Amputee suffers double ambulance service knockback

A DIABETIC Thurso amputee whose body rejected an organ transplant was forced to make her own way to Inverness this week after being twice knocked back by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Pamela Bruce-Shaw (50), of St Andrews Drive, requires continuing sessions of dialysis to stay alive.

Yet a lift to the renal unit at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness on Monday – that she is entitled to as a dialysis patient – was turned down by the patient transport body as she tried to book it after mid-day on a Friday.

"I’m not saying I’m any more important than any other patient but my dialysis is life or death," she told the John O’Groat Journal."I was furious when I phoned and they said I couldn’t get transport."I just don’t think it’s fair."Her husband Lewis Shaw explained that after last week being refused for transport from Thurso to Inverness – due to the service not starting until 8am on the Monday – they had to delve into their own pockets to get a train down the road and stay with her sister in Beauly on Sunday before the appointment.When Mrs Bruce-Shaw then tried to organise transport from Beauly to Raigmore last Friday she was told that the ambulance service does not take appointments after mid-day so she had to make her own way there on Monday."She phoned patient transport to take her down to Inverness for 9am as her dialysis takes four hours and she had another appointment in the afternoon," said Mr Shaw."They turned round and more or less refused point-blank."It’s terrible and my wife was really stressed out about it and that does her health no good."A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) said that transport bookings for dialysis patients are normally made by the renal unit in the hospital in order to avoid any complications for the patient.He said it was an unusual case as the renal unit normally arrange appointments so that transport time is taken into consideration."We explained to the patient that it is not possible to transport patients to Inverness by 9am," said the spokesman."Appointments for Inverness are normally arranged for 11am at the earliest to allow time for transport there."We undertake over 200 patient journeys per day in the Highlands and bookings have to be made by 12pm the previous day to ensure that the appropriate resources are available for all of our patients."In July 2004, Mrs Bruce-Shaw became the first person in the north of Scotland to undergo a double transplant operation when she received a new pancreas and a kidney in a major operation at the New Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh.Later the kidney rejected and she developed from type one diabetes (insulin dependant) to type two (non-insulin-dependent).Over two years ago further complications relating to the diabetes resulted in the woman losing her left leg from below the knee.She now requires the use of a prosthetic limb which can make public transport an issue.Normally, Mrs Bruce-Shaw gets a dialysis ambulance through to Caithness General Hospital for treatment."They do normally ask me if I can use public transport," she said. "But I always say no because it’s very uncomfortable for me to sit for three-and-a-half to four hours."It can also be embarrassing for me to take my leg off in front of other people but it does get very sore and cuts in to the skin."Although she has a car and is capable of driving, she does not undertake long journeys in case of falling asleep behind the wheel.The SAS spokesman said it could understand the couple’s grievance and would gladly discuss it with them.He said: "We appreciate the patient’s frustration in this instance and would be happy to discuss this with her directly."Mr Shaw said that the announcement that around £15 million of public money is being plunged into NHS Highlandto improve facilities over the next three years could be better spent on improving service problems in the far north, such as transport issues."This just emphasises the problems we have up here," he said."I was taken into Caithness General Hospital myself one night and they put me out at 5am in the morning and Pamela had to come through and get me."I had no money with me and nobody offered me a way home – it’s just a carry on."

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