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"Moving house and poor joined up care between health boards"

About: New Stobhill Hospital / Pain management- NSH New Victoria Hospital / Pain Management- NVH University Hospital Monklands / Pain management University Hospital Wishaw / Chronic Pain Management Clinic

(as the patient),

I have been under the care of NHS GGC for pain injections for many months following a head injury that has left me with severe pain in two of my forehead nerves. I have been receiving pain injections both at The New Victoria and at Stobhill hospital with excellent effect. So much so that I was able to reduce the amount of analgesia I was taking on a daily basis, until they wore off and I had to chase the service for a further appointment. And then I moved house and it all fell apart.

I have been referred to a new healthboard and have gone on the bottom of their 52 week waiting list! I was getting these injections every 10-12 weeks (they last 8weeks) and now I have no chance of getting one for another year! I am in daily pain and have been told that as I've moved house, NHSGGC cannot help and NHSLanarkshire cannot help as their waiting list is so long. Where is the continuity of care? Where is the stopgap treatment? What am I supposed to do meantime? I have spent hours on the phone with various secretaries and pain service coordinators, and while they are all very pleasant and understanding of my situation, there is nothing they can do to get me seen and treated, any sooner. I am on a cancellation list but who cancels their pain service appointment? 

I was already in the system receiving a very effective treatment for my ongoing pain and I've been dropped like a hot potato, for moving house! I find this very frustrating, unacceptable and not a good example of patient centred care at all. If anyone has any ideas of how I can continue my current treatment plan without having to wait a year to do so, please let me know as I cannot live with this pain for that long. I am in agony and I depend on strong painkillers daily just to be able to function. These injections were life changing and I am being denied further treatment because I moved from one healthboard to another. How is this right?

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Responses

Response from Craig Eden, Improvement Advisor, Quality Directorate, NHS Lanarkshire 3 months ago
Craig Eden
Improvement Advisor, Quality Directorate,
NHS Lanarkshire

This person works pan Lanarkshire on areas of improvement

Submitted on 18/07/2025 at 15:46
Published on Care Opinion at 15:46


Hi,

I am so sorry to hear of the problems you have been experiencing.

We always want to make things better for our patients, and in order for us to understand your situation better it would be helpful for you to contact the Patient Affairs team and they will be able to provide a personal response. I have included their contact details below.

patientaffairs@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

Kind Regards,

Craig

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Response from Nicole McInally, Patient Experience and Public Involvement Project Manager, PEPI, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 3 months ago
Nicole McInally
Patient Experience and Public Involvement Project Manager, PEPI,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Submitted on 18/07/2025 at 16:56
Published on Care Opinion at 16:56


picture of Nicole McInally

Dear Frustrated and Sore

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I’m very sorry to hear about the difficulties you’ve encountered since your move, and I can appreciate how distressing and frustrating this must be for you.

NHS services in Scotland are organised and funded in such a way that each health board is responsible for planning and delivering care to the population within its own geographical area. When a patient relocates to another Health Board area, it is our practice to transfer their care to the new local Health Board. This helps ensure access to local support networks and consistent communication.

We are unable to comment on another Health Board’s waiting times, but I can see that Craig from NHS Lanarkshire had requested that you contact their Patient Affairs Team.

Kind Regards

Nicole

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