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Brain surgery patient frustrated by 'woefully inadequate' follow-up care from Wick medical practice





Riverview practice is based at Wick Medical Centre.
Riverview practice is based at Wick Medical Centre.

A woman who underwent major brain surgery this summer has spoken out over the "woefully inadequate" level of follow-up care she has received from her GP practice in Wick.

She was airlifted to Glasgow in July after suffering a ruptured aneurysm and considers herself lucky to be alive. More than seven weeks after being discharged, she has found it impossible to get a face-to-face appointment with a doctor at the NHS-run Riverview practice.

The woman is worried that other people who are more vulnerable could be facing similar difficulties. "The GP cover is appalling and there must be other people in a worse situation even than me,” she said.

“I have four metal devices implanted in my head. I had one aneurysm that was ruptured – it was bleeding.

"Therefore I've got to get lots of follow-up treatment to make sure everything has worked properly."

The woman, who is in her mid-60s, does not wish to be named.

She became ill on July 19, just a week after retiring from her job.

“I woke up with a terrible headache. I got up and I was very sick. All I wanted to do was sleep, and when I did wake I was seeing double.

“That's why I went to A&E [at Caithness General Hospital]. As soon as I said I was seeing everything double, the doctor there knew straight away – he was obviously well experienced.

"He examined me and said, 'I need to do a CT scan to confirm it but it looks like you've got a bleed on the brain.'

"He was ever so nice and he fought to get me flown off.”

The woman was airlifted to Glasgow Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

“The surgeon said to me in Glasgow that I had four aneurysms and they were more or less in a line right to the top of my brain. When one ruptures, the rest can go," she explained.

“It was dangerous. It could have killed me. I'm so grateful that I'm still here.

“But you could undo all the good work by having no follow-up.

“You come up here and nobody is interested. It's quite frightening."

When the woman was discharged on July 25, the consultant told her that her blood pressure and bloods should be monitored weekly.

She had concerns about her recovery and contacted Riverview on September 2. A telephone consultation was arranged for Sunday 11th.

"Meanwhile, on Friday [9th] I finally had a call from the practice to say they had to monitor my blood pressure. An appointment was arranged for the 27th."

The woman said her telephone consultation on Sunday morning lasted no more than 45 seconds. "I asked the doctor to hurry things along if possible and was told to ring the practice on Monday 12th to make an appointment.

“I think he has hurried it along, give him his due, but he wasn't on the phone very long.”

She was given a slot later that day to have her bloods taken. "The nurse who took my bloods was very reassuring and professional," she said.

But she remains frustrated that she can't see a GP locally, in a face-to-face setting.

The woman described the care she received at the hospitals in Caithness and Glasgow as exemplary.

“In Glasgow they were really nice, so efficient," she said. "It's a busy, busy hospital and they were really hard pushed but I was most impressed with the service.

“A&E in Caithness General were brilliant. The doctor there knew straight away what was wrong with me.

"But you come back and there's nothing. It just comes to a full stop.

"The GP practice is woefully inadequate. There seem to be a lot of receptionists but no doctor.

“I can't be the only person in this situation. There is no way that I'm the only one that is frustrated and can't get beyond the receptionist – and that's the problem.

“It's not really good enough. There's nobody to turn to.

“When I was young, doctors couldn't tell what was wrong with you without examining you. The bottom line is that speaking to someone on the end of a phone is no substitute.”

The woman added: “Most people are left with some kind of disability after what I've gone through but I had nothing. The seeing double cleared within a day of the op, and they checked all my limbs and my limbs were all fine.

"I'm very, very lucky to have come through what I've come through.

“I'm going away in October for an MRI and I'll get a full check-up down there, but I can't wait that long when I've got issues that I'm worried about and I need to speak to someone.

“The follow-up here is so poor, it's unbelievable. Someone who is really vulnerable, how do they cope with it?"

A spokesperson for NHS Highland said: "We are very sorry that this patient is not happy with the care she has received. Due to patient confidentiality we are unable to comment but we would ask that she contact us so we can discuss her concerns with her directly."


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