4 Years I have been waiting for a resolution to a complaint about denial of surgery on a technicality. A situation, I will say the ombudsman found in my favour and the NHS board concerned accepted that ruling.
It is now 1477 days since the original complaint was raised with the board. Over 1392 days since it was escalated to the SPSO, at which time MSP's lost the ability to advocate for me. (although some continued to do so).
Two health secretaries were fully aware. Including @JeaneF1freeman.
It took 645 days for the SPSO to investigate and to render a preliminary decision. A further 82 days for the final decision which the board accepted, even though it was later found they lied to the SPSO.
It took 645 days for the SPSO to investigate and to render a preliminary decision. A further 82 days for the final decision which the board accepted, even though it was later found they lied to the SPSO.
It has now been 665 days of non-compliance with that ruling.
The health secretary will not step in, because the SPSO must issue a "special report". But what you don't know is that the health secretary knows....
The health secretary will not step in, because the SPSO must issue a "special report". But what you don't know is that the health secretary knows....
...the SPSO has never issued a section 16 special report in its 20 year history.
In december 2019, the board told the SPSO it would not be compliant with the ruling. It took the SPSO 5 months to write the board. (COVID got the blame). Now I wont, at this point try to tell you what she said. I'll just let you see for yourself.
Pay special attention to the bits in orange. The redactions are just to protect staff named in the letter. 
That's a letter from an ombudsman telling them that they are still non-compliant with a ruling they agreed with. It's a threat to implement a special report to parliament. We're now in April, 3 weeks after the 4th anniversary of this complaint.
June, July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February. 9 Months after the SPSO made this threat - still no action. And still no action from the health secretary because....you guessed it! She washes her hands because of no special report.
A tidy little arrangement.
Well! Enough is enough! I've given the health secretary until parliament rises to fix this, and if she doesn't, I'm going to start showing people exactly what has happened over the 4 years by releasing the documents.
Well! Enough is enough! I've given the health secretary until parliament rises to fix this, and if she doesn't, I'm going to start showing people exactly what has happened over the 4 years by releasing the documents.
Regardless of the situation with myself. If this crap is happening to me, then it is happening to others. This is the medical decline of individuals due to the inadequacies of Government policy. COVID doesn't factor here.
The board concerned was non-compliant for 9 months before the pandemic even started!
The SPSO is a useless, spineless department which seems more interested in kissing the backsides of public services engaged in wrongdoing.
The SPSO is a useless, spineless department which seems more interested in kissing the backsides of public services engaged in wrongdoing.
In my case, application of a rule which should never have been applied to me, because that rule is intended for people who do not share my medical issues. It's like following rules for the able-bodied for someone with M.S or cancer. The two are not compatible!
This is a systemic failure of national policy, not merely maladministration - and it wouldn't be so bad, but the very same people responsible for this crap were then emboldened to refuse a second opinion for my mother who was in hospital for 11 months....
...after a 5 month fight to get that second opinion - it transpired that I was actually right, but not about the surgery - about the fact that they didn't have empirical data to support their assertions - and I know that because the findings of the second opinion found...
...THAT THE SURGERY WE WERE FIGHTING FOR HER WAS UNNECESSARY BECAUSE THEY'D ACCIDENTALLY MISDIAGNOSED HER WITH CANCER.
Put simply. I'm no longer willing (because I have given all of these departments 4 years of trying to let the system correct itself) to sit on my hands. So I have advised Jeane Freeman she has until the end of this parliamentary term to fix this mess...
....or I am going to start making some very uncomfortable truths (which I have withheld for the good of the cause) public. This is no longer about a simple complaint. It is now about serious medical consequences of incompetence....
...namely that I am now losing fine motor function in my hand, have my throat and lungs burnt by acid daily (which is why those of you who hear me talk now have noticed my voice is distinctively more husky) and I am now having to go for a cardiac appointment...
...because I am having problems with my blood pressure.
In otherwords, I now officially deam these failed policies as a serious and substantive threat to life, and I shall respond to that with extreme prejudice with every legal means at my disposal.
In otherwords, I now officially deam these failed policies as a serious and substantive threat to life, and I shall respond to that with extreme prejudice with every legal means at my disposal.
Oh! And I am also now calling for a formal review of the efficacy of the @SPSO_Ombudsman which is slated for petitioning to parliament immediately after the election.
The long and the short, as I said, is that if this is happening to me, it is happening to others. For me, it is a detriment to my health and likely the shortening of my lifespan - for someone else it could result in their death. Enough of the bu**shit. Time to grow a spine!
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