Pensioner forced to wait seven months

A 77-YEAR-OLD ex-miner who suffers excruciating pain when he walks has been told he cannot see a consultant for seven months.

James Neilson, who has a blocked artery in his leg, was first referred to hospital by his GP on August 1 and waited 12 weeks with no news.

And after contacting Edinburgh Royal Infirmary this week he was told they were three vascular consultants down and he would have to wait up to 30 weeks for an appointment – then wait again for surgery.

Mr Neilson, from West Lothian, said: “It’s really frightening.

“Because of the condition, the longer it’s left untreated you wonder what’s going to happen and whether something major needs to be done.

“I can only walk short distances – just 40 or 50 feet – and the pain comes on. It’s very severe and it doesn’t disappear when I stop. It can be more than half an hour before it subsides.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale raised the case in the Scottish Parliament as she quizzed the First Minister about an audit report on the state of the health service.

Ms Sturgeon insisted the health budget was now £3 billion higher than when the SNP came to power; there were 11,000 more staff; and in-patient and out-patient waiting times were both lower.

But Ms Dugdale said: “We have heard the First Minister reel off a lot of statistics. Will she explain to Mr Neilson why, under her government, he has to wait seven months to see a consultant?”

Ms Sturgeon said she would ask the Health Secretary to look at the case.

Dr David Farquharson, medical director, NHS Lothian, said: “Unfortunately, a number of patients are waiting longer than we would like for appointments with the vascular service and I would like to apologise for this. There are two consultant posts vacant within the department and this has had an impact on the number of patients we can see.” VISITORS to a Glasgow cafe can enjoy life through a lens as it showcases the work of Scottish photographer Elaine Livingstone.

A selection of pictures taken by Ms Livingstone over the past two decades have gone on display at the Kelvingrove Cafe.

The exhibition, entitled A Box Of Paper, runs until the end of January and includes images taken in Glasgow, Miami and New York.

Ms Livingstone, of Glasgow, said: “The exhibition is a potted history of my life as a photographer.” Picture: Colin Mearns