‘They forget we elected them all to work for us, we deserve better...’

Four people left in limbo by the impasse tell how they’ve been directly affected

A NEUROLOGY patient says the lack of leadership from Stormont has left her paying out £400 a time from her own pocket to have the specialist treatment she needs at a clinic in London.

Rhonda O’Neill (44) from Magherafelt says she’s been left “high and dry” by the political vacuum in Northern Ireland, which reached a milestone 589 days today.

“It’s been a nightmare,” said Rhonda.

“I definitely believe I wouldn’t be in this position had there been a Health Minister in place.”

Mum-of-two Rhonda, who was a patient of Dr Michael Watt, whose patients formed the largest recall ever by the Belfast Health Trust earlier this year, feels she’s just one of many who have been “left to rot” as politicians fail to agree on a return to Stormont.

“The truth is I have no one to go to for help, no one to go to to ask questions and no one to go to for any assistance whatsoever,” she said. “If we had a functioning Stormont with a Health Minister, the whole issue over the Dr Watt recall could have been handled so differently.”

Rhonda is now footing her own bill to travel to London to get the specialist treatment she needs for a rare condition — autonomic neuropathy

— which results in her organs not working properly.

“The past year has been dreadful for me. I last saw my consultant neurologist on June 14 and since then I’ve had no point of contact. I’ve had to make arrangements myself, as there’s no one else in Northern Ireland who has the ability to treat my condition.

“That has meant nine trips to London and back over the summer to get the care my condition needs. The cost to me personally is mounting up, but I feel I have no alternative. I’m trying to live as normal a life as possible while politicians bicker and argue.

“I’ve contacted MLAs, but they’re not in a position to do much as they’re not going to work. But I have to work. “I’ve just started a new job, but need to take the time off to go and get the treatment I need in London.

“I can’t afford to take too many days off, yet we have our MLAs not going to work for so long. I don’t have the same luxury.

“I’d like our political parties to consider people like me, people who are suffering and get back to doing the right thing for all the people of Northern Ireland.”

Rhonda says her treatment was keeping her condition under control until she, and other neurology patients, were removed from the care of Dr Watt (left). “I was totally lost. I still haven’t had a reason for being removed from Dr Watt’s care,” she said.

“At least if we had Stormont running I could have had somewhere to go to ask the questions I need answers to. There would have been a lot more direction to the handling of the patients who have been left without their doctor.

“It’s people like me, people with health issues who can’t get the help or information they need, who have been left high and dry. I’m fending for myself.

“Politicians are constantly blaming each other for not getting back to Stormont but they’re forgetting why people like me elected them — to help us all, represent us all and work for us all. We all deserve better.

“I will be going for surgery in London on Friday but I’ll be back at work on Monday if all goes well.

“My situation is real and urgent and there are so many more like me who have been left so frustrated and angry that the country is left without leadership and accountability.”

❝ People like me with health issues can’t get the help we need, and have been left high and dry