A couple of points:
Stage One Warning - this sounds a bit concerning and you may feel that you would benefit from a conference or meeting with a lawyer to discuss this matter. I don't specialise in employment law, but it sounds a bit heavy handed to me and the last thing that you want on top of all your back problems is to be fighting your employment for, say, 'constructive dismissal' in an employment tribunal. A shot across his bows by showing him that you are well aware of your employments rights might quieten that aspect of things down a bit.
The back pain:
MRI Scans - you should have had one of these by now to show you precisely what disc/s are affected and the general state of your lower back. Tell your consultant that you require one of these as you have waited long enough now. If he/she still thinks that you don't need one, tell them that they are effectively denying you treatment.
I realise that this sounds a bit heavy-handed, but my own experience of the NHS is that they really don't like to offer treatment if they can get away with it. Personally, I have just refused to turn myself into a 'pill junkie', which these hospitals and doctors are more than prepared to do with their patients if they can get away with it.
You will probably need an MRI scan for:
LUMBAR SPINAL INJECTIONS - for heaven sake, before you consider any operation, please ask for these. They really do help back pain, but probably for a limited amount of time. They are steroid shots and be directed either towards the disc to towards the facet joints. I have found that my back seems to be reacting to their pain relieving effects less as time goes on.
Operation to remove prolapsed disc - if they offer you this, ask them about the Endoscopic Discectomy and not the traditional Discectomy or Microdiscectomy operations (which is misnamed as it's not that 'micro' at all). The latter Discectomy/Microdiscectomy is open surgery which requires the stripping away of muscles to get at the prolapsed disc and which will leave a several inch surgical scar down the bottom of your back (the length of which can also depend on which surgeon cuts you up). The Endoscopic Discectomy is new, not widely available and far more patient-friendly, if you are suitable for it (and if they felt that you weren't a suitable candidate, I would want a full explanation as to why they thought this). It only requires a c.1cm insertion point and the rest is done by cameras and various sophisticated instruments. It is not just cosmetically nicer, but also leaves less scar tissue internally, which itself can cause pain at a later stage.
If you can afford to go privately, you can save yourself the pain, agony and slower recovery of the Microdiscectomy by liberating yourself of c.£10K and finding a private surgeon who is trained to undertake this type of operation. If you need to use the NHS, you will need to find a hospital and more specifically a surgeon who can do it. Good luck on that point.
