accusations that new national spinal deformity service is causing long waiting times for those desperate for care
North-east surgeon’s fury at his patients being denied treatment
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A top north-east surgeon last night described the expansion of a new national spinal deformity service as “disastrous”.
Orthopaedic consultant Niall Craig, who is based at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, said he is angry that communication problems have resulted in two of his patients being denied treatment at the clinic in Edinburgh.
He said health officials have been “disingenuous” in their assertions that the National Scottish Adult Spine Deformity Service at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, which treats people aged 17 to 40, was up and running from April 1.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon and NHS Lothian insist that more than 40 referrals have been made to the clinic since then and 11 patients aged 17 to 20 have undergone operations to date.
But Mr Craig said consultants across Scotland were only told in July that a surgeon had been appointed to carry out operations on patients aged 21 to 40.
He learned yesterday that his two patients, who were initially referred to the clinic in February when they were aged 39 and 40 on the basis it opened on April 1, would not be treated.
Mr Craig said that by the time Scotland’s only adult spinal injury surgeon Enrique Garrido was hired in July his patients no longer met the treatment criteria.
Mr Craig said his 41-year-old patient will now have to be referred back to the national spinal clinic at Stanmore Hospital in London.
He added that the patient was initially turned down because funding for referrals from NHS Scotland stopped on March 31.
Mr Craig said: “The whole set-up and inauguration of the Adult Spinal Deformity Service in Scotland appears to have been disastrous as far as I can work out.
“I feel very angry because my patients are being personally disadvantaged. I think the whole thing has been poorly conceived and although a date was set to have funding in place on April 1, a surgeon was not in place to run the service until much later.”
Mr Craig is also treating Karen Irvine, 33, of Hilton Terrace, Aberdeen, who suffer from scoliosis, which causes curvature of the spine.
She was originally referred to the clinic in February but was only given an appointment last month.
Ms Irvine’s treatment has been further delayed, however, because Mr Garrido was involved in a road accident and is not due to return to work until next month.
Aberdeen Central Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald, who is representing Ms Irvine, said: “I hope that the minister will recognise that she needs to act urgently on behalf of these patients who have been waiting too long already.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Patients who do not meet treatment criteria may still be referred to hospitals out of Scotland at a consultant’s discretion.”
