Argyll patient’s annual checkup trip is shock to the system

A pacemaker user has claimed he can endure an eight-hour day for a test on his device that lasts only 10 minutes.

John Stevens, a carer representative on the Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership’s (HSCP) Integration Joint Board (IJB) made the claim at a meeting.

The board member said a journey to the Vale of Leven Hospital by his own methods takes almost two hours each way, but the time is extended when he has to use hospital transport.

The HSCP’s chief officer said the story showed why conversations need to be accelerated about bringing services closer to home. The discussion took place at a meeting of the IJB on Wednesday March 29.

Mr Stevens, a trustee with North Argyll Carers, said: “I have a pacemaker and one of the absolutely annoying things is that every year when I have it tested, I have to go to the Vale of Leven Hospital. That is getting on for a two-hour journey each way, but the test takes between five and 10 minutes. When I am not able to drive I am taken by hospital transport and that means overall eight hours.

“I am not the only person in our area of Argyll and Bute who finds that an absolute annoyance and irritation. For something that seems relatively simple, we have to make such a long journey.”

Chief officer Fiona Davies responded: “It is difficult to bring services into Argyll on a piece-by-piece basis. When we want to develop a new service, we have to find additional funding to do that.

“Rather than extracting money, if a service is provided in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and has been since 2006 [when NHS Highland took responsibility for most of Argyll and Bute], it is used there.

“It is challenging, but we have made it clear that we want to provide treatment as close to home as possible.

“Your story shows why we need to push on these conversations, so we can try to create a long-term model.”

‘I’m not the only person in our area who finds that an absolute annoyance...’