By Graham Huband and Marjory Inglis

TAYSIDE WAS in mourning yesterday for a tragic teenager who lost her high profile battle against cancer.

Lisa Norris (16), the Ayrshire schoolgirl who was given a massive overdose of radiation in a medical blunder at a Glasgow hospital, won the respect and admiration of top health officials in Tayside and medical staff at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, where she came for treatment in the aftermath of the incident.

Ninewells has the only NHS hyperbaric chamber in Scotland, a facility more commonly associated with divers suffering the bends. Lisa was treated there in an attempt to reduce the damage caused by her over-exposure to radiation.

She died at her home in Girvan, Ayrshire, on Wednesday with her family by her side, weeks after surgery to combat the return of her cancer.

Lisa’s father Ken (51) told a newspaper, “We remain convinced it was the overdoses that did this, not the cancer.

“She was determined not to give up her fight and she stayed fighting until the end. That’s my Lisa.”

Yesterday the chairman of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Professor Sir John Arbuthnott, said staff were “extremely upset” to hear of Lisa’s death.

He said, “I have passed on my condolences to the family on behalf of the whole organisation.

“We know this will be a tragic loss for the Norris family and our staff will do whatever they can to support them.”

Rangers fan Lisa went back to school in Girvan in March after staging a recovery. She was tutored at home later in the year when her condition worsened.

South Ayrshire Council’s director of education Mike McCabe described her as a well-loved member of the school community.

He said, “I would like to pay tribute to the tremendous courage and strength of character shown by Lisa, and to extend to her family the condolences of everyone associated with Girvan Academy.

“Lisa was a well-loved, respected and valued member of the school community at Girvan. She was an inspiration to everyone who met her.

“Our hearts go out to her family, and the many, many friends that Lisa had.”

Another message of sympathy came from Rangers Football Club, whose star striker Nacho Novo visited her in hospital earlier this year.

The club said, “Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.”

Scottish health minister Andy Kerr also spoke of his sadness.

The consultant who oversaw Lisa’s treatment at Ninewells—where she was an outpatient for 10 days in February—yesterday paid tribute to her bravery and positive attitude.

Professor Philip James of the Wolfson Hyperbaric Medicine Unit at Ninewells said, “It was a pleasure to have her here as a patient. She was an extremely brave young lady who was very focused on getting on with her life as best she could.

“Our condolences go to the family.

“We used hyperbaric oxygen treatment on her for two reasons—primarily to deal with the effects of the overdose of radiation, and secondly to deal with the areas of skin that had been burned.

“She responded very well to the treatment in the 10 days or so that she was here. She was a very together young lady who met a very tragic situation extremely bravely and remained positive.

“We are all very sad as we got to know her quite well and got to know the family.”

Lisa, her mother Liz, father Ken and younger brother Andrew became daily visitors to the hyperbaric unit where staff rolled out the red carpet and ensured the whole family were supported.

Behind the scenes, senior management also ensured the family did not have to worry about transport and accommodation costs from Girvan and booked them in to one of the city’s top hotels.

At yesterday’s meeting of the board of NHS Tayside in King’s Cross Hospital, Dundee chairman Peter Bates, who is himself living with terminal cancer, informed the board, “with a considerable amount of sadness,” that Lisa had died.

He made particular mention of the teenager’s mother, father and brother.

“Very sadly Lisa Norris died and, as some of you will know, Lisa and her family came here to be looked after. I know—because we had a lot of contact with the family—that they felt hugely valued and cared for here.

“I know it was the view of the family that the clinical staff that looked after Lisa and her family provided a quality and standard of care that was enormously important to them.”

He said he would be writing to the family on behalf of NHS Tayside to express “deep condolences.”

Lisa was given 17 overdoses of radiation during treatment for a brain tumour at the Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow in January. Human error was blamed and an investigation by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is still going on.

The Royal College of Radiologists also expressed condolences to Lisa’s family. Vice-president Dr Michael Williams said that any error involving patients was of “great concern” to the college.

He said in a statement, “We are working with patients and other healthcare professions to identify ways in which processes can be improved to minimise errors.

“We are also seeking to improve checking procedures so that any mistakes can be detected earlier in a course of treatment.”

Lisa’s funeral is expected to be held next week.