All I want for Christmas is to be free of pain
NHS blunders leave mum Kellyanne waiting in agony for 14 MONTHS to have debilitating back injury treated
A YOUNG mum has been waiting for treatment to a crippling back injury for more than a year.
Her appointments have been repeatedly cancelled and her hope
KELLYANNE of enjoying a pain-free Christmas that she Brown is
struggles in so with her two-year-old daughter two-year-old
to pick much pain But up her
she daughter. seem increasingly remote. months has been to for NHS waiting
give her Greater more than Kellyanne Brown, 34, from and she specialist Glasgow six is likely injections
and Clyde to wait for her Summerston, Glasgow, can no Kellyanne be waiting asked months back,
at recently more. longer pick up her daughter secretary Christmas.
if she had to Her could still “She told admit consultant’s
me there it was Sophia when she cries. 400 people possible.
from on the were more In the past two months, two Glasgow, waiting
than “People recalled. list,” keeps come in Kellyanne,
as specialist appointments have getting four longer. emergencies
surgeons so it been cancelled. procedure.” Scotland are in And there
who only Payroll can do Kellyanne had gone to accident slip and worker the
K emergency in August 2016 with back pain. She saw a specialist a couple of months later and was put on a waiting list.
But by April, when we first told of her agony, her treatment had not started.
In law, under the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011, a patient’s treatment must start within 12 weeks of it having been agreed with the health board.
Payroll worker Kellyanne, 33, has a slipped disc and a bulging disc.
She said: “I thought I’d be having surgery but the specialist said they would do injections in my back first to see if they help.”
It was summer before she got an appointment and at that stage, she was given injections in her legs instead of her back.
Kellyanne said: “I wasn’t able to move for two days and they didn’t work at all.”
She was put back on the list and Kellyanne thought this time they would operate. But appointments in September and October were cancelled.
She said: “I think they are planning to do more injections – hopefully in my back this time – but I don’t know if that will be done at the appointment or whether they will just discuss it happening.”
She added: “The specialist told me surgery is quite dangerous. And I am happy not to have it done but I just want something done that will stop the pain.”
A spokeswoman from Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board said: “Regrettably appointments do sometimes have to be cancelled but patients should always be given a further appointment soon after.
“Clearly this didn’t happen and we are looking at why this was the case. We have called Ms Brown and arranged to see her next week. The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital was successful in recruiting a locum spinal consultant in July and this is assisting with orthopaedic waiting times.”