The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Time is not on my side, so every day is a gift’
Woman begs to be allowed home after spending a year in hospital
A terminally-ill woman is pleading to be allowed to return home after being forced to stay in hospital for more than a year.
Anne Gourlay, 57, was diagnosed with sepsis and chronic lymphatic leukaemia six years ago and until last year she was cared for at her home in Newport thanks to a 24/7 nursing care package provided by an agency.
More recently, her cancer has worsened and medical staff told her neither palliative radiotherapy or chemotherapy is appropriate.
After being admitted to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee in April last year, Ms Gourlay was dealt another blow a few months later when her nursing package was axed, preventing her from returning home.
She was then moved to Cupar’s Adamson Hospital in January this year after a battle to get home for Christmas failed.
There, she was told the maximum amount of care she could receive from the existing care team would be 15 hours per week and that the shortfall could be made up by another agency.
However, due to recruitment issues it has so far failed to find anyone to help – making living at home impossible.
Ms Gourlay, a law graduate, said: “I have been in hospital for over a year and am desperate to get home.
“I was all set to return when my 24/7 care package was stopped.
“And now those providing it have gone to help other people and there are issues recruiting more nursing staff to help me.
“A solution would be to send me home with the existing agency and allow time to recruit the staff while I’m at home.
“This would immediately free this hospital bed for a patient who needs it and I could be at home enjoying life outside of hospital.
“Time is not on my side, so every day is a gift.”
Her case has been picked up by North East Fife SNP MP Stephen Gethins, who is fully supportive of his constituent’s desire to return home and has pledged to do all he can to help..
“Ms Gourlay deserves the dignity of being allowed home where she will have some independence and control of her life,” he added. “She is not someone who wants to be taking up a hospital bed and it is important that a solution can be found to this situation as soon as possible.”
Julie Paterson, Fife health and social care partnership divisional manager, said the partnership is “committed” to working with Ms Gourlay.
But she confirmed no agreement on her being allowed to return home had been reached as yet.
“There have been ongoing discussions regarding the various options available to support Ms Gourlay to leave hospital,” she commented.
“Every effort is being made to support Ms Gourlay, respecting her individual choices regarding options available whilst also taking into account her complex needs. These efforts are continuing in order to identify a solution which maximises Ms Gourlay’s independence and quality of life.”
Letting me go home would then free up this bed for a patient who needs it and I could be enjoying life outside the hospital
Sir, – After reading the comments of Stephen Brannigan, head of house at Scone Palace, on the BBC Biggest Weekend music festival and the likelihood of hosting similar events in future, I found them to be insensitive and insulting to the local population who had to endure the numerous road closures caused by the so called traffic plan.
I thought the days of the public being regarded as second class citizens had long gone but here we had several days when the term “priority users lanes” appeared on our roads, along with so many diversion signs and no parking signs that you could become disoriented trying to read them all.
I have no doubt that Mr Brannigan and all of his staff were able to use the priority users lanes and it was just too bad for Joe Soap who was trying to get to and back from work, people with medical and business appointments and so on.
No doubt, the organisers will start quoting the usual rubbish about the vast amount of money that goes into the local economy from such events but if you had been in Perth over the weekend you would have seen the streets were deserted and the shops empty.
The largest contributors to the local economy are the residents who live in here and not these special events.
It is time the local authorities stopped thinking of boosting their own egos and started thinking of providing a better service for the local population. Bill Paterson. David Douglas Avenue, Scone.