"Hospital outpatient clinics during covid crisis"

I have been looked after for 67 years now by the NHS. Lately over the last 15 years I have been grateful for the gastroparesis departments in particular.

I have now developed neurological condition since October 19. This is still to be investigated, and I still wait for an urgent referral to be arranged. My GP is brilliant but can do nothing more in practical terms to assist me in diagnosing my condition. I do not know if I should acquire a wheelchair or if my condition will shorten my life expectancy.

It is a bit frustrating to see all the planning to open pubs, clubs, shops, when I am only just able to shuffle about my house due to this sudden change in my health with no knowledge of when clinics will restart.

Some parts of hospitals are beginning to open, Endoscopy, and cancer related illnesses. Over the last month I have written to The Sunday Post, my local MSP, Jeane Freeman OBE, and recently to the Hospital outpatient advisor. I even wrote recently to Jason Leitch. To date I have heard nothing. I feel, many more patients like me are waiting, sometimes in pain, and we receive no indication of when the hospitals will open and what plans will be in place to reduce the already long waiting times. Believe me I am very grateful for all NHS staff, I hope they are being looked after well, as they now face a second crisis, long waiting times. And the possibility of another spike in Corona virus and winter issues.

To many of the people I wrote to I asked why there is no more smaller covid hospitals like the Louisa Jordon in Glasgow. Open them  in Edinburgh, Perth, Aberdeen, Inverness, etc. These could be named as covid hospitals of clinical excellence. This would allow conventional hospitals to prepare for treating all the normal conditions in a covid 19 world.