A Fife couple claim they have been forced to quit Scotland because of a dire shortage of care for their severely autistic son.
Nina Ni and husband Clinton moved 200 miles to England as specialist treatment for 17-year-old Tianze is not available here.
They are selling their house in Glenrothes for a fraction of the price it is valued at, and have moved into a rented home in Middlesbrough, five minutes’ drive from where Tianze is being treated.
Tianze has been at the town’s West Lane Hospital since May.
His parents have become so desperate for him to live with them they have abandoned their home.
Speaking from Middlesbrough, Nina, 50, told The Courier: “We used to get one hour per day visit and sometimes weekends on leave with Tianze to a park or shopping or beach etc.
“The independent doctor has assessed Tianze and the local doctor all think that Tianze shouldn’t be placed in hospital, he can be out of hospital to be managed by community care or residential school.”
Nina and Clinton, 51, agreed for him to be admitted to the Middlesbrough hospital for a 12-week assessment, following a violent episode at home.
But Nina said: “That was a year ago. He should be out of hospital care now. He’s had assessments by doctors and they say he can leave. They say he can be managed outside hospital as long as there is a lot of support but that is not there in Scotland.”
Two weeks ago, Nina delivered a petition with 14,000 names to Downing Street in a bid to bring Tianze home.
Dougie Dunlop, Fife Council head of service, said: “Young people such as Tianze have particular care and medical needs which require a very specialist service.
“The most important thing in these circumstances is that any young person is cared for in the place best able to meet their needs.”
An NHS Fife spokes-person said: “We continue to work alongside our colleagues in health and social care on both sides of the border in order to provide a solution which is both acceptable to the family, and which meets the particularly complex needs of the patient.”