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"Access to treatment in South Lanarkshire"

About: Lanarkshire Community Services / Physiotherapy

(as the patient),

I suffer from several health conditions which restrict my mobility and ability to travel far.   I have been waiting for a physio appointment in East Kilbride for around 5 months now.   I have been offered appointments all over Lanarkshire, but not my home town.   Today I have been offered another one, in Blantyre, and told that there are no EK appointments until April 2019.   I am very disappointed, to say the least.   I don't know where Blantyre is, except as a name on the occasional signpost.   I don't drive.   Getting the bus involves a walk of around 8 mins for a healthy person, according to the online route planner, so God knows how long it will take me.   Plus it's a late afternoon slot, so it will be dark.   I think it's time that the appointments system was overhauled, and for them to stop trying to send patients on day trips around Lanarkshire, when they're ill!   Give people appointments in their home areas, or at the very least check their mobility before asigning them to elsewhere (and in many cases, Glasgow is closer and has better transport links).   Or is common sense lost to NHS Lanarkshire?

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Responses

Response from Maureen Cochrane, Deputy Head of Physiotherapy & Paediatric Lead, Physiotherapy Services, NHS Lanarkshire 5 years ago
Maureen Cochrane
Deputy Head of Physiotherapy & Paediatric Lead, Physiotherapy Services,
NHS Lanarkshire
Submitted on 12/02/2019 at 14:26
Published on Care Opinion at 16:11


picture of Maureen Cochrane

Hi Elvira,

I'm very sorry to hear that you've waited so long for a physiotherapy appointment in your home town of East Kilbride. Unfortunately the longest waiting time in East Kilbride is around 27 weeks due to staff vacancies. We are working very hard to improve this situation but are struggling to offer appointments close to home in this area.

This is why we offer appointments in other towns, although appreciate, in your situation, that this is unhelpful.

We would like to support you in ensuring we have all your correct details about how long you have waited and I would ask that you phone 01355 597450 and ask to speak to the team leader, Lori Morrison. She can best advise on the options available to you.

Kind regards,


Maureen Cochrane

Physiotherapy lead - Paediatrics (In the absence of Ruth Currie, Lead for musculoskeletal services)

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