A Newport man who can see Ninewells Hospital from his block of flats has slammed NHS “bureaucracy” after being told that he must make a near-100-mile round-trip to Dunfermline for back pain treatment.
Retired petroleum engineer Rod Stewart, 77, was referred to Ninewells for treatment by his NHS Fife GP last June.
A diabetic, he has been using services at Ninewells for more than 30 years and already makes regular trips to Dundee as part of an NHS Fife/NHS Tayside service agreement.
But when he was referred to Ninewells’ pain clinic for treatment on diabetes-related deadened nerves in his lower back, he was told he would have to make the trip to Queen Margaret instead because Ninewells was “too busy”. With stops to pick up other patients factored in, he says the route is nearly 100 miles all in.
He told The Courier: “With a bad back, there’s no way I can do a 100-mile round-trip on patient transport.
“The result is I’ve had no treatment and my back pain has steadily worsened. I can literally see Ninewells from my window.
“It would make so much more sense for me to go there where the treatment is provided.”
Tay Bridgehead Liberal Democrat councillor Tim Brett, who is a former chief executive of Tayside Health Board, has raised Mr Stewart’s case with NHS Fife interim chief executive Dr Brian Montgomery.
Mr Brett is concerned further Ninewells services may be withdrawn for north Fife patients and said he is prepared to take the issue all the way to Health Minister Shona Robison.
He said: “This is bizarre and smacks of bureaucracy. Mr Stewart can actually see Ninewells from his home in Newport, a relatively easy round trip away.
“Attending Queen Margaret would involve a long and uncomfortable near-100 mile return journey in an ambulance.
“As Mr Stewart is already being treated for a number of other conditions at Ninewells, I cannot see how refusing him access to the pain clinic can contribute to either his physical or mental wellbeing.”
Mr Brett said when he raised the issue with the interim chief executive of NHS Fife, he was concerned to hear that there are several other North East Fife patients who have also been refused access to the Ninewells Pain Service.
He added: “Although there has long been an understanding that Ninewells acts as the District General Hospital for North East Fife as well as Tayside, there appear to be suggestions that other services currently provided from Ninewells to St Andrews Community Hospital may also be withdrawn.
“We are supposed in Scotland to have a National Health Service whereby patients can be referred to services most accessible to them on the advice of their GPs.
“In this instance, the GPs request that Mr Stewart be seen at the pain clinic in Ninewells is being refused, and I believe other patients are in a similar situation.”
An NHS Tayside spokesman said: “We cannot comment on individual patients. However, Fife patients can be referred to specific specialist services in NHS Tayside hospitals.
“Chronic pain is a very complex health condition and patients who require chronic pain management need specialist treatment from a multi-disciplinary team which includes doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and pharmacists.
“It is preferable that patients access these services and health preferences in a co-ordinated way to ensure the optimum treatment.”
Dr Frances Elliot, NHS Fife medical director, said: “We are aware of the situation and we are in discussion with NHS Tayside management at a senior level.”