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Richard Lochhead

Moray SNP News

LOCHHEAD PLEDGES TO RAISE NEED FOR ELGIN PAIN CLINIC

19/02/2015

Richard Lochhead has pledged to raise the urgent need for NHS Grampian to resurrect a pain clinic at Dr Gray’s in Moray for patients suffering from chronic pain. 

The issue was raised earlier this month by a constituent who attended one of Mr Lochhead’s surgeries and advised that he is unable to utilise a pain clinic since the service ceased to exist in Elgin, with the journey to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary being impossible due to his condition. This comes at a time when Mr Lochhead is due to meet with the Interim Chief Executive of NHS Grampian, Malcolm Wright, to discuss challenges faced by Dr Gray’s and the services provided locally to people in Moray.  The meeting has been arranged for 6th March and Mr Lochhead is compiling a list of topics which he intends to raise to ensure that his constituents and the hospital are receiving the best possible level of care from NHS Grampian.                 

Mr Lochhead has also written to the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain to seek information as to what work is being undertaken by the Group in order to gain a better understanding of the national picture.

Mr Lochhead commented:

“I was shocked to learn of the level of discomfort my constituent is experiencing and the minimal level of support he receives due to his geographical location in the West of Moray.  Clearly it is not good enough for anyone to have to cope with significant chronic pain without access to adequate support close to home.  Sadly, there are instances of people ‘slipping through the net’ and I pledged to raise this issue in a bid to rectify the situation. 

I am becoming increasingly aware that this is a problem facing a number of people in Moray and I intend to discuss this matter with the Interim Chief Executive of NHS Grampian when we meet next month to establish what action can be taken to better support people who suffer from chronic pain.

We are very fortunate to have excellent facilities and staff at Dr Gray’s and it is key that we ensure the necessary services are offered to those who need them.  We need to explore how to resurrect pain clinics in Moray and we may also need to think of innovative ways to deliver advice such as the use of Skype to ensure that local patients receive the best possible service from our NHS.”

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