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Fife teen faces two-hour round trip for hospital treatment

Rebecca Lumsden.
Rebecca Lumsden.

A teenager who suffers from chronic nerve pain faces a two-hour round trip for a hospital appointment despite living just across the Tay from Ninewells Hospital.

Rebecca Lumsden, 18, became a regular patient at the Dundee hospital’s pain clinic after a bout of shingles triggered her condition four years ago.

But when the problem reared its head again, she was referred instead to Dunfermline’s Queen Margaret Hospital, which is 40 miles from her Tayport home.

Her furious mother Jacqueline branded the situation ridiculous and said: “This trip is too much, especially when she has been seen previously at Dundee and it is just across the water from us.

“My husband is registered disabled, which makes this even harder.

“I am my husband’s full-time carer and have to try to organise someone to stay with him, which isn’t too bad, going to Dundee, but not all the way to Dunfermline.”

The family had moved from Cupar to Tayport to be closer to Ninewells.

To make matters worse, they only learned IT apprentice Rebecca’s first appointment in Dunfermline last week was cancelled when they arrived.

Jacqueline said: “We have been told we will be sent another appointment in the post, which means another almost 100-mile round trip.”

Rebecca’s case echoes that of Rod Stewart, who can see Ninewells Hospital from his Newport flat but has been told to travel to Dunfermline for back pain treatment.

As The Courier reported a fortnight ago, the 77-year-old was told the Dundee clinic is too busy.

Tay Bridgehead councillor Tim Brett is fighting for a resolution to the issue, which he has pledged to take to health secretary Shona Robison if necessary.

He said: “I want to know where this is going to end.

“I have had people contact me to ask whether this means they are not going to be treated at Ninewells. We are supposed to have a national health service, not a Fife health service or a Tayside health service.

“Everyone knows the north east of Fife looks to Ninewells as its local hospital. Whoever has decided to shut the door has taken no account of that whatsoever.”

He added: “Critically, the way the NHS works is that the GPs refer patients to wherever they feel they will get the best and most appropriate treatment.”

NHS Fife medical director Dr Frances Elliot said talks are taking place between Fife and Tayside health managers about the situation.

She said: “I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to the patient for the cancellation of the pain clinic. Every effort was made to contact the patient to inform them of the cancellation.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to tell them.

“We are aware of the situation with the pain clinic services and we are in discussion with NHS Tayside management at a senior level.

“A meeting is now proposed to discuss this issue.”