and overall the treatments were going well. My SI Joint was starting to function better causing me less pain in my lower back and my right latissimus dorsi had eased off to such a state that it it was no longer in a permanent state of tension and tightness. The only remaining issue was my sore and aching shoulder. On the 5th session Finn (Fionnuala Geoghegan) was stepping me through a few exercises one being a head raise leading into a arms extended shoulder float "crunch". Finn was directing me to bring my chin up, to tuck in first before floating my shoulders off the ground. On the 3/4th attempt I felt a sharp pain (strain) move through my neck. Thinking nothing more of it we ended the session. The week later, still with a sore neck I returned for a massage and treatment session where I asked the 2nd year student to concentrate his treatment on my neck and shoulder which worked well and bought me some temporary relieve. The week later I returned to see Finn and told her of the continuing pain in my neck and soreness/numbness in my arm and shoulder. She seemed a little surprised when I explained I had felt the initial pain in her last session two week previous. She explained it was most likely a strained muscle issue rather than anything skeletal or joint related and would most likely remedy itself in 2 to 4 weeks. She then concentrated her treatments for that session on this area and recommended that I add some "chin tuck" exercises to my routine. Again I left feeling some pain relieve and booked another session for the week after. One week later and the symptoms were very much the same if not worse with pins and needles now in my hand and numbness still in my arm. Again a treatment was issued and further exercises (ear to shoulder, head turns, chin to chest and lying arm slides) were added to my routine which we also double checked to make sure there was nothing in the current routine that could be adding or aggravating my neck/shoulder pain. At the end of the session I mentioned to Finn about taking the problem to the NHS and maybe it was a good idea to see a doctor. Knowing how long it can take to get treatments with the NHS I thought I may be able to pre-empt the NHS a little as I was fearful that this neck/shoulder pain was related to previous rotator cuff impingements and problems with my scapular and that a scan etc might be needed sometime in the future. So with that in mind I asked Finn if she was able to supply a "referral" type document just outlining the conditions and treatments I had been receiving over the last 7/8 weeks, something I could pass to the doctor so I could then be booked directly for a MSK assessment rather than just being sent away with pain killers and told to come back in 4 weeks. She agreed and said it would take a couple of days. Unfortunately however no document arrived. My next appointment with Finn a week later I had to cancel as I was called away to London late the night before. With no treatment that week the pain was worsening and I attended a drop in doctors appointment where I was prescribed naproxen and an appointment to see a MSK physiotherapist was made for a week later. I wrote by email to the SSIC, FAO Finn asking once more for a "referral/diagnosis/treatment report. Again unfortunately my request went unanswered and email ignored. I feel extremely disappointed that the SSIC, in particular Finn has failed to do what she said she would do with regards to supplying me with a referral/diagnosis espeiclay to such a long term patient. Now three weeks later and six weeks after the initial "neck pain" I have been assessed yesterday by a NHS ESP Physiotherapist who has informed me that I have a pinched nerve in my neck with a expected recovery period of 12 weeks. As expected due to NHS workload the next soonest appointment is two weeks. I have been advised of more exercises and continued pain management. I had hoped to continue treatments with Finn and the SSIC alongside those of the NHS, hopefully speeding up my recovery and allowing me to concentrate on the several courses that I offer for which my good health and vitality are a fundamental requirement. In the past I have recommended the SSIC to many of my students and friends who have suffered injuries whilst training. I do not understand why the SSIC/Finn have chosen to retract my initial request and not to supply me with a document simply stating I've been undergoing treatment for this that and the other and to ignore my follow up email. As a training clinic for Bolton University I wonder how this attitude reflects on the students who are currently progressing though their sports rehabilitation courses and if they take this attitude of 'saying one thing and doing another' back to their own future practises and clinics